Moving to Washington from North Carolina
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from North Carolina to Washington — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from North Carolina to Washington, you would find that Washington is 10.9% more expensive than North Carolina. A $75,000 salary in North Carolina would need to be roughly $80,893 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from North Carolina to Washington.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $80,893
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 15.2% more
Groceries
pay 1.7% less
Transportation
pay 11.0% more
Housing
pay 10.8% more
Childcare
pay 17.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.5% 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 Washington cost about 14% more than cities in North Carolina.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from North Carolina to Washington.
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 Washington 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
Washington 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 Washington across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
North Carolina generally does better on infrastructure, though Washington 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
Washington 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
Washington 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Asheville | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Asheville | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) |
| Feb | 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) |
| Mar | 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) |
| May | 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) |
| Jun | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jul | 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) |
| Aug | 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) |
| Sep | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°C) | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Washington than North Carolina?
No — Washington is on average about 8% more expensive than North Carolina. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $20,223 in Washington on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Washington safe?
North Carolina generally does better on safety, though Washington leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to North Carolina?
Washington performs significantly better than North Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to North Carolina?
The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 67°F in Asheville. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Asheville gets 37.0 in.
