Cost of Living in North Carolina
How much does it cost to live in North Carolina? This page pulls together the numbers that actually shape your budget — a flat 4.0% state income tax, a median home price of $340,430, and a median household income of $73,958. Every figure is cited and refreshed monthly, and the calculators below let you plug in your own salary and household to see what life in North Carolina really costs you.
Key North Carolina figures
State income tax
4.0%
Flat rate
Source: North Carolina Department of Revenue via PolicyEngine US parameters · as of 2026-01-01 · methodology
Median home price
$340,430
Typical home value
Source: Zillow Research (ZHVI) · as of 2026-06 (pending review) · methodology
Median household income
$73,958
$42,777 per capita
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year 2024 · as of 2024 · methodology
Electricity price
15.09¢/kWh
Residential average
Source: US EIA, Electric Power Monthly (residential price) · as of 2026-05 (pending review) · methodology
Population
11,046,024
US Census estimate
North Carolina calculators
Paycheck Calculator
Take-home pay after taxes
Cost of Living
Budget against local prices
Salary Needed
Income to live comfortably
Rent Affordability
Rent you can afford
Home Affordability
Home price you can afford
Budget Planner
50/30/20 at local prices
Retirement
What you need to retire here
Salary Equivalence
Compare pay across states
Where people move to and from North Carolina
Top states moving into North Carolina
- Florida 34,682
- Virginia 29,264
- South Carolina 27,316
- New York 26,351
- California 21,347
Where North Carolina residents move
- South Carolina 32,527
- Florida 25,380
- Virginia 24,509
- Georgia 17,387
- Texas 16,096
Net interstate migration: +77,974 more people moved in than out (vs. the other 49 states).
Full North Carolina migration report →
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS State-to-State Migration Flows · as of 2022 · methodology
Living in North Carolina: what the numbers say
North Carolina charges a single flat 4.0% on state taxable income, so a nurse and a software director pay the same rate on each dollar. Flat systems are simple to predict, which makes budgeting straightforward, but they don't ease up on lower earners the way graduated brackets do.
Housing is where North Carolina is won or lost. At a median home price of $340,430 against a median household income of $73,958, homes cost about 4.6× yearly income — within reach for many dual-income households. Use the home and rent calculators below to see what your income supports here.
Day-to-day costs add up too: residential electricity in North Carolina runs about 15.09¢ per kilowatt-hour, one of the recurring bills the cost-of-living tools fold into a realistic monthly budget.
Frequently asked questions
- Is North Carolina an expensive state to live in?
- It depends on your income and housing situation. North Carolina has a flat 4.0% state income tax and a median home price of $340,430. The calculators on this page turn those figures into a number for your specific salary and household.
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in North Carolina?
- That varies with household size, whether you rent or own, and your lifestyle. Start with the North Carolina paycheck calculator to see your take-home pay, then the cost-of-living tools to compare it against local expenses.
- Where do these North Carolina numbers come from?
- Tax figures come from state and IRS sources, home values from Zillow, income and population from the US Census, and energy prices from the EIA — each shown with its date. See our methodology page for the full list and update schedule.