Commercial Real Estate Market in Clayton, NC
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
108 active listings and 744 off-market properties in Clayton, NC. Commercial property asks $3,622/SF to buy and $29.62/SF/Yr to lease.
Market Trends
Clayton, NC spans 114.9 square miles in Johnston County, North Carolina. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office vacancy in Clayton, NC runs 20.2% across the South region in 2025, up from 14.4% in 2019.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Retail
Retail vacancy in Clayton, NC runs 5.4% across the South region in 2025, down from 7% in 2020.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Clayton, NC runs 7.9% across the South region in 2025, up from 6% in 2019. Nearly 2.3x the 2022 low of 3.5%.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Multifamily
Multifamily vacancy in Clayton, NC runs 11.3% across the South region in 2025, up from 8.5% in 2022.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 67.6%
- Planned_development 15.1%
- Industrial 10.6%
- Civic 3.4%
- Commercial 3.2%
- Mixed use 0.1%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Residential Large Lot
Planned District Multi Use
Residential Low Density
Planned District Residential
Heavy Industrial
Clayton, NC zones 27,584 acres across 19 districts. Commercial zoning covers 3.2% of zoned land, residential 67.6% and industrial 10.6%. The largest single district is Residential Large Lot at 56.2%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 13.8% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
Residential Large Lot (RLL)
A. RESIDENTIAL LARGE LOT (RLL) DISTRICT PURPOSE STATEMENT The Residential Large Lot (RLL) District is created to accommodate low-density single-family detached dwellings on individual lots and in estate-style neighborhoods in areas outside the corporate limits within the extraterritorial jurisdiction. Sanitary sewer is not anticipated to be extended to areas…
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Clayton, NC has 80,305 residents in 31,719 households. Density runs 699 people per square mile. Median household income here is $95,693 and median gross rent $1,509 a month.
80,305
Population
31,719
Households
2.5
Avg Household Size
37
Median Age
36%
College-Educated
95%
High-School Grad
114.9 sq mi
ZIP Area
699
Density / Sq Mi
$95,693
Median Household Income
$48,605
Median Earnings
$1,509
Median Rent
$315,267
Median Home Value
Tools
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Wilsons Mills | — | — |
| Raleigh | — | $31.27 |
| Knightdale | — | — |
| Garner | — | $18.95 |
Commercial property in Clayton, NC asks $3,622/SF.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Clayton?
Commercial property in Clayton, NC asks an average of $3,622 per square foot. The 4 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $246/SF, so asking sits 1373% above the achieved median.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Clayton?
Asking lease rates in Clayton, NC average $29.62 per square foot per year.
What zoning applies to commercial property in Clayton?
Clayton, NC zones 27,584 acres across 19 districts, of which 3.2% is commercial and 10.6% industrial. The largest single district is Residential Large Lot at 56.2% of zoned land. A. RESIDENTIAL LARGE LOT (RLL) DISTRICT PURPOSE STATEMENT The Residential Large Lot (RLL) District is created to accommodate low-density single-family detached dwellings on individual lots and in estate-style neighborhoods in areas outside the corporate limits within the extraterritorial jurisdiction. Sanitary sewer is not anticipated to be extended to areas… Residential zoning covers 67.6% and open space 0%.
Where does Realmo's Clayton market data come from?
Realmo compiles Clayton, NC figures from 4 recent recorded sales, 95 active sale listings, 13 active lease listings, 744 tracked off-market properties, the current Clayton zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 31 August 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 95 active for-sale and 13 active for-lease listings in Clayton, NC. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 27,584 zoned acres across 19 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 August 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- office vacancy is reported at South region level, retail vacancy is reported at South region level, industrial vacancy is reported at South region level and asking prices run materially above recent closed pricing.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 August 2026 · report a data issue
