Wake County · North Carolina
Raleigh cost of living (NC)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Raleigh-Cary, NC, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Raleigh costs 1.8% below the national average — all-items price level 98.2, rank 57 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $98,157 here. Utilities is the reason, at 89.0.
- All items
- 98.2US average = 100
- Housing
- 103.53.5% above 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 | 103.5 | +3.5% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 89.0 | -11.0% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 98.2 | -1.8% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in Raleigh, NC
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (98.2 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
- $88,901
- Needed to match US average
- $85,655
- Monthly difference
- $-134
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$87,263 median household income in Raleigh is worth $88,901 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 98.2.
More Raleigh data
Other Raleigh datasets on this site.
- Raleigh population and income
- Raleigh sales tax rate
- Raleigh property tax
- Raleigh home values and rent
- Raleigh crime rates
- Raleigh public schools
- Raleigh weather normals
- Raleigh commute times
- Raleigh 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 Raleigh-Cary, NC. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.