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 | Philadelphia | Wake Forest | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,354/mo | 7.7% lower in A |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $397,300 | 45.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $115,159 | 50.0% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.5 | 97.2 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 107.5 | 90.7 | 18.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 98.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 101.8 | 97.2 | 4.8% higher 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 Philadelphia, you'd need $96,360 in Wake Forest to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wake Forest, NC is about 3.6% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% lower in Wake Forest than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $77,088 in Wake Forest to keep the same standard of living.