Moving to North Carolina from New York

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What to Expect

Considering a move from New York to North Carolina? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from New York to North Carolina, you would find that North Carolina is 10.3% cheaper than New York. A $75,000 salary in New York would need to be roughly $67,377 in North Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between New York and North Carolina.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $67,377

To maintain the same standard of living in North Carolina

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 9.0% less

Groceries

pay 2.6% less

Transportation

pay 11.8% less

Housing

pay 8.6% less

Childcare

pay 15.3% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 21.4% 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 New York.

New York

Queens 73%
Ithaca 62%

North Carolina

Durham 74%

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in North Carolina compared to New York.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NY
381
NC
379
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NY
1760
NC
1998

New York generally does better on safety, though North Carolina leads in violent crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

NY
5.0%
NC
9.6%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NY
29.9%
NC
33.6%

New York 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

NY
$403,000
NC
$259,400
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NY
$1,576
NC
$1,162

North Carolina performs significantly better than New York 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

NY
89.7%
NC
88.7%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NY
33 min
NC
25 min

New York 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

NY
4.4%
NC
3.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NY
$91,992
NC
$59,308

New York 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

NY
77.7 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

NY
28%
NC
22%

New York 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.

Albany Rain: 39.4 in/yr (1000 mm)
58° / 39°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Albany Asheville
Jan–Mar 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) 52°/32°F (11°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) 75°/53°F (24°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 78°/58°F (26°/14°C) 82°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) 58°/38°F (15°/3°C)
View all months
Month Albany Asheville
Jan 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C)
Feb 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C)
Mar 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C)
Apr 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C)
May 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C)
Jun 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C)
Jul 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C)
Aug 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C)
Sep 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C)
Oct 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C)
Nov 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C)
Dec 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°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 New York?

On average North Carolina is about 10% less expensive than New York, with major cities narrowing the gap.

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

Budget about $16,844 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?

New York generally does better on safety, though North Carolina leads in violent crime rate.

How is healthcare in North Carolina compared to New York?

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

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

The average high temperature in Asheville is 67°F, compared to 58°F in Albany. Asheville receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Albany gets 39.4 in.

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