A wise sage once said:
‘She works hard for the money…’
And these places in North Carolina definitely treat her right.
You see, these are the places in North Carolina where the cost of living is the lowest; where your salary goes the furthest. And when if you have the luxury of choosing where to live in the Tar Heel State, then the cost of living should play a role in the decision.
So we did the hard for you and crunched the numbers to find the cities that have lower food, energy, and housing costs. After the dust settled on our analysis of the 133 largest places in North Carolina, we were left with this set of the best value for your money.
Here are the 10 cheapest places to live in North Carolina for 2018:
- Eden (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Siler City (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Graham (Homes For Sale)
- Burlington (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Greensboro (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Gibsonville (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Selma (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Mebane (Homes For Sale)
- Tarboro (Homes For Sale)
- Henderson (Photos | Homes For Sale)
So listen up Carolina Beach (the most expensive place in North Carolina) as we explain how we created this ranking. You could learn some things from the rest of the state.
And if you already knew these places were cheap, check out the best places to live in North Carolina or the most expensive.
How We Determined The Cheapest Places To Live In The Tar Heel State For 2018
There are basic necessities that you have to buy no matter where in the country you live. Those things include:
- Housing
- Food
- Gas
- Health Insurance
- Utilities
- Transportation
You can then compare the cost of these things in each of the places in North Carolina to figure out which is the least expensive.
What you are left with is a ‘Cost of Living Index’ that normalizes to 100 for an average place in the United States.
So we used that cost of living index in order to rank all of the 133 places in North Carolina that have more than 5,000 people.
And just so you can better understand how the cost of living index works, 100 is the average cost of a place in the United States. A score of 90 means that the place cost 10% less than average. A score of 90 means it’s 10% less expensive.
San Francisco has a score of 243 meaning it’s almost 2.5 times as expensive as the average place in the country.
1. Eden
Population: 15,488 Services: 96
Groceries: 96
Health Care: 88
Housing: 52
Transportation: 90
Utilities: 80
More on Eden: Homes For Sale | Data
Eden is a city in Rockingham County, North Carolina in the Piedmont area of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 15,527 at the 2010 census. From the late nineteenth century through much of the 20th, the city was a center of textile mills and manufacturing. The city was incorporated in 1967 through the consolidation of three separate towns: Leaksville, Spray, and Draper. The phone Area code is area code 336.
2. Siler City
Population: 7,967 Services: 94
Groceries: 100
Health Care: 99
Housing: 61
Transportation: 100
Utilities: 95
More on Siler City: Homes For Sale | Data
Siler City is a town in Chatham County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town’s population was 7,887. The population was estimated to be 8,169 in 2013.
3. Graham
Population: 14,152 Services: 94
Groceries: 100
Health Care: 99
Housing: 70
Transportation: 100
Utilities: 95
More on Graham: Homes For Sale | Data
Graham is a city in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census the population was 14,153. It is the county seat of Alamance County.
4. Burlington
Population: 50,355 Services: 94
Groceries: 100
Health Care: 99
Housing: 74
Transportation: 100
Utilities: 95
More on Burlington: Homes For Sale | Data
Burlington is a city in Alamance County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Alamance County, in which most of the city is located, and is a part of the Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point CSA. The population was 50,042 at the 2010 census, which makes Burlington the 17th largest city in North Carolina. The Metropolitan Statistical Area population was over 150,000 in 2010.
5. Greensboro
Population: 270,619 Services: 94
Groceries: 100
Health Care: 99
Housing: 81
Transportation: 100
Utilities: 95
More on Greensboro: Homes For Sale | Data
Greensboro (/rinzbro/ ( listen); formerly Greensborough) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the 3rd-most populous city in North Carolina, the 68th-most populous city in the United States, and the county seat and largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 269,666, and in 2015 the estimated population was 285,342. Three major interstate highways (Interstate 85, Interstate 40 and Interstate 73) in the Piedmont region of central North Carolina were built to intersect at this city.
6. Gibsonville
Population: 6,377 Services: 94
Groceries: 100
Health Care: 99
Housing: 84
Transportation: 100
Utilities: 95
More on Gibsonville: Homes For Sale | Data
Gibsonville (“City of Roses”) is a city in both Alamance County and Guilford County, U.S. state of North Carolina. Most of Gibsonville is situated in the Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point Combined Statistical Area while the eastern portion is in the Greensboro-High Point, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area, encompassing all of Alamance County. According to 2010 Census, population of Gibsonville was 6,410.
7. Selma
Population: 6,125 Services: 100
Groceries: 100
Health Care: 99
Housing: 56
Transportation: 99
Utilities: 98
More on Selma: Homes For Sale | Data
Selma is a town in Johnston County, North Carolina, United States. In 2010, the population was 6,073. Selma is part of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary Combined Statistical Area, and the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area. The area has a population over 1.7 million residents, though the town of Selma is able to maintain its rural character. The Everitt P. Stevens House, located in Selma, was the site of the last Grand Review of the Confederate Army held on April 6, 1865, after its defeat at the Battle of Bentonville.
8. Mebane
Population: 11,502 Services: 94
Groceries: 100
Health Care: 99
Housing: 89
Transportation: 100
Utilities: 95
More on Mebane: Homes For Sale | Data
Mebane /mbn/ is a city located mostly in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States, and partly in Orange County, North Carolina. The town was named for Alexander Mebane, an American Revolutionary War general and member of the U.S. Congress. It was incorporated as ‘Mebanesville’ in 1881, and in 1883 the name was changed to ‘Mebane’. It was incorporated as a city in 1987. The population as of the 2010 census was 11,393. Mebane is one of the fastest growing municipalities in North Carolina.
9. Tarboro
Population: 11,401 Services: 100
Groceries: 100
Health Care: 99
Housing: 59
Transportation: 99
Utilities: 98
More on Tarboro: Homes For Sale | Data
Tarboro (pronunciation: /tr.br/) is a town located in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Rocky Mount Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 11,415. It is the county seat of Edgecombe County. Tarboro is located near the western edge of North Carolina’s coastal plain. It has many historical churches, some dating from the early 19th century.
10. Henderson
Population: 15,389 Services: 97
Groceries: 96
Health Care: 101
Housing: 66
Transportation: 111
Utilities: 88
More on Henderson: Homes For Sale | Data
Henderson, a city with a population of 15,368 at the 2010 census, is the county seat of Vance County, North Carolina, United States.
There You Have It Mr. Or Mrs. Cheapskate
If you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in North Carolina, this is an accurate list of the cheapest places to call home.