A look at NC counties with the lowest, highest cost of living
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The cost of living does not appear to be getting any better. There are some counties in the state, however, that do offer a lost cost of living.
SmartAsset assembled a ranking of all 100 North Carolina counties by their cost of living. To assemble their list, SmartAsset measured the cost of living relative to income to determine the purchasing power in each county. They also calculated purchasing power in each of those counties.
Expenses like housing, food and taxes were taken into consideration. The cost of childcare, transportation and healthcare along with life’s extras like household cleaning products were also used as a comparison tool.
Top 10 most affordable counties in NC
Rank | County | Cost of Living | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bladen | $36,004 | $36,173 |
2 | Bertie | $36,032 | $35,527 |
3 | Scotland | $36,114 | $37,238 |
4 | Alleghany | $36,229 | $37,830 |
5 | Robeson | $36,275 | $34,976 |
6 | Lenoir | $36,286 | $39,402 |
7 | Washington | $36,320 | $35,979 |
8 | Columbus | $36,330 | $37,628 |
9 | Northampton | $36,511 | $37,146 |
10 | Swain | $36,609 | $39,317 |
This year’s most affordable county, Bladen County, kept its lead after also coming in as the most affordable county in 2022.
The rest of the list is a shakeup from last year. Bertie County ranked as the second most affordable county this year but did not crack the top 10 in 2022.
Washington County ranked as the second most affordable in 2022 but dropped to number 7 this year.
Wilkes and Vance Counties who came in at third and fourth last year, dropped off the top 10 for 2023.
Bertie County was named the second most affordable county in 2023 but wasn’t in the top 10 at all last year.
The least affordable counties will likely not surprise you. The most populous counties, Wake and Union, came in at the top. They were followed by Orange County, Chatham County and Currituck County.
Least affordable counties in NC
Rank | County, State | Cost of Living | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Wake | $54,412 | $80,590 |
2 | Union | $54,038 | $80,033 |
3 | Orange | $52,011 | $71,723 |
4 | Chatham | $48,039 | $67,031 |
5 | Currituck | $47,784 | $69,964 |
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