Moving to Oregon from North Carolina
What to Expect
Considering a move from North Carolina to Oregon? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from North Carolina to Oregon, you would find that Oregon is 1.8% more expensive than North Carolina. A $75,000 salary in North Carolina would need to be roughly $76,400 in Oregon to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between North Carolina and Oregon.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $76,400
To maintain the same standard of living in Oregon
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 4.4% more
Groceries
pay 11.4% less
Transportation
pay 7.9% more
Housing
pay 10.7% more
Childcare
pay 16.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.4% 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.
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 Oregon cost about 6% less than cities in North Carolina.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Oregon compared to North Carolina.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
North Carolina generally does better on safety, though Oregon leads in violent crime rate.
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
Oregon performs significantly better than North Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
North Carolina performs better than Oregon across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Oregon performs significantly better than North Carolina across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Oregon 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
Oregon performs significantly better than North Carolina across all family life metrics.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Charlotte | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 56°/34°F (14°/1°C) | 52°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) | 68°/45°F (20°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 80°/51°F (27°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/40°F (17°/4°C) | 54°/38°F (12°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Charlotte | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51°/30°F (10.4°/-1.3°C) | 48°/35°F (8.7°/1.5°C) |
| Feb | 55°/33°F (12.8°/0.4°C) | 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.4°C) |
| Mar | 63°/39°F (17.3°/4.1°C) | 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.9°C) |
| Apr | 72°/47°F (22.2°/8.3°C) | 61°/40°F (16.2°/4.2°C) |
| May | 79°/56°F (26.1°/13.2°C) | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.1°C) |
| Jun | 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.1°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.6°C) |
| Jul | 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.1°C) | 82°/53°F (27.8°/11.7°C) |
| Aug | 87°/67°F (30.8°/19.6°C) | 82°/53°F (28.0°/11.6°C) |
| Sep | 81°/60°F (27.4°/15.8°C) | 77°/48°F (24.9°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) | 64°/42°F (17.8°/5.7°C) |
| Nov | 62°/39°F (16.9°/4.0°C) | 53°/38°F (11.4°/3.6°C) |
| Dec | 53°/32°F (11.6°/-0.1°C) | 46°/34°F (7.9°/1.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Oregon than North Carolina?
Oregon and North Carolina are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Oregon?
Budget about $19,100 for 3 months in Oregon (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Oregon safe?
North Carolina generally does better on safety, though Oregon leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Oregon compared to North Carolina?
Oregon performs significantly better than North Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Oregon compared to North Carolina?
The average high temperature in Salem is 64°F, compared to 71°F in Charlotte. Salem receives around 39.7 in of rainfall per year, while Charlotte gets 41.7 in.
