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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 9 of 9 cities in North Carolina beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Cary stands out at 96 on the index, with rent of $1,649/month — for better or worse — and household income of $129,399. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
#1 Ranked: Cary — cost index 96, rent $1,649/mo, income $129,399
9 of 9 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The numbers are clear: 9 of 9 cities in North Carolina beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Cary stands out at 96 on the index, with rent of $1,649/month — for better or worse — and household income of $129,399. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
A closer look at Cary: the cost index of 96 breaks down to a Housing index of 96 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 99 (weakest). And in most cases, median rent is $1,649/month — 13% below the national median — while household income sits at $129,399, meaning locals spend about 15% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Cary (index 96, rent $1,649); Raleigh (index 92, rent $1,567); Durham (index 96, rent $1,651). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Flip the lens, and you get a different read: North Carolina — Research Triangle tech boom meets Appalachian affordability. The 9 cities we track here average a cost index of 91 and median income of $74,175. It's a clear buyer's market compared to national norms. The typical rent runs $1,552/month, which is $343 less than the national median.
Bottom line: Cary leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
| Rank | City | Median Income | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cary | $129,399 | 96 | $1,649 | Details |
| 2 | Raleigh | $82,424 | 92 | $1,567 | Details |
| 3 | Durham | $79,234 | 96 | $1,651 | Details |
| 4 | Charlotte | $78,438 | 100 | $1,705 | Details |
| 5 | Wilmington | $63,900 | 98 | $1,670 | Details |
| 6 | High Point | $61,228 | 86 | $1,469 | Details |
| 7 | Greensboro | $58,884 | 81 | $1,382 | Details |
| 8 | Winston-Salem | $57,673 | 84 | $1,445 | Details |
| 9 | Fayetteville | $56,395 | 83 | $1,426 | Details |
180,010 residents · North Carolina
What does daily life actually cost in Cary? Start with the 15% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. And from what we can tell, on the category level, Housing (index 96) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 99) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $129,399 and homes at $620,401 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
482,295 residents · North Carolina
Why Raleigh ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. At 92 on the cost index, residents save roughly 19% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,567/month while the median household pulls in $82,424/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 92, though Healthcare (98) lags behind. Home prices average $428,831 — $38,539 below the national median.
296,186 residents · North Carolina
What does daily life actually cost in Durham? Start with the 25% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 96) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 99) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $79,234 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — and homes at $393,151 round out a profile that ranks #3 for clear reasons. One to watch.
911,311 residents · North Carolina
Why Charlotte ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 100 on the cost index, residents save roughly 11% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,705/month while the median household pulls in $78,438/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 100, though Healthcare (100) lags behind. Home prices average $393,846 — $73,524 below the national median.
122,698 residents · North Carolina
Here's Wilmington by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 98. Rent: $1,670/month — not a number you see very often, by the way — . Income: $63,900/year. Home price: $408,845. Population: 122,698. The strongest category is Housing at 98; the most expensive is Healthcare at 100. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,700 per year vs. the national median. On a teacher's salary, this difference is the line between paycheck-to-paycheck and comfortable.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Cary | 4.5% | 6.98% | 0.7% | $89,579 |
2Raleigh | 4.5% | 6.98% | 0.7% | $89,579 |
3Durham | 4.5% | 6.98% | 0.7% | $89,579 |
4Charlotte | 4.5% | 6.98% | 0.7% | $89,579 |
5Wilmington | 4.5% | 6.98% | 0.7% | $89,579 |
6High Point | 4.5% | 6.98% | 0.7% | $89,579 |
7Greensboro | 4.5% | 6.98% | 0.7% | $89,579 |
8Winston-Salem | 4.5% | 6.98% | 0.7% | $89,579 |
9Fayetteville | 4.5% | 6.98% | 0.7% | $89,579 |
Cary ranks #1 in North Carolina for this analysis with a cost index of 96 and median income of $129,399.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Cary (ranked #1) has a cost index of 96 and rent of $1,649/mo, while Fayetteville (ranked #9) has a cost index of 83 and rent of $1,426/mo — a 13-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Cary is $1,649/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $246 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Cary is $620,401, which is 4.8× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
North Carolina has a 4.5% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.98%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.7%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.