Cost of Living in Raleigh, NC (2026)

Raleigh's cost of living is 2% below the US average. $100,000 here is worth about $101,878 nationally. Rent, homes and monthly costs.

Raleigh has a cost-of-living index of 98 against a US average of 100 — about 2% below average. $100,000 of income here is worth roughly $101,878 at the national average.

What it costs to live in Raleigh

MeasureRaleighUS average
Cost-of-living index98100
Median rent$1,468/mo-
Median home value$377,800-
Median household income$82,424-
Population470,763-

Monthly cost breakdown in Raleigh

Estimates use BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares scaled by the local cost-of-living index. Housing uses the city’s median rent; the owning column uses a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down on the median home.

CategoryRentingOwning
Housing$1,468$2,194
Transport$1,106$1,106
Food$870$870
Healthcare$546$546
Other$1,942$1,942
Total$5,931$6,657

Affordability in Raleigh

Median rent takes about 21.4% of the median household income in Raleigh — comfortably inside the 30% rule of thumb.

The median home costs 4.6x the median household income. Three times income is the traditional comfort line; five times is where affordability usually breaks down.

Highest-paying roles in Raleigh

RoleTypical salaryWorth nationally
Marketing Manager$153,470$156,352
Software Developer$132,000$134,478
Data Scientist$126,950$129,334
Project Manager$100,050$101,929
Mechanical Engineer$99,560$101,429
Dental Hygienist$95,340$97,130
Financial Analyst$94,410$96,183
Physical Therapist$90,400$92,097

“Worth nationally” adjusts each salary for Raleigh’s cost of living, so you can compare offers between cities on equal terms.

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Frequently asked questions

Raleigh has a cost-of-living index of 98 against a US average of 100, so it is about 2% below the national average. In practical terms, $100,000 of income in Raleigh has roughly the purchasing power of $101,878 at the national average.

A common benchmark is keeping rent at or under 30% of gross income. At Raleigh's median rent of $1,468/month that implies about $58,720 a year before tax. The median household in Raleigh earns $82,424.

Renting, a single household spends roughly $5,931 a month in Raleigh across housing, transport, food, healthcare and everything else. Buying at the median home price, the estimate is about $6,657 a month including a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down.

The median home in Raleigh costs $377,800, which is 4.6x the median household income of $82,424. Lenders traditionally treat 3x as comfortable and about 5x as stretched, so Raleigh is manageable but tight.