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Cost of Living in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Winston-Salem, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.

Population
257,271
Median household income
$57,758
Cost of living (US = 100)
92.0
Unemployment rate
4.2%

Is Winston-Salem a good place to live?

Winston-Salem sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 60 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job.

A typical worker in Winston-Salem keeps $5,261 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job

  • Cost of living8% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
  • Rent$1,307 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
  • Taxes$1,342 of state income tax on a typical wage

Cost of living in Winston-Salem

Prices in the Winston-Salem, NC area run 8% below the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 29% below the US average.

  • Housing29% below the US average
  • Goods (food, clothing, cars)3% below the US average
  • Utilities12% below the US average
  • Other services (healthcare and more)2% below the US average
  • All items8% below the US average

Monthly budget for one person

CostMonthlyYearly
Rent, 1-bedroom$1,307$15,684
Food$477$5,724
Transportation$377$4,524
Healthcare$346$4,152
Utilities$230$2,760
Total before taxes$2,737$32,844

Rent by apartment size

Monthly rentWinston-SalemWhole metro area
Studio$1,160$1,079
1 bedroom$1,307$1,224
2 bedrooms$1,424$1,332
3 bedrooms$1,879$1,754
4 bedrooms$2,285$2,135

Living in Winston-Salem

How Winston-Salem compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).

MeasureWinston-SalemUS
Median household income$57,758$81,604
Median home value$281,200$360,600
Median rent paid$1,271$1,487
Households renting42.1%34.7%
Unemployment rate4.2%4.6%
Living below the poverty line16.4%12.2%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher43.9%36.9%
Median age36.3 years39.2 years
Average commute, one way20.2 minutes27.2 minutes
Working from home14.1%13.3%
Commuting by public transit1.1%3.7%

The 1-year survey doesn’t publish commuting method for Winston-Salem, so those figures come from the 2020–2024 5-year estimates.

Home internet

4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Winston-Salem, led by Spectrum, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T. Fiber reaches 56.7% of homes and 57.9% can get gigabit speeds.

Pros and cons of living in Winston-Salem

Pros

  • Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 20.2 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
  • Lower cost of living. Prices are 8% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
  • Cheaper rent. Median rent is $1,271 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
  • Affordable homes to buy. The median home is worth $281,200, against $360,600 nationally.

Cons

  • Lower incomes. Median household income is $57,758, against $81,604 nationally.
  • Higher poverty rate. 16.4% of residents live below the poverty line, against 12.2% nationally.

What your job keeps in Winston-Salem

Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.

Typical worker in Winston-Salem, NC
Typical salary
$46,380
Federal income tax
−$3,386
Payroll taxes
−$3,548
State income tax
−$1,342
Rent, 1-bedroom
−$15,684
Everyday costs
−$17,159
You keep$5,261

a year, or $438 a month

Pay: BLS OEWS Winston-Salem, NC. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.

From $46,380 gross, deductions leave $5,261 a year.
Salary$46,380Federal income tax−$3,386Payroll taxes−$3,548State income tax−$1,342Rent, 1-bedroom−$15,684Everyday costs−$17,159You keep$5,261

What the most common jobs keep here

The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Winston-Salem, NC area.

JobMedian payYou keep
Registered nurse$86,120$33,646
Project manager$79,560$29,292
Accountant$78,950$28,887
Licensed practical nurse$62,970$17,930
Teacher$57,042$13,403
Truck driver$51,320$9,034
Auto mechanic$46,080$5,032
Medical assistant$45,810$4,827
Pharmacy technician$45,770$4,797
Nursing assistant$38,660−$633

Other jobs, A–Z

What each keeps in Winston-Salem on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.

  • Carpenter $7,980
  • Civil engineer $32,351
  • Data scientist $43,898
  • Dental assistant $8,071
  • Dental hygienist $40,154
  • Dentist $87,507
  • Diesel mechanic $14,211
  • Electrician $12,683
  • Financial analyst $28,382
  • Firefighter −$2,871
  • HVAC technician $12,119
  • Lawyer $60,186
  • Lineman $42,007
  • Mechanical engineer $39,936
  • Nurse practitioner $63,140
  • Occupational therapist $38,728
  • Paralegal $8,545
  • Paramedic $14,219
  • Pharmacist $66,275
  • Physical therapist $43,699
  • Physician assistant $63,070
  • Plumber $7,445
  • Police officer $13,707
  • Radiologic technologist $28,191
  • Respiratory therapist $29,750
  • Social worker $15,509
  • Software engineer $58,822
  • Speech-language pathologist $33,492
  • Veterinarian $61,653
  • Welder $5,255

Compare Winston-Salem with other cities

Compare Winston-Salem with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.

Moving to Winston-Salem

7 licensed interstate movers are based in Winston-Salem, and 9 more elsewhere in the Winston-Salem, NC area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).

More cities in North Carolina

Questions people ask

Is Winston-Salem, NC a good place to live?

Winston-Salem sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 60 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job. The typical worker here earns $46,380 and keeps $5,261 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.

What is the cost of living in Winston-Salem?

Prices in the Winston-Salem, NC area are 8% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,307 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,430 a month.

How much do you need to earn to live in Winston-Salem?

A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $39,500 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Winston-Salem, NC area earns $46,380.

What is the average rent in Winston-Salem?

HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,160 for a studio, $1,307 for a 1-bedroom and $1,424 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Winston-Salem at $1,271 a month (2024).

Does Winston-Salem have a state or city income tax?

Yes. On a typical wage of $46,380, North Carolina state income tax comes to about $1,342 a year. Winston-Salem has no local income tax on wages.

What internet providers serve Winston-Salem?

4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Winston-Salem, led by Spectrum, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T. 56.7% of homes can get fiber and 57.9% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).

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.

Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate