Moving to North Carolina from Colorado

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Colorado to North Carolina — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Colorado to North Carolina, you would find that North Carolina is 6.2% cheaper than Colorado. A $75,000 salary in Colorado would need to be roughly $68,117 in North Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Colorado to North Carolina.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $68,117

To maintain the same standard of living in North Carolina

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 15.8% less

Groceries

pay 9.1% more

Transportation

pay 1.8% less

Housing

pay 13.2% less

Childcare

pay 7.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 14.3% less

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in North Carolina cost about 8% less than cities in Colorado.

Colorado

Boulder 74%

North Carolina

Durham 74%

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Colorado to North Carolina.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

CO
463
NC
379
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

CO
2814
NC
1998

North Carolina performs significantly better than Colorado across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

CO
7.3%
NC
9.6%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

CO
26.3%
NC
33.6%

Colorado performs better than North Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

CO
$502,200
NC
$259,400
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

CO
$1,693
NC
$1,162

North Carolina performs significantly better than Colorado across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

CO
92.9%
NC
88.7%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

CO
26 min
NC
25 min

Colorado generally does better on infrastructure, though North Carolina leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CO
3.6%
NC
3.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

CO
$74,650
NC
$59,308

Colorado generally does better on employment & economy, though North Carolina leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

CO
78.3 yrs
NC
76.1 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

CO
30%
NC
22%

Colorado performs better than North Carolina across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Denver Rain: 14.3 in/yr (363 mm)
65° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Asheville Rain: 37.0 in/yr (940 mm)
67° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Denver Asheville
Jan–Mar 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C) 52°/32°F (11°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/43°F (22°/6°C) 75°/53°F (24°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/55°F (29°/13°C) 82°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C) 58°/38°F (15°/3°C)
View all months
Month Denver Asheville
Jan 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C) 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C)
Feb 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C) 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C)
Mar 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C) 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C)
Apr 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C) 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C)
May 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C) 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C)
Jun 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C) 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C)
Jul 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C) 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C)
Aug 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C) 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C)
Sep 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C) 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C)
Oct 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C) 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C)
Nov 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C) 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C)
Dec 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C) 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in North Carolina than Colorado?

Yes — North Carolina is on average about 9% cheaper than Colorado. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to North Carolina?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $17,029 in North Carolina on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is North Carolina safe?

North Carolina performs significantly better than Colorado across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in North Carolina compared to Colorado?

Colorado performs better than North Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in North Carolina compared to Colorado?

The average high temperature in Asheville is 67°F, compared to 65°F in Denver. Asheville receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Denver gets 14.3 in.

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