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 | Phoenix | Wake Forest | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,322/mo | $1,354/mo | 2.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $340,200 | $397,300 | 14.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $72,092 | $115,159 | 37.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 97.2 | 0.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 102.9 | 90.7 | 13.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.2 | 98.9 | 5.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.0 | 97.2 | 7.1% 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 Phoenix, you'd need $92,614 in Wake Forest to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wake Forest, NC is about 7.4% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% lower in Wake Forest than in Phoenix. If you earn $80,000 in Phoenix, you'd need about $74,091 in Wake Forest to keep the same standard of living.