Moving to North Carolina from Kentucky
What to Expect
Considering a move from Kentucky to North Carolina? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Kentucky to North Carolina, you would find that North Carolina is 13.5% more expensive than Kentucky. A $75,000 salary in Kentucky would need to be roughly $85,631 in North Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Kentucky and North Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $85,631
To maintain the same standard of living in North Carolina
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.7% more
Groceries
pay 22.8% more
Transportation
pay 21.6% more
Housing
pay 18.0% more
Childcare
pay 9.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.8% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in North Carolina compared to Kentucky.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Kentucky performs better than North Carolina across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
North Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kentucky leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Kentucky performs better than North Carolina across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Kentucky generally does better on infrastructure, though North Carolina leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
North Carolina performs significantly better than Kentucky across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
North Carolina performs significantly better than Kentucky 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bowling Green | Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 52°/31°F (11°/-1°C) | 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 59°/38°F (15°/3°C) | 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bowling Green | Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.1°C) | 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) |
| Feb | 50°/30°F (10.0°/-1.3°C) | 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.4°/2.8°C) | 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (20.9°/7.6°C) | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.8°C) | 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 86°/64°F (30.1°/17.7°C) | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 89°/68°F (31.9°/19.9°C) | 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 89°/66°F (31.6°/18.9°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.4°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) |
| Oct | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) | 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) |
| Nov | 59°/38°F (15.2°/3.1°C) | 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) |
| Dec | 48°/29°F (8.8°/-1.6°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in North Carolina than Kentucky?
On average North Carolina is around 14% pricier than Kentucky, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to North Carolina?
Budget about $21,408 for 3 months in North Carolina (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is North Carolina safe?
Kentucky performs better than North Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in North Carolina compared to Kentucky?
North Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kentucky leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in North Carolina compared to Kentucky?
The average high temperature in Asheville is 67°F, compared to 69°F in Bowling Green. Asheville receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Bowling Green gets 49.9 in.
