Moving to Massachusetts from North Carolina

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from North Carolina to Massachusetts, you would find that Massachusetts is 17.0% more expensive than North Carolina. A $75,000 salary in North Carolina would need to be roughly $88,577 in Massachusetts to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $88,577

To maintain the same standard of living in Massachusetts

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 18.0% more

Groceries

pay 0.7% more

Transportation

pay 1.6% more

Housing

pay 28.6% more

Childcare

pay 38.3% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 28.5% more

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 Massachusetts cost about 23% more than cities in North Carolina.

North Carolina

Massachusetts

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Massachusetts compared to North Carolina.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NC
379
MA
308
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NC
1998
MA
1077

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

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

NC
9.6%
MA
2.6%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NC
33.6%
MA
28.8%

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

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

NC
$259,400
MA
$525,800
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NC
$1,162
MA
$1,687

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

NC
88.7%
MA
91.9%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NC
25 min
MA
29 min

North Carolina generally does better on infrastructure, though Massachusetts leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NC
3.4%
MA
4.7%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NC
$59,308
MA
$87,892

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

NC
76.1 yrs
MA
79.0 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

NC
22%
MA
32%

Massachusetts performs significantly 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

BostonRain: 43.8 in/yr (1112 mm)
59°/44°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsAshevilleBoston
Jan–Mar52°/32°F (11°/0°C)40°/26°F (4°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun75°/53°F (24°/12°C)66°/50°F (19°/10°C)
Jul–Sep82°/62°F (28°/17°C)78°/62°F (25°/17°C)
Oct–Dec58°/38°F (15°/3°C)51°/38°F (11°/3°C)
View all months
MonthAshevilleBoston
Jan47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C)36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C)
Feb50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C)39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C)
Mar58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C)45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C)
Apr67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C)56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C)
May75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C)66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C)
Jun82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C)76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C)
Jul85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C)81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C)
Aug84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C)80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C)
Sep77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C)72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C)
Oct68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C)61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C)
Nov58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C)51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C)
Dec49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°C)41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Massachusetts than North Carolina?

On average Massachusetts is around 18% pricier than North Carolina, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Massachusetts?

Budget about $22,144 for 3 months in Massachusetts (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Massachusetts safe?

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

How is healthcare in Massachusetts compared to North Carolina?

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

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

The average high temperature in Boston is 59°F, compared to 67°F in Asheville. Boston receives around 43.8 in of rainfall per year, while Asheville gets 37.0 in.

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