Housing and tax tradeoff: Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
People have logged this comparison 36 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
What Stands Out
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Raleigh, North Carolina comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Raleigh, North Carolina is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on sunshine, weaker on climate comfort.
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 482,295 | 874,579 |
| Population Density | N/A | 2.8k /sq mi |
| Center Elevation | 315 ft(96 m) | 751 ft(229 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $424,925 | $390,457 |
| Median Rent | $1,582 | $1,699 |
| Median Income | $78,631 | $74,070 |
| Rent Burden | 24% | 28% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 307 days/yr | 306 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 72°F | 72°F |
| Avg. Low | 53°F | 52°F |
| Comfort Score | 78/100Great | 79/100Great |
| Temp Swing | 38°F | 38°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 51"(130 cm) | 46"(117 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 3"(8 cm) | 3"(8 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 452024 modeled avg · 24 days > 100 | Typical: 492024 modeled avg · 35 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Transit Score | N/A | 78 |
| Safety Score | 64 / 100 | 56 / 100 |
| School Rating | 6.7/10 | 6.1/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 80%Cable: 96% | Fiber: 74%Cable: 95% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 34.6 years | 34.5 years |
| College Educated | 53% | 47% |
| Remote Workers | 20% | 21% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Raleigh. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Charlotte. One featured slot per city |
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