Southeast · Updated October 2026
North Carolina in numbers, from the same public data Locustep uses to rank all 50 states: rent, pay, taxes, safety, disaster risk and weather, plus the cities worth a look.
Two-bedroom rent
$1,441/mo
U.S. average $1,759
HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (40th percentile, population-weighted across the state)
Rent vs. income
23.4%
of median household income for a year of two-bedroom rent
HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 ÷ 2024 ACS 1-year estimates (Census B19013)
State income tax
3.99%
top marginal rate, single filer
State revenue departments, 2026 income tax rates (sources listed per state)
Property tax
0.61%
effective rate on owner-occupied homes
Everyday costs
97.6
index, housing excluded (U.S. = 100)
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (released February 2026), housing and utilities removed
Natural disaster risk
45th
percentile, FEMA expected annual loss (lower is safer)
Where North Carolina stands out: the 10th lowest top income-tax rate among the 50 states.
Overall, a married couple on the U.S. median household income would pay about 6.5% of it in state and local income, property and sales tax here, the 18th lowest of the 50 states.
Average afternoon highs and overnight lows in Charlotte (Charlotte Douglas Airport station), NOAA 1991–2020 normals.
| Season | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | 55°F | 34°F |
| Spring (Mar–May) | 72°F | 49°F |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | 89°F | 68°F |
| Fall (Sep–Nov) | 73°F | 51°F |
$1,785/mo two-bedroom · $1,640 one-bedroom (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area)
Charlotte is the South's second banking centre — a clean, corporate, fast-growing city with a young professional population and a mild climate. Light on distinctive local character and heavy on new construction, with sprawl and traffic scaling alongside the growth.
$1,689/mo two-bedroom · $1,552 one-bedroom (Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA)
Raleigh anchors the Research Triangle: highly educated, tech- and pharma-driven, family-friendly and green. Excellent universities, a mild four-season climate, and a suburban feel throughout — the walkable core is small relative to the metro.
$1,745/mo two-bedroom · $1,554 one-bedroom (Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area)
Durham is Raleigh's more urban, more creative counterpart — a restored tobacco-warehouse downtown, Duke University, a strong food scene and a more diverse, left-leaning population. Cheaper than Raleigh historically, though that gap is closing fast.
$1,866/mo two-bedroom · $1,714 one-bedroom (Asheville, NC MSA)
Asheville is a small mountain city with an arts, brewing and outdoor culture that punches far above its size, set in the Blue Ridge. Tourism-driven, increasingly expensive relative to local wages, and hit hard by recent flooding.
$1,705/mo two-bedroom · $1,566 one-bedroom (Wilmington, NC HUD Metro FMR Area)
Wilmington is a coastal city with a genuinely historic downtown, nearby beaches and a film-production industry. Milder and more relaxed than the Triangle, hurricane-exposed, with a job market concentrated in healthcare, tourism and education.
$1,332/mo two-bedroom · $1,224 one-bedroom (Winston-Salem, NC HUD Metro FMR Area)
Winston-Salem is a Piedmont city built on tobacco and textiles, now centred on Wake Forest University and big hospitals. Affordable, arts-minded and part of the Triad with Greensboro.
$1,476/mo two-bedroom · $1,334 one-bedroom (Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area)
Fayetteville is a military city built around Fort Bragg, one of the country's largest army posts. Affordable and diverse, with a transient population and moderate crime.
$1,271/mo two-bedroom · $1,168 one-bedroom (Greensboro-High Point, NC HUD Metro FMR Area)
Greensboro is an affordable, centrally located Piedmont city with a manufacturing and logistics base and several universities. Quieter and less glossy than Charlotte or Raleigh, with a lower cost of living and a slower growth curve.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (40th percentile, population-weighted across the state) (metro areas). City notes: Locustep.
Closest on Locustep’s match factors: cost, housing, taxes, safety, jobs, schools, healthcare, outdoors, disaster risk and climate.
Ranks compare the 50 states. Locustep updates these figures when the agencies publish new data.
Yes. North Carolina’s top marginal income-tax rate for a single filer is 3.99% (North Carolina tax law, 2026). Counting property and sales tax too, a married couple on the U.S. median household income would pay about 6.5% of income in state and local taxes (Locustep estimate, 2026).
A typical two-bedroom rents for about $1,441 a month and a one-bedroom for about $1,282, using HUD’s FY2027 Fair Market Rents averaged across the state by population. That is $318 less than the U.S. average of $1,759. Rent in the bigger metros can be well above the state figure.
Leaving housing aside, everyday prices (goods and services other than housing) index at 97.6 against a U.S. average of 100 (BEA, 2024), and the median home value indexes at 92.3 against the U.S. median (Census, 2024). Two-bedroom rent takes 23.4% of the state’s median household income of $73,958.
North Carolina recorded 375.8 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024 (FBI), the 19th highest rate of the 50 states. Crime varies a lot between and within cities, so check the specific area you’re considering.
The main hazards are hurricanes and tornadoes. On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Carolina’s expected yearly loss from natural hazards sits at the 45th percentile nationally (lower is safer). Risk differs sharply by county, so look up the county too.
Places people most often weigh include Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Asheville and Wilmington. Each has a different cost, climate and character; Locustep compares their rent, disaster risk, weather and pay side by side.