Moving to North Carolina from Oregon

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Oregon to North Carolina, you would find that North Carolina is 6.2% more expensive than Oregon. A $75,000 salary in Oregon would need to be roughly $78,662 in North Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $78,662

To maintain the same standard of living in North Carolina

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 6.7% less

Groceries

pay 17.5% more

Transportation

pay 0.1% more

Housing

pay 0.2% more

Childcare

pay 34.6% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 6.1% 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 1% more than cities in Oregon.

Oregon

Portland 68%
Beaverton 66%
Bend 66%

North Carolina

Durham 74%

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OR
323
NC
379
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OR
2566
NC
1998

Oregon generally does better on safety, though North Carolina leads in property crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

OR
6.1%
NC
9.6%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

OR
31.9%
NC
33.6%

Oregon 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

OR
$454,200
NC
$259,400
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

OR
$1,450
NC
$1,162

North Carolina performs significantly better than Oregon 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

OR
91.8%
NC
88.7%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

OR
23 min
NC
25 min

Oregon performs better than North Carolina across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

OR
5.1%
NC
3.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

OR
$61,622
NC
$59,308

Oregon 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

OR
78.8 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

OR
26%
NC
22%

Oregon 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.

Salem Rain: 39.7 in/yr (1008 mm)
64° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Salem Asheville
Jan–Mar 52°/36°F (11°/2°C) 52°/32°F (11°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/45°F (20°/7°C) 75°/53°F (24°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 80°/51°F (27°/11°C) 82°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/38°F (12°/3°C) 58°/38°F (15°/3°C)
View all months
Month Salem Asheville
Jan 48°/35°F (8.7°/1.5°C) 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C)
Feb 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.4°C) 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C)
Mar 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.9°C) 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C)
Apr 61°/40°F (16.2°/4.2°C) 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C)
May 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.1°C) 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C)
Jun 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.6°C) 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C)
Jul 82°/53°F (27.8°/11.7°C) 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C)
Aug 82°/53°F (28.0°/11.6°C) 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C)
Sep 77°/48°F (24.9°/9.1°C) 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C)
Oct 64°/42°F (17.8°/5.7°C) 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C)
Nov 53°/38°F (11.4°/3.6°C) 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C)
Dec 46°/34°F (7.9°/1.1°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 Oregon?

On average North Carolina is around 5% pricier than Oregon, with notable variation by city.

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

Budget about $19,666 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?

Oregon generally does better on safety, though North Carolina leads in property crime rate.

How is healthcare in North Carolina compared to Oregon?

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

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

The average high temperature in Asheville is 67°F, compared to 64°F in Salem. Asheville receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Salem gets 39.7 in.

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