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 | Raleigh | Winston-Salem | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,371/mo | $956/mo | 43.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $347,000 | $187,400 | 85.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $78,631 | $54,416 | 44.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 102.1 | 97.2 | 5.0% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 99.9 | 93.5 | 6.8% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 88.1 | 79.8 | 10.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.8 | 91.6 | 14.3% 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 Raleigh, you'd need $81,910 in Winston-Salem to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Winston-Salem, NC is about 18.1% cheaper overall than Raleigh, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% lower in Winston-Salem than in Raleigh. If you earn $80,000 in Raleigh, you'd need about $65,528 in Winston-Salem to keep the same standard of living.