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Salary vs. Cost of Living in North Carolina

Compare take-home pay and living costs across 81 counties and 48 occupations in North Carolina.

Counties
81
NC, listed here
Occupations
48
with published wages
Median of medians
$44,010
per year, before tax
Population covered
8,171,178
residents in listed counties

Salary and cost of living across North Carolina

We track 48 occupations in 81 counties of North Carolina. The middle median salary across all of those county-job combinations is $44,010 a year. Pick a county to see how its jobs pay after taxes and after rent, food and energy.

Housing is the biggest difference between places: a one-bedroom Fair Market Rent runs from $774 a month in Rockingham County, NC to $1,640 in Mecklenburg County, NC. Among counties with at least 20 listed occupations, Mecklenburg County, NC has the highest median-of-medians pay at $50,270. Iredell County, NC has the largest share of occupations (100%) whose take-home pay covers rent, food, energy and gasoline.

Counties in North Carolina, largest first

Showing 1–60 of 81.

Counties in North Carolina with pay and rent summaries
CountyPopulationJobs listedTypical median pay1-bedroom rentJobs covering basics
Wake County, NC1,178,65323$44,460$1,552/mo87%
Mecklenburg County, NC1,154,68148$50,270$1,640/mo92%
Guilford County, NC547,9407$30,750$1,168/mo100%
Forsyth County, NC389,9772$58,110$1,224/mo100%
Durham County, NC332,3531$135,620$1,554/mo100%
Union County, NC250,95848$50,270$1,640/mo92%
Cabarrus County, NC236,13348$50,270$1,640/mo92%
Gaston County, NC234,88148$50,270$1,640/mo92%
Johnston County, NC234,26323$44,460$1,552/mo87%
Iredell County, NC196,54448$50,270$1,313/mo100%
Davidson County, NC172,9542$58,110$999/mo100%
Rowan County, NC149,87548$50,270$1,012/mo100%
Orange County, NC149,6781$135,620$1,554/mo100%
Randolph County, NC146,3487$30,750$1,168/mo100%
Harnett County, NC139,1501$27,400$896/mo100%
Robeson County, NC116,9021$27,400$813/mo100%
Craven County, NC102,6122$29,175$952/mo100%
Cleveland County, NC100,9912$29,595$859/mo100%
Lincoln County, NC92,71648$50,270$1,045/mo100%
Rockingham County, NC92,1317$30,750$774/mo100%
Chatham County, NC80,1511$135,620$1,554/mo100%
Wilson County, NC79,2902$29,175$849/mo100%
Franklin County, NC74,38623$44,460$1,552/mo87%
Surry County, NC71,4252$29,595$774/mo100%
Carteret County, NC69,1482$29,175$976/mo100%
Wilkes County, NC65,9352$29,595$875/mo100%
Lee County, NC65,8161$27,400$912/mo100%
Rutherford County, NC64,9302$29,595$866/mo100%
Stanly County, NC64,6511$27,400$774/mo100%
Haywood County, NC62,6622$29,595$1,113/mo100%
Granville County, NC60,8771$27,400$1,114/mo100%
Sampson County, NC59,4701$27,400$842/mo100%
Watauga County, NC55,1232$29,595$1,124/mo100%
Lenoir County, NC54,9192$29,175$788/mo100%
Columbus County, NC50,1401$27,400$863/mo100%
Duplin County, NC49,3352$29,175$784/mo100%
Halifax County, NC47,6752$29,175$787/mo100%
Stokes County, NC45,1392$58,110$1,224/mo100%
McDowell County, NC44,8172$29,595$910/mo100%
Beaufort County, NC44,4992$29,175$800/mo100%
Davie County, NC44,1222$58,110$1,224/mo100%
Jackson County, NC43,7712$29,595$954/mo100%
Richmond County, NC42,3441$27,400$786/mo100%
Vance County, NC42,3221$27,400$774/mo100%
Pasquotank County, NC40,8342$29,175$963/mo100%
Person County, NC39,5421$135,620$805/mo100%
Macon County, NC37,9412$29,595$851/mo100%
Dare County, NC37,8752$29,175$1,387/mo100%
Yadkin County, NC37,5742$58,110$1,224/mo100%
Transylvania County, NC33,6912$29,595$1,118/mo100%
Scotland County, NC33,5901$27,400$774/mo100%
Currituck County, NC30,60122$39,090$1,488/mo91%
Bladen County, NC29,5661$27,400$774/mo100%
Cherokee County, NC29,5622$29,595$817/mo100%
Ashe County, NC26,9502$29,595$774/mo100%
Montgomery County, NC26,0071$27,400$830/mo100%
Caswell County, NC22,4041$27,400$776/mo100%
Anson County, NC22,28948$50,270$895/mo100%
Martin County, NC21,6442$29,175$774/mo100%
Greene County, NC20,4862$29,175$899/mo100%