Most Affordable Cities in North Carolina

Cost of living rankings for 160 cities in North Carolina. On average, North Carolina is near the national average with a statewide average Cost Index of 98.

Data Updated: March 2026

Cheapest City

Hamlet

Index: 66

Most Expensive

Lake Norman of Iredell

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	66	$103,800	$553	$38,500
2	Williamston	67	$108,900	$621	$40,556
3	Kinston	69	$108,300	$822	$35,250
4	Laurinburg	70	$121,500	$766	$39,258
5	Henderson	70	$116,800	$835	$38,780
6	Marion	70	$131,100	$687	$44,472
7	Eden	71	$122,800	$816	$50,959
8	Rockingham	71	$133,900	$717	$36,695
9	Roanoke Rapids	72	$129,400	$816	$53,981
10	Lumberton	73	$140,100	$824	$43,114
11	Reidsville	73	$139,000	$773	$42,702
12	Tarboro	73	$150,852	$698	$49,386
13	Roxboro	73	$138,700	$787	$39,283
14	Forest City	73	$142,100	$815	$35,897
15	Lenoir	74	$165,200	$671	$48,889
16	Rocky Mount	75	$148,300	$919	$52,927
17	Ayden	75	$161,200	$774	$41,711
18	Asheboro	76	$162,800	$855	$48,628
19	Siler City	76	$154,900	$958	$51,751
20	Selma	76	$161,100	$824	$37,440
21	Sawmills	76	$180,500	$719	$56,534
22	Clinton	77	$185,600	$754	$42,344
23	Goldsboro	78	$173,700	$956	$47,005
24	Kings Mountain	78	$177,700	$879	$45,507
25	Half Moon	78	$170,900	$951	$61,848
26	Bessemer City	78	$173,000	$942	$48,784
27	Shelby	79	$185,400	$899	$50,705
28	Albemarle	79	$186,100	$856	$52,825
29	Mount Airy	79	$203,247	$699	$39,873
30	St. Stephens	79	$187,500	$864	$57,882
31	Oxford	79	$177,200	$986	$48,135
32	Wilson	80	$192,000	$925	$47,294
33	Archdale	80	$188,200	$960	$64,984
34	Smithfield	80	$217,000	$601	$37,827
35	Burlington	81	$188,700	$1,030	$54,941
36	Nashville	81	$191,700	$1,009	$63,553
37	Morganton	82	$208,300	$909	$49,434
38	Graham	82	$200,600	$990	$54,783
39	Dunn	82	$222,178	$780	$47,310
40	Dallas	82	$221,700	$794	$57,755
41	Elizabeth City	83	$202,100	$1,111	$50,947
42	East Flat Rock	83	$207,400	$977	$59,679
43	Mocksville	83	$210,900	$910	$55,544
44	Sanford	84	$222,000	$965	$54,294
45	Thomasville	84	$231,966	$853	$58,246
46	Jacksonville	85	$191,700	$1,342	$54,069
47	Statesville	85	$226,100	$935	$55,492
48	Wrightsboro	85	$220,700	$1,072	$72,867
49	Piney Green	86	$220,000	$1,151	$65,179
50	Barbecue	86	$199,300	$1,419	$80,380
51	Angier	86	$236,100	$949	$51,162
52	Greenville	87	$213,100	$1,357	$50,564
53	Cherryville	87	$244,705	$948	$58,701
54	Swannanoa	87	$270,800	$692	$72,978
55	Winston-Salem	88	$208,200	$1,445	$57,673
56	Lexington	88	$265,816	$882	$41,775
57	Havelock	88	$228,303	$1,269	$64,433
58	Newton	88	$250,510	$1,016	$56,869
59	Washington	88	$238,071	$813	$41,723
60	Conover	88	$272,081	$811	$57,375
61	Fayetteville	89	$222,766	$1,426	$56,395
62	Hope Mills	90	$260,727	$1,097	$60,671
63	Waynesville	90	$254,800	$1,105	$50,554
64	King	90	$272,629	$937	$60,451
65	Trinity	90	$282,466	$893	$80,349
66	Locust	90	$285,800	$887	$78,280
67	New Bern	91	$276,646	$1,068	$56,893
68	Anderson Creek	91	$251,600	$1,248	$86,661
69	Spring Lake	91	$256,009	$1,228	$50,497
70	Winterville	91	$226,600	$1,495	$82,783
71	Hickory	92	$289,141	$975	$63,361
72	Salisbury	92	$277,739	$1,030	$51,058
73	Lincolnton	92	$291,723	$920	$43,294
74	Kings Grant	92	$258,200	$1,290	$60,009
75	Butner	92	$267,046	$1,195	$72,917
76	Greensboro	93	$261,036	$1,382	$58,884
77	High Point	93	$246,725	$1,469	$61,228
78	Gastonia	93	$250,000	$1,478	$60,554
79	Kannapolis	93	$276,012	$1,168	$70,691
80	Monroe	93	$270,600	$1,216	$67,265
81	Gibsonville	93	$302,513	$865	$105,981
82	Boiling Spring Lakes	93	$260,400	$1,337	$59,750
83	Walkertown	93	$266,574	$1,283	$80,761
84	Mount Holly	94	$286,400	$1,145	$75,928
85	Hendersonville	94	$282,500	$1,232	$52,337
86	Aberdeen	94	$287,200	$1,151	$72,955
87	Silver Lake	95	$287,500	$1,289	$73,277
88	Northchase	95	$286,700	$1,342	$56,659
89	Archer Lodge	95	$285,600	$1,308	$98,170
90	Kernersville	96	$317,506	$1,052	$69,923
91	Unionville	96	$312,200	$1,060	$92,009
92	Murraysville	99	$281,600	$1,667	$75,720
93	Fletcher	99	$324,000	$1,207	$75,117
94	Zebulon	99	$339,602	$1,038	$58,940
95	Stokesdale	99	$368,600	$783	$135,389
96	Etowah	100	$313,500	$1,442	$73,000
97	Cramerton	100	$322,900	$1,341	$94,390
98	Mebane	101	$350,201	$1,171	$84,312
99	Woodfin	101	$326,600	$1,408	$62,759
100	Clayton	102	$292,400	$1,820	$73,348
101	Belmont	102	$349,700	$1,274	$86,442
102	Boone	103	$373,600	$1,080	$28,633
103	Spout Springs	103	$310,100	$1,794	$87,905
104	Black Mountain	103	$351,700	$1,334	$70,041
105	Clemmons	105	$380,676	$1,172	$84,326
106	Lewisville	105	$394,940	$1,059	$84,424
107	Brevard	105	$411,000	$878	$44,356
108	Wendell	106	$367,020	$1,397	$93,848
109	Durham	107	$355,300	$1,651	$79,234
110	Wilmington	107	$350,300	$1,670	$63,900
111	Mooresville	107	$348,500	$1,667	$88,592
112	Leland	107	$358,800	$1,603	$88,576
113	Elon	107	$355,800	$1,584	$82,717
114	Morehead City	107	$404,442	$1,122	$53,718
115	Hampstead	107	$395,900	$1,189	$90,184
116	Mills River	107	$358,500	$1,611	$88,359
117	Garner	108	$379,647	$1,452	$77,496
118	Knightdale	108	$367,048	$1,573	$91,638
119	Oak Island	108	$407,400	$1,208	$83,483
120	Indian Trail	109	$343,500	$1,916	$99,073
121	Southern Pines	109	$416,300	$1,215	$83,681
122	Myrtle Grove	110	$398,600	$1,523	$112,139
123	Pineville	110	$398,573	$1,467	$64,257
124	Kill Devil Hills	110	$401,700	$1,440	$85,747
125	Concord	111	$378,231	$1,727	$84,752
126	Charlotte	112	$393,846	$1,705	$78,438
127	Stallings	112	$381,700	$1,749	$106,074
128	Hillsborough	113	$430,100	$1,349	$98,467
129	Raleigh	115	$428,831	$1,567	$82,424
130	Asheville	115	$411,000	$1,760	$67,221
131	Rolesville	116	$494,745	$982	$148,250
132	Fuquay-Varina	117	$439,430	$1,646	$111,447
133	Pinehurst	117	$423,300	$1,790	$104,955
134	Summerfield	119	$506,862	$1,148	$151,131
135	Morrisville	121	$481,800	$1,568	$125,404
136	Carrboro	121	$507,100	$1,337	$85,927
137	Ogden	121	$431,000	$2,143	$111,461
138	Carolina Beach	121	$487,800	$1,544	$88,239
139	Lake Norman of Catawba	122	$522,300	$1,246	$106,836
140	Wake Forest	123	$507,778	$1,458	$120,777
141	Mint Hill	123	$505,369	$1,498	$99,272
142	Moyock	123	$489,815	$1,686	$109,700
143	Matthews	124	$495,665	$1,670	$105,579
144	Whispering Pines	124	$452,800	$2,122	$112,517
145	Waxhaw	126	$506,300	$1,770	$128,115
146	Porters Neck	126	$525,100	$1,591	$115,417
147	Cornelius	128	$520,997	$1,762	$114,688
148	Chapel Hill	131	$576,500	$1,483	$85,825
149	Harrisburg	131	$490,148	$2,407	$143,393
150	Huntersville	132	$545,553	$1,926	$119,951
151	Westport	134	$537,800	$2,197	$132,206
152	Holly Springs	135	$574,492	$1,858	$132,435
153	Wesley Chapel	135	$493,900	$2,727	$129,962
154	Cary	138	$620,401	$1,649	$129,399
155	Apex	138	$594,507	$1,969	$138,442
156	Briar Chapel	139	$508,300	$2,941	$154,583
157	Davidson	141	$649,246	$1,636	$152,969
158	St. James	142	$599,300	$2,258	$113,670
159	Weddington	157	$730,200	$2,205	$196,159
160	Lake Norman of Iredell	159	$839,900	$1,272	$194,519

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