Most Affordable Cities in North Carolina

Cost of living rankings for 160 cities in North Carolina. On average, North Carolina is affordable with a statewide average Cost Index of 73.

Data Updated: March 2026

Cheapest City

Hamlet

Index: 29

Most Expensive

Weddington

Index: 159

State Average

National: 100

Cities Ranked

160

with complete data

All 160 Cities in North Carolina — By Affordability

#	City	Index	Home Value	Rent	Income
1	Hamlet	29	$103,800	$553	$38,500
2	Williamston	32	$108,900	$621	$40,556
3	Kinston	37	$108,300	$822	$35,250
4	Laurinburg	37	$121,500	$766	$39,258
5	Marion	37	$131,100	$687	$44,472
6	Rockingham	38	$133,900	$717	$36,695
7	Eden	39	$122,800	$816	$50,959
8	Henderson	39	$116,800	$835	$38,780
9	Roanoke Rapids	40	$129,400	$816	$53,981
10	Tarboro	40	$155,500	$698	$49,386
11	Lenoir	41	$165,200	$671	$48,889
12	Reidsville	41	$139,000	$773	$42,702
13	Roxboro	41	$138,700	$787	$39,283
14	Lumberton	42	$140,100	$824	$43,114
15	Forest City	42	$142,100	$815	$35,897
16	Mount Airy	43	$176,600	$699	$39,873
17	Ayden	44	$161,200	$774	$41,711
18	Sawmills	44	$180,500	$719	$56,534
19	Selma	45	$161,100	$824	$37,440
20	Rocky Mount	46	$148,300	$919	$52,927
21	Asheboro	46	$162,800	$855	$48,628
22	Thomasville	46	$163,200	$853	$58,246
23	Lexington	46	$158,100	$882	$41,775
24	Smithfield	46	$217,000	$601	$37,827
25	Dunn	46	$178,900	$780	$47,310
26	Clinton	46	$185,600	$754	$42,344
27	Spring Lake	48	$101,300	$1,228	$50,497
28	Washington	48	$193,800	$813	$41,723
29	Siler City	48	$154,900	$958	$51,751
30	Albemarle	49	$186,100	$856	$52,825
31	Kings Mountain	49	$177,700	$879	$45,507
32	Half Moon	49	$170,900	$951	$61,848
33	Goldsboro	50	$173,700	$956	$47,005
34	Shelby	50	$185,400	$899	$50,705
35	St. Stephens	50	$187,500	$864	$57,882
36	Trinity	50	$187,700	$893	$80,349
37	Bessemer City	50	$173,000	$942	$48,784
38	Wilson	52	$192,000	$925	$47,294
39	Newton	52	$169,300	$1,016	$56,869
40	Archdale	52	$188,200	$960	$64,984
41	Oxford	52	$177,200	$986	$48,135
42	Dallas	52	$221,700	$794	$57,755
43	Cherryville	53	$198,000	$948	$58,701
44	Burlington	54	$188,700	$1,030	$54,941
45	Hope Mills	54	$176,300	$1,097	$60,671
46	Morganton	54	$208,300	$909	$49,434
47	Mocksville	54	$210,900	$910	$55,544
48	Nashville	54	$191,700	$1,009	$63,553
49	Graham	55	$200,600	$990	$54,783
50	Conover	55	$238,300	$811	$57,375
51	East Flat Rock	55	$207,400	$977	$59,679
52	Swannanoa	55	$270,800	$692	$72,978
53	Fayetteville	56	$171,900	$1,179	$56,395
54	Greenville	56	$213,100	$983	$50,564
55	Statesville	56	$226,100	$935	$55,492
56	Lincolnton	56	$224,600	$920	$43,294
57	King	56	$227,500	$937	$60,451
58	Winston-Salem	57	$208,200	$1,033	$57,673
59	Salisbury	57	$215,200	$1,030	$51,058
60	Sanford	57	$222,000	$965	$54,294
61	Elizabeth City	58	$202,100	$1,111	$50,947
62	Angier	58	$236,100	$949	$51,162
63	High Point	59	$212,400	$1,062	$61,228
64	New Bern	59	$211,500	$1,068	$56,893
65	Gibsonville	59	$262,400	$865	$105,981
66	Wrightsboro	60	$220,700	$1,072	$72,867
67	Greensboro	61	$221,300	$1,114	$58,884
68	Jacksonville	61	$191,700	$1,268	$54,069
69	Hickory	61	$248,300	$975	$63,361
70	Havelock	61	$186,800	$1,269	$64,433
71	Piney Green	62	$220,000	$1,151	$65,179
72	Locust	63	$285,800	$887	$78,280
73	Butner	64	$225,600	$1,195	$72,917
74	Kernersville	65	$264,000	$1,052	$69,923
75	Waynesville	65	$254,800	$1,105	$50,554
76	Gastonia	66	$250,000	$1,145	$60,554
77	Kannapolis	66	$245,500	$1,168	$70,691
78	Zebulon	66	$275,400	$1,038	$58,940
79	Barbecue	67	$199,300	$1,419	$80,380
80	Walkertown	67	$230,800	$1,283	$80,761
81	Lewisville	68	$284,300	$1,059	$84,424
82	Anderson Creek	69	$251,600	$1,248	$86,661
83	Monroe	70	$270,600	$1,216	$67,265
84	Mount Holly	70	$286,400	$1,145	$75,928
85	Aberdeen	70	$287,200	$1,151	$72,955
86	Kings Grant	71	$258,200	$1,290	$60,009
87	Unionville	71	$312,200	$1,060	$92,009
88	Stokesdale	71	$368,600	$783	$135,389
89	Mebane	72	$295,600	$1,171	$84,312
90	Hendersonville	72	$282,500	$1,232	$52,337
91	Winterville	72	$226,600	$1,495	$82,783
92	Boiling Spring Lakes	73	$260,400	$1,337	$59,750
93	Clemmons	74	$306,900	$1,172	$84,326
94	Silver Lake	74	$287,500	$1,289	$73,277
95	Archer Lodge	75	$285,600	$1,308	$98,170
96	Morehead City	76	$330,900	$1,122	$53,718
97	Northchase	76	$286,700	$1,342	$56,659
98	Fletcher	77	$324,000	$1,207	$75,117
99	Brevard	79	$411,000	$878	$44,356
100	Boone	81	$373,600	$1,080	$28,633
101	Wendell	81	$316,700	$1,397	$93,848
102	Cramerton	81	$322,900	$1,341	$94,390
103	Concord	82	$327,600	$1,365	$84,752
104	Belmont	82	$349,700	$1,274	$86,442
105	Etowah	82	$313,500	$1,442	$73,000
106	Clayton	83	$292,400	$1,542	$73,348
107	Woodfin	83	$326,600	$1,408	$62,759
108	Wilmington	84	$350,300	$1,311	$63,900
109	Garner	84	$320,300	$1,452	$77,496
110	Murraysville	84	$281,600	$1,667	$75,720
111	Black Mountain	84	$351,700	$1,334	$70,041
112	Durham	87	$355,300	$1,412	$79,234
113	Pineville	87	$344,700	$1,467	$64,257
114	Hampstead	87	$395,900	$1,189	$90,184
115	Oak Island	88	$407,400	$1,208	$83,483
116	Charlotte	89	$351,500	$1,504	$78,438
117	Mooresville	89	$348,500	$1,505	$88,592
118	Knightdale	89	$331,900	$1,573	$91,638
119	Southern Pines	90	$416,300	$1,215	$83,681
120	Rolesville	90	$467,400	$982	$148,250
121	Asheville	91	$411,000	$1,303	$67,221
122	Raleigh	92	$377,800	$1,468	$82,424
123	Elon	92	$355,800	$1,584	$82,717
124	Spout Springs	92	$310,100	$1,794	$87,905
125	Leland	93	$358,800	$1,603	$88,576
126	Mills River	93	$358,500	$1,611	$88,359
127	Mint Hill	94	$386,900	$1,498	$99,272
128	Kill Devil Hills	94	$401,700	$1,440	$85,747
129	Hillsborough	95	$430,100	$1,349	$98,467
130	Myrtle Grove	96	$398,600	$1,523	$112,139
131	Summerfield	98	$490,100	$1,148	$151,131
132	Wake Forest	99	$435,000	$1,458	$120,777
133	Indian Trail	99	$343,500	$1,916	$99,073
134	Stallings	100	$381,700	$1,749	$106,074
135	Moyock	100	$391,800	$1,686	$109,700
136	Fuquay-Varina	101	$410,600	$1,646	$111,447
137	Matthews	101	$406,800	$1,670	$105,579
138	Lake Norman of Catawba	105	$522,300	$1,246	$106,836
139	Carrboro	106	$507,100	$1,337	$85,927
140	Pinehurst	107	$423,300	$1,790	$104,955
141	Huntersville	108	$439,300	$1,742	$119,951
142	Carolina Beach	108	$487,800	$1,544	$88,239
143	Cornelius	113	$512,400	$1,571	$114,688
144	Morrisville	115	$481,800	$1,785	$125,404
145	Porters Neck	115	$525,100	$1,591	$115,417
146	Cary	116	$525,200	$1,621	$129,399
147	Holly Springs	117	$485,500	$1,858	$132,435
148	Waxhaw	118	$506,300	$1,770	$128,115
149	Ogden	118	$431,000	$2,143	$111,461
150	Apex	119	$514,800	$1,784	$138,442
151	Chapel Hill	119	$576,500	$1,483	$85,825
152	Whispering Pines	120	$452,800	$2,122	$112,517
153	Harrisburg	126	$431,900	$2,407	$143,393
154	Davidson	130	$626,000	$1,636	$152,969
155	Westport	134	$537,800	$2,197	$132,206
156	Wesley Chapel	143	$493,900	$2,727	$129,962
157	St. James	143	$599,300	$2,258	$113,670
158	Lake Norman of Iredell	148	$839,900	$1,272	$194,519
159	Briar Chapel	151	$508,300	$2,941	$154,583
160	Weddington	159	$730,200	$2,205	$196,159

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