They are the most affordable city when we looked at home price to income ratio. You can download the data here. This little North Carolina gem is 12th when it comes to home price to income ratio. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with. Albemarle might be the tenth cheapest place to live in North Carolina, but don't let that lead you to believe that there isn't a lot of class here. With a $54,598/year median income, we're pretty sure the residents in Trinity are getting their rest. Whatever your preference may be, some of the best places in North Carolina to visit are also the best places to live. But not the only reason for this north-central Tar Heel city to crush our snackability scale. Not surprising considering their employment status and degree of affordability both scored off the charts. The town of Apex, which is comprised of 42,000 people, is often named one of the best places to live in North Carolina by Indeed, Time Magazine, and Niche. Marion scored an 8/10 for affordability on our snackability scale, and we think it has something to do with the fact that their median income is pushing $38,280. Editor’s Note: We updated this article for 2021. And if we know anything about bedding testers, they know proper thread count. Located in the northeastern corner of The Tar Heel State, agriculture and forestry have kept their economy moving in right direction. The most affordable place on the list to retire is Asheboro, NC. And as the city has grown it’s made a point to keep living costs down by providing free or low-cost entertainment options for residents, such as Chapel Hill’s Festifall Arts Festival. Located in Pitt County, Winterville ranks as the seventh cheapest cities in North Carolina. Population: 6,331Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 2)Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.6x (12th most affordable)Income To Rent Ratio: 60.1x (113th cheapest)More On Hamlet: Real Estate | Cost Of Living. Do you remember your mom making you wear your sister or brother's old clothes? With a population of slightly more than 10 million, North Carolina is the 9th largest state in the U.S. by population. If affordability equals happiness, we're pretty sure you'll want to call the city 'Where Main Street Meets the Mountains" your next happy home. Luckily, there are still some cities in North Carolina that qualify as affordable. From the Outer Banks to a growing craft brewing scene, this state has everything to make moving truly worthwhile. We are not surprised considering they have such a strong economy led by a railroad hub with an emphasis in manufacturing and warehousing.eval(ez_write_tag([[468,60],'homesnacks_com-box-4','ezslot_0',109,'0','0'])); Now if a job in manufacturing is not your thing, it seems there will always be a need for train conductors. If you're looking at the cost of living numbers in North Carolina, this is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in North Carolina for 2021. Quality education opportunities are also abundant in Chapel Hill, allowing you to advance your career. 3. Retirees with a … The city is home to some of the nation’s leading employers, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, which means plenty of jobs, but also higher salaries. Renting in Newton isn't as attractive, as the median rent is $754, which is fairly steep given the city's median income. Explore the cheapest places to live in America relative to income. This is only 'one' of the reasons our fourth most affordable city in North Carolina, King, has made the list. All this extra expendable income is part of the reason we named Winterville one of the best places to live in North Carolina. Sawmills scored off our charts scoring an 8/10 on our affordability scale. Nashville, North Carolina is NOT like Nashville, Tennessee. Havelock is home to Cherry Point, the largest marine corps air station in the nation. © 2015-2021 Chasing Chains, LLC.  Named one of our Top 100 Places to Live in the U.S, Durham has everything you could need wrapped up in one, ideal location—all while being extremely affordable. It means the cost of living is doable. Set along the Trent and Neuse rivers in a central stretch of Carolina coastline, New Bern’s leafy streets played a starring role in the film version of The Notebook, and it’s considered one of the best places to retire in North Carolina. Havelock received a livability score … Based on the median gross rent and annual housing costs for mortgage-paying homeowners of each metro area, these are the cities with the lowest cost of living in the country. Georgia and South Carolina lie at the south. Asheville, Greensboro and Charlotte are among the best places to live in North Carolina, a state experiencing continual economic growth. These savings are compounded by the fact that Concord residents enjoy a fairly high household income, the median being around $53,000. But Winterville also has plenty of high-paying jobs that'll make coming up with the cash seem like a piece of cake. The Best Places to Live in the Outer Banks Corolla. He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move. Stephanie Inman is a former magazine editor turned freelance writer out of Nashville, TN. More importantly, proper thread count can make or break a solid work day. Major employers like Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Novant Health, and Wake Forest University, help to keep King's median household income competitive and the city affordable. Where North Carolina State HWY 74 meets North Carolina State Hwy 177, is our third most affordable city in the Old North State: Hamlet. Best places come at a cost– If you want to raise your family in one of the best places in North Carolina, you’ll likely need to spend. Because we’ve gone ahead and found the 5 most affordable cities they have to offer. And with a median household income close to $35,221, we're sure you'll find Hamlet super inviting and super affordable. The report found that the Charlotte region had some of the most affordable to rent cities in the state, including #1 Cornelius and #5 Mooresville, as well as the least affordable to … Durham is considered a national leader in health care. This means that less of your money goes to living costs and more of it goes to...living the dream. Most Expensive Places To Live In North Carolina, Census American Community Survey 2015-2019, Best Places To Buy A House In North Carolina, Download The Entire North Carolina Ranking Data, Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better), Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better). We get why your city's motto is 'Crossroad of Progress'.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'homesnacks_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_5',111,'0','0'])); Population: 13,059Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 2)Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.4x (6th most affordable)Income To Rent Ratio: 61.1x (56th cheapest)More On Newton: Real Estate | Crime Rate | Cost Of Living. The Riverwalk and historic district provide free options that you could visit day after day. What you are left with is a "Cost of Living Index" by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city. We used data and science to determine which places in North Carolina go easy on your wallet. With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2015-2019 around incomes and costs. From secret beaches to drive-through safaris, check out this list of our favorite destinations in every state — no plane rides or crowds required. Even if all of these names are new to you, this latest ranking proves they all have one thing in common: affordability. You don't have to live on ramen noodles and the McDonald's dollar menu to afford this little North Carolina treasure. Ranking of cost of living by suburb based on the consumer price index and access to affordable housing (housing-to-income rates) using data from the U.S. Census and BLS. Love Where You Live Pups and Their People Get A-List Treatment in Asheville Sit, stay and enjoy dog-friendly Asheville. Read more on how this ranking was calculated. Through proprietary research studies, engaging articles and original photography and video, we examine topics related to community amenities, education, sustainability, transportation, housing and the economy. And that means that you have more money to do the fun stuff that the Tar Heel State has to offer: like renting a summer beach house in the Outer Banks or taking a snowboarding trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains. The highest-ranking North Carolina metro area is Raleigh and Durham, taking the No. For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing it's actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. According to those metrics, these are the 10 best places to retire if you’re considering moving to North Carolina for retirement. If you care about home values, cost of living, and high quality of life, take a look at the list below to find the most affordable places in North Carolina, where, yes, you can have it all. Nashville, North Carolina is super safe and super affordable. If your city has a Walmart Supercenter, you can bet you are living where it's affordable; and we might add, convenient. Visitors flock to this area all throughout the year, and many of them come here with the hope of finding real estate to buy. You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website. Albemarle's overall cost of living score is 11% lower than the national average, but housing is 36% cheaper than your typical American city. We use data, analytics, and a sense of humor to determine quality of life for places across the nation. We are looking in both North Carolina and South Carolina to retire. Albemarle is located about 40 miles east of Charlotte, so you're also easily able to get to a The Bank of America Stadium for a Panther's game or concert.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'homesnacks_com-leader-2','ezslot_6',115,'0','0'])); The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford if you can live comes down to: You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make. America's most affordable beach towns that could be perfect for your budget. Just because North Carolina is affordable, doesn't mean it's all Dollar Store 'cheap'. It’s home to the prestigious Duke University, and it enjoys a strong food and arts scene—being named the Foodiest Small Town in America by Bon Appetit.Â. It seems like North Carolinians are always on the go having fun around every turn. And in order to be one of the best, they have to have some of the nicest, most affordable places to call home, right?  Low unemployment rates are almost as important to a city’s affordability as cheap housing costs.  Homes near the water usually fetch a hefty price tag. There you have it guys, the top 10 budget-friendly, but great places to live in South Carolina. We looked at North Carolina from the ocean to the mountains to find the places that are affordable, plus high in other attributes that make for a great place to live. This city that claims to be 'The Original Town of Nashville,' scored an 8.5/10 in affordability on our snackability scale with a 7/10 for jobs. In fact, for the ratio of home price to income, Winterville ranks as the second best in the state. (You need an income to pay for that mortgage! Here's where you can pick apples in every state. See our article on the Best Ski Resorts in North Carolina for ideas to help plan your ski vacation. Ranking based on data from the U.S. Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, and other sources. It's also our ninth most affordable city in North Carolina for 2021. Sunset Ridge – Ocean Isle Beach, NC. While all this might be true for some North Carolina cities, the NASCAR fans and BOGO lovers of North Carolina would beg to differ. Copyright © 2010-2020 Livability - Journal Communications, Inc. Our annual list highlights the best places to live that won't break the bank. High $100s - Mid $300s. Why is Trinity super affordable? Now, don't get your hand-me-downs in a bunch. Western North Carolina is no longer a well-kept secret. What is Considered Western North Carolina? Nashville's $56,288/year median income provides stability, affordability, and some extra cheddar for a beach trip or two.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'homesnacks_com-leader-3','ezslot_9',113,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'homesnacks_com-leader-3','ezslot_10',113,'0','1'])); Population: 6,579Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 2)Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.6x (16th most affordable)Income To Rent Ratio: 73.0x (46th cheapest)More On Trinity: Real Estate | Cost Of Living. 10 spot on the Best Places to Live list. When residents aren't busy cheering on their hometown hero, Coach Roy Williams, during UNC's basketball season, they are working in one of Marion's very profitable industries that includes healthcare, education, and retail. May, September and October are the most pleasant months in Charlotte, while July and January are the least comfortable months. Trinity's overall HomeSnacks snackability was an 8/10! The most northern town in the Outer Banks, Corolla is home to miles of beautiful beaches, wild horses, fabulous restaurants, a plethora of outdoor activities, and great golfing. But living cheaply in this city doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality. Population: 7,834Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 4)Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.3x (4th most affordable)Income To Rent Ratio: 64.0x (89th cheapest)More On Marion: Real Estate | Cost Of Living. Here are the best places to live. Newton is located about 40 miles northwest of Charlotte. And those who are employed enjoy a significantly high income, with the median household income at $90,250. The place with the lowest cost of living in North Carolina according to the data is Sawmills. Ready to live out your basic fall dreams? This gives Newton the sixth best ratio of home price to income in the state. Marion, North Carolina's gateway to the West, is our second most affordable city in the Tar Heel State for 2021. With no commercial properties, Corolla is a wonderful and relaxing place … This is our seventh time ranking the. Don’t fear, though: Steep housing costs won't stop you from making a move to the great Tar Heel State. PROS : Median … If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already. North Carolina's cities have a lot to offer to all income levels; and surprisingly, it is actually extremely affordable. From ground-to-glass, these breweries are sure to make your taste buds sing. Also, North Carolina is home to the mothervine, the oldest cultivated grapevine in the country that dates to 1584. Population: 9,645Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 3)Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.2x (2nd most affordable)Income To Rent Ratio: 82.5x (3cheapest)More On Winterville: Real Estate | Crime Rate | Cost Of Living. If you saw our Best Places in North Carolina list, you might see a couple of familiar names: Garner and Cary, or perhaps if you recognize Stallings from our list of best places to retire to in the state. Thinking of moving to the Tar Heel State? With a median household income of $44,269, those housing costs are a piece of cake for Albemarle's residents. The Tar Heel State has so much to offer, including incredible geographical diversity. The most affordable city in North Carolina for 2021 is Sawmills. With High Point’s low cost of living, families here are able to afford a … While housing prices continue to rebound and general goods and services continue to rise, it feels like affordable living could be a thing of the past. if(window.innerWidth < 700){ezoicSiteSpeed(jQuery(document), String(/documentReady/).substring(1).slice(0,-1), String(/jQuery-document-dot-ready/).substring(1).slice(0,-1), function($){$("#skip_expand").html("(Expand+)");$("#toc ul").css("display", "none");$("#skip_expand").on("click", function(){$("#toc ul").toggle()});$("#toc h3").on("click", function(){$("#toc ul").toggle()});});}.