South ranking
23 North Carolina cities ranked by cost of living, cheapest first.
Index 80
Index 100
Sorted by cost-of-living index — lowest (most affordable) first.
| # | City | Cost index | Median rent | Median income | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilson | 80 | $864/mo | $46,891 | 48K | Compare → |
| 2 | Rocky Mount | 80 | $891/mo | $50,092 | 54K | Compare → |
| 3 | Greenville | 80 | $933/mo | $47,485 | 88K | Compare → |
| 4 | Winston-Salem | 86 | $956/mo | $54,416 | 250K | Compare → |
| 5 | Jacksonville | 87 | $1,181/mo | $50,185 | 72K | Compare → |
| 6 | Fayetteville | 87 | $1,117/mo | $53,424 | 209K | Compare → |
| 7 | High Point | 87 | $1,030/mo | $58,582 | 114K | Compare → |
| 8 | Greensboro | 87 | $1,048/mo | $55,051 | 297K | Compare → |
| 9 | Burlington | 89 | $947/mo | $52,963 | 57K | Compare → |
| 10 | Wilmington | 95 | $1,213/mo | $58,908 | 117K | Compare → |
| 11 | Asheville | 95 | $1,250/mo | $63,810 | 94K | Compare → |
| 12 | Gastonia | 96 | $1,075/mo | $58,047 | 81K | Compare → |
| 13 | Kannapolis | 96 | $1,078/mo | $66,487 | 53K | Compare → |
| 14 | Concord | 97 | $1,259/mo | $83,480 | 105K | Compare → |
| 15 | Charlotte | 97 | $1,399/mo | $74,070 | 875K | Compare → |
| 16 | Mooresville | 98 | $1,447/mo | $82,622 | 50K | Compare → |
| 17 | Durham | 98 | $1,296/mo | $74,710 | 284K | Compare → |
| 18 | Chapel Hill | 98 | $1,419/mo | $85,940 | 59K | Compare → |
| 19 | Huntersville | 98 | $1,624/mo | $112,893 | 61K | Compare → |
| 20 | Wake Forest | 100 | $1,354/mo | $115,159 | 48K | Compare → |
| 21 | Raleigh | 100 | $1,371/mo | $78,631 | 466K | Compare → |
| 22 | Cary | 100 | $1,538/mo | $125,317 | 175K | Compare → |
| 23 | Apex | 100 | $1,668/mo | $129,688 | 66K | Compare → |
So you're thinking about North Carolina. The strongest arguments for it are around north carolina is on the affordable side of the country and real low-cost-of-living options exist here, plus 4 more. Detail on each below.
North Carolina averages a cost-of-living index of roughly 93 across its cities, about 7% under the national average. Different cities vary — see the full ranking above — but the overall state picture is on the affordable side. Average median rent across North Carolina cities runs about $1,216/mo.
Wilson ranks as North Carolina's most affordable city at a composite cost index of 80 (20% below US average). Worth a look as a baseline for the cost ceiling — most of the rest of the state's cities are more expensive than this, not less.
Across our North Carolina city data, typical household income lands near $72,994. That's above the national median, which puts more cushion under whatever the local cost of living happens to be.
Living in North Carolina comes with access to Charlotte, a city of roughly 875,045 with the infrastructure that follows from real urban scale. The benefit isn't just for the people inside the city limits — the airport, hospitals, and labor market serve most of the state.
North Carolina has 23 cities in our ranking, covering a real spread of size, density, and cost. People talk about a state like it's monolithic; in practice, the place you actually live varies a lot, and North Carolina gives you a real menu to pick from.
Living in North Carolina puts Atlantic coastline within driving range of most of the state. The practical upshot: weekend beach trips, easier access to seafood that hasn't been on a truck for a week, and a milder climate near the coast than the same latitude would have inland.
Reasons reflect aggregated city data for North Carolina (Census ACS, BLS, BEA) plus well-known state-level geography. We only list points that are actually supported — different states show different sections.
Across North Carolina, Wilson is the most affordable city we track (cost index 80, with median rent around $864/mo), while Apex sits at the top of the range with an index of 100—roughly 26% pricier than Wilson. Use the table above to compare any North Carolina city directly against Wilson.
The other end of the ranking — priciest first.