PlainCost
Home / States / North Carolina

State cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP

Cost of Living in North Carolina

Statewide Regional Price Parities for North Carolina from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100, across 15 metro areas.

94.3
Statewide RPP
#31
of 51 states by cost
81.4
Rents RPP
15
Metro areas

The verdict

North Carolina costs less than 61% of U.S. states, a statewide index of 94.3, 5.7% below the national average.

94.3
statewide cost index (US average = 100)
#31
of 51 states by overall cost
bottom 39%
nationally, among all states
81.4
rents RPP, the biggest budget swing

A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $106,015 when earned in North Carolina.

Reading the North Carolina Cost of Living Picture

The Bureau of Economic Analysis places North Carolina's statewide Regional Price Parity at 94.3 for the 2024 data year, 5.7% less expensive the U.S. baseline of 100. Inside the headline figure, the state's categories sit near average, while rents offer the biggest relief at 81.4. That internal spread, rather than the single state number, is what determines whether a household actually feels priced in or priced out.

North Carolina captures 15 metro areas in the BEA dataset, and the range across them is meaningful. Raleigh-Cary, NC leads on cost at 98.2, while Rocky Mount, NC sits at the opposite end at 88.0 - a gap of 10.1 index points inside a single state. For goods the state indexes at 96.6, for services 88.6, and for rents 81.4 - the rent figure tends to be the most volatile input and deserves its own line-item review before any relocation decision.

Over time, North Carolina's statewide index has held steady within 1.9 points, suggesting a stable competitive position against other states. Practically, this means a $100,000 national salary delivers the purchasing power of about $106,015 of national buying power when earned inside North Carolina, and a household relocating here would need roughly $94,326 to reproduce a $100K lifestyle. Pair these numbers with metro-specific wage data and rent tables before treating the statewide figure as your planning assumption.

94.3
Overall
96.6
Goods
88.6
Services
81.4
Rents

North Carolina vs every U.S. state

Where this state sits in the national cost distribution

94 Top 61% higher than 39% of 51 US states

84–87: 2 US states (4%). Below this entry. 87–90: 7 US states (14%). Below this entry. 90–93: 8 US states (16%). Below this entry. 93–96: 6 US states (12%). This entry sits in this band. 96–99: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 99–102: 5 US states (10%). Above this entry. 102–105: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 105–108: 3 US states (6%). Above this entry. 108–111: 4 US states (8%). Above this entry. 111–114: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. 114–117: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. This state 84 117 every US state (incl. DC), bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024

Most Expensive in North Carolina → Cheapest in North Carolina →

Metro areas in North Carolina, ranked by cost

# Metro area OverallGoodsServicesRents
1 Raleigh-Cary 98.2 96.6 89.0 103.5
2 Durham-Chapel Hill 97.6 96.6 89.3 98.9
3 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia 97.3 96.6 89.2 97.6
4 Asheville 96.5 96.6 88.6 93.4
5 Wilmington 96.4 96.6 87.9 93.2
6 Burlington 93.2 96.6 89.2 77.9
7 Greensboro-High Point 92.9 96.6 89.1 74.5
8 Jacksonville 92.1 96.6 87.2 72.1
9 Winston-Salem 92.0 96.6 88.4 71.4
10 Fayetteville 92.0 96.6 87.8 73.1
11 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton 88.5 96.6 87.8 59.6
12 Goldsboro 88.5 96.6 87.9 57.7
13 Greenville 88.4 96.6 87.3 57.3
14 Pinehurst-Southern Pines 88.3 96.6 88.2 59.3
15 Rocky Mount 88.0 96.6 88.4 56.1

The Rents RPP index measures housing costs relative to the national average (100). For the federal 40th-percentile Fair Market Rent by bedroom size and county, see the HUD Fair Market Rents dataset.

RPP History

Year Overall
2008 92.4
2009 91.3
2010 92.9
2011 93.6
2012 93.5
2013 93.7
2014 93.8
2015 93.6
2016 93.8
2017 93.0
2018 92.9
2019 91.9
2020 91.3
2021 93.7
2022 94.0
2023 94.4
2024 94.3

What this means in North Carolina

The statewide index is a starting point, cost varies metro to metro within North Carolina.

  • Don't rely on the state figure alone: Raleigh-Cary (98.2) and Rocky Mount (88.0) sit 10 index points apart inside North Carolina. Check your specific metro.
  • Rents index at 81.4 (18.6% below average) - the largest swing in the RPP. Review the housing line before any relocation decision. Highest rents
  • Weighing North Carolina against another state? Convert your salary to local purchasing power first. Salary calculator

RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark (national average = 100) for the data year shown, pair it with local wages and current rents before deciding.

Cost of Living Guides

Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026
Official BEA data on the most affordable areas
Most Expensive Cities: 2026 Rankings
What drives high costs and how to cope
Cost of Living vs Wages
Where your dollar goes furthest
Understanding Regional Price Parities
How BEA constructs RPP data

View all guides →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in North Carolina? ▼
North Carolina has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 94.3, meaning it is 5.7% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 96.6, services at 88.6, and rents at 81.4.
What salary in North Carolina equals $100K nationally? ▼
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $94,326 in North Carolina. Conversely, $100K earned in North Carolina has the purchasing power of $106,015 at the national average.
Is housing expensive in North Carolina? ▼
Rents in North Carolina are indexed at 81.4, which is 18.6% below the national average. The state is relatively affordable for renters.
Which is the most expensive metro in North Carolina? ▼
The most expensive metro area in North Carolina is Raleigh-Cary, NC with an RPP of 98.2. The most affordable is Rocky Mount, NC at 88.0. There are 15 metro areas in North Carolina with BEA price data.
Is North Carolina getting more expensive? ▼
From 2008 to 2024, North Carolina's overall cost index changed by +1.9 points (from 92.4 to 94.3). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.