Moving to North Carolina from Maryland
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Maryland to North Carolina — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Maryland to North Carolina, you would find that North Carolina is 8.9% cheaper than Maryland. A $75,000 salary in Maryland would need to be roughly $68,598 in North Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Maryland to North Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $68,598
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 5.9% less
Groceries
pay 8.0% less
Transportation
pay 2.3% less
Housing
pay 1.6% less
Childcare
pay 26.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.5% less
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 7% less than cities in Maryland.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Maryland to North Carolina.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
North Carolina performs significantly better than Maryland 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
Maryland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Carolina leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
North Carolina generally does better on what about housing?, though Maryland leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Maryland generally does better on infrastructure, though North Carolina leads in average commute.
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
Maryland generally does better on employment & economy, though North Carolina leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Maryland 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Annapolis | Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/33°F (10°/0°C) | 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/69°F (30°/20°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 59°/42°F (15°/6°C) | 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Annapolis | Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°/29°F (6.9°/-1.6°C) | 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) |
| Feb | 48°/31°F (9.0°/-0.5°C) | 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) |
| Mar | 57°/38°F (13.7°/3.5°C) | 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) |
| Apr | 68°/47°F (20.1°/8.6°C) | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) |
| May | 77°/57°F (25.0°/13.7°C) | 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.2°C) | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 89°/71°F (31.9°/21.9°C) | 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.4°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 81°/64°F (27.2°/17.6°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) |
| Oct | 69°/52°F (20.7°/10.9°C) | 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) |
| Nov | 59°/42°F (14.9°/5.3°C) | 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) |
| Dec | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.4°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 Maryland?
Yes — North Carolina is on average about 9% cheaper than Maryland. 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 $17,150 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 Maryland across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in North Carolina compared to Maryland?
Maryland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Carolina leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in North Carolina compared to Maryland?
The average high temperature in Asheville is 67°F, compared to 68°F in Annapolis. Asheville receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Annapolis gets 47.3 in.
