City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Austin | Wake Forest | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,354/mo | 14.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $397,300 | 16.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $115,159 | 24.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 97.2 | 2.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 90.7 | 5.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 98.9 | 1.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 97.2 | 1.4% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Austin, you'd need $94,566 in Wake Forest to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wake Forest, NC is about 5.4% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 14% lower in Wake Forest than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $75,653 in Wake Forest to keep the same standard of living.