Mecklenburg County · North Carolina
Charlotte cost of living (NC)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Charlotte costs 2.7% below the national average — all-items price level 97.3, rank 61 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $97,348 here. Utilities is the reason, at 89.2.
- All items
- 97.3US average = 100
- Housing
- 97.62.4% below the national average
- Goods
- 96.63.4% below the national average
- Other services
- 98.21.8% below the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 96.6 | -3.4% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 97.6 | -2.4% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 89.2 | -10.8% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 98.2 | -1.8% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in Charlotte, NC
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (97.3 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $80,575
- Needed to match US average
- $76,358
- Monthly difference
- $-173
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$78,438 median household income in Charlotte is worth $80,575 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 97.3.
More Charlotte data
Other Charlotte datasets on this site.
- Charlotte population and income
- Charlotte sales tax rate
- Charlotte property tax
- Charlotte home values and rent
- Charlotte crime rates
- Charlotte public schools
- Charlotte weather normals
- Charlotte commute times
- Charlotte jobs and wages
Statewide: North Carolina cities · North Carolina ZIP codes · North Carolina sales tax · North Carolina counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.