Cost of Living in North Carolina
What it costs to live in North Carolina, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 11,046,024
- Median household income
- $73,958
- State income tax
- Flat 4%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 94.3
What a typical paycheck keeps in North Carolina
The typical North Carolina worker earns $47,970 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $6,770 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $47,970
- Federal income tax
- −$3,576
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,670
- State income tax
- −$1,405
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$15,384
- Everyday costs
- −$17,165
a year, or $564 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across North Carolina.
Cost of living in North Carolina
Prices across North Carolina run 6% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing19% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)3% below the US average
- Utilities11% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)2% below the US average
- All items6% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,282 | $15,384 |
| Food | $477 | $5,724 |
| Transportation | $377 | $4,524 |
| Healthcare | $346 | $4,152 |
| Utilities | $231 | $2,772 |
| Total before taxes | $2,713 | $32,556 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
North Carolina taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 4% |
Taxes on the median household income
$73,958 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$7,441 |
| Payroll taxes | −$5,658 |
| State income tax | −$2,442 |
| Effective tax rate | 21% |
Cities in North Carolina
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each North Carolina city we cover.
- CharlotteNorth CarolinaTypical worker keeps $1,8911-bedroom $1,816 a month
- RaleighNorth CarolinaTypical worker keeps $6,1321-bedroom $1,590 a month
- GreensboroNorth CarolinaTypical worker keeps $6,0111-bedroom $1,255 a month
- DurhamNorth CarolinaTypical worker keeps $12,8361-bedroom $1,586 a month
- Winston-SalemNorth CarolinaTypical worker keeps $5,2611-bedroom $1,307 a month
What common jobs keep in North Carolina
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $207,000 | $113,782 |
| Pharmacist salary in North Carolina | $138,860 | $68,596 |
| Software engineer salary in North Carolina | $134,710 | $65,926 |
| Physician assistant | $129,360 | $62,482 |
| Veterinarian | $129,240 | $62,404 |
| Nurse practitioner | $128,990 | $62,243 |
| Lawyer | $127,710 | $61,420 |
| Data scientist | $119,090 | $55,818 |
| Financial analyst | $102,390 | $44,735 |
| Project manager | $100,820 | $43,694 |
| Civil engineer | $100,730 | $43,634 |
| Mechanical engineer | $100,720 | $43,628 |
| Physical therapist salary in North Carolina | $99,910 | $43,090 |
| Dental hygienist salary in North Carolina | $97,850 | $41,723 |
| Occupational therapist | $92,940 | $38,464 |
Salary pages in North Carolina, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant salary
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist salary
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician salary
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist salary
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist salary
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer salary
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse salary
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer salary
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher salary
- Truck driver salary
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in North Carolina
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $314,290 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $289,780 |
| Physicians, All Other | $260,330 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $224,610 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $215,230 |
| Dentists, General | $207,000 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $173,870 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $172,860 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $167,840 |
| Financial Managers | $166,780 |
| Marketing Managers | $165,480 |
| Optometrists | $161,560 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $151,540 |
| Sales Managers | $150,470 |
| Human Resources Managers | $142,990 |
Living in North Carolina
North Carolina against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $333,000 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,338 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 4% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 37.1% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 25.7 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 15.4% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare North Carolina with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in North Carolina?
Prices in North Carolina are 6% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,282 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,430 a month.
Does North Carolina have a state income tax?
Yes. North Carolina's income tax rate is flat 4%. On a typical wage of $47,970, a single filer pays about $1,405 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in North Carolina?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $39,200 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in North Carolina earns $47,970 and keeps $6,770 after those costs.
Where in North Carolina does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the North Carolina cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Durham ($12,836 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Charlotte ($1,891).
What jobs pay the most in North Carolina?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in North Carolina goes to Chief Executives ($314,290); General Internal Medicine Physicians ($289,780); Physicians, All Other ($260,330) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate