countyscore

Best Cost of Living Counties in North Carolina

Median rent, home values, and housing affordability Compare rankings across all 100 counties.

Average Cost of Living Score
47/100
Top County
Graham County
Counties Ranked
100

Top 10

#1
Graham County
NC
98/100
#2
Swain County
NC
90/100
#3
Tyrrell County
NC
86/100
#4
Wilkes County
NC
86/100
#5
Mitchell County
NC
80/100
#6
McDowell County
NC
80/100
#7
Alexander County
NC
79/100
#8
Robeson County
NC
78/100
#9
Rutherford County
NC
78/100
#10
Caldwell County
NC
77/100

All North Carolina Counties Ranked

#CountyCost of Living ScoreOverall Score
1Graham County, NC
97.8
55.9
2Swain County, NC
90.3
52.6
3Tyrrell County, NC
85.7
55
4Wilkes County, NC
85.6
48.9
5Mitchell County, NC
80.2
70.9
6McDowell County, NC
79.8
47.8
7Alexander County, NC
79.2
56.6
8Robeson County, NC
78
31.9
9Rutherford County, NC
77.8
45.9
10Caldwell County, NC
77.1
45.5
11Caswell County, NC
76.5
59.6
12Cherokee County, NC
76.3
46.9
13Montgomery County, NC
76.3
46.5
14Yadkin County, NC
75.5
50.3
15Surry County, NC
74.4
50.3
16Jones County, NC
73.4
59.8
17Avery County, NC
72.2
60.2
18Richmond County, NC
71.3
32.8
19Ashe County, NC
70.8
52.7
20Bladen County, NC
70.8
39.2
21Columbus County, NC
70.8
40.7
22Yancey County, NC
70.8
68.3
23Jackson County, NC
70
55.5
24Northampton County, NC
69.8
45
25Madison County, NC
69.3
65.6
26Scotland County, NC
69
37.4
27Macon County, NC
67.7
56
28Alleghany County, NC
67.3
59
29Stokes County, NC
67
62.4
30Warren County, NC
66.7
36.9
31Anson County, NC
66.3
34.8
32Martin County, NC
66.2
34.3
33Sampson County, NC
66
36.3
34Rockingham County, NC
65.3
39
35Burke County, NC
63.8
41.4
36Halifax County, NC
63.8
31.6
37Duplin County, NC
63.2
35.7
38Clay County, NC
62.3
56.1
39Washington County, NC
62
33.3
40Cleveland County, NC
60
42.4
41Lenoir County, NC
59.6
38.1
42Greene County, NC
59.2
43.5
43Bertie County, NC
57.9
40.7
44Hertford County, NC
57.5
39.1
45Vance County, NC
56
33.8
46Edgecombe County, NC
54.1
27.3
47Stanly County, NC
51.8
45.1
48Chowan County, NC
51
48.1
49Beaufort County, NC
50
50.3
50Randolph County, NC
49.7
39.8
51Davidson County, NC
49.5
38.7
52Person County, NC
49.3
44.5
53Pamlico County, NC
48.1
52.6
54Transylvania County, NC
47
56.4
55Catawba County, NC
43.9
49.3
56Gates County, NC
41.7
56.2
57Nash County, NC
40.3
47.4
58Davie County, NC
38.6
43.2
59Wayne County, NC
38.5
32.1
60Haywood County, NC
38.1
43.6
61Wilson County, NC
37.5
29.4
62Rowan County, NC
35.5
39.2
63Polk County, NC
33.7
52.6
64Hyde County, NC
32.2
61.1
65Lee County, NC
30.9
35.9
66Lincoln County, NC
29.9
45.6
67Alamance County, NC
29.6
35.6
68Watauga County, NC
28.8
53.9
69Pitt County, NC
27.5
33.6
70Franklin County, NC
27.1
38.2
71Perquimans County, NC
26.9
46.1
72Craven County, NC
26.8
37.8
73Henderson County, NC
26.4
48.1
74Forsyth County, NC
25.8
33.8
75Granville County, NC
25.4
39.6
76Hoke County, NC
25
35.4
77Carteret County, NC
23.9
44.1
78Gaston County, NC
23.9
31.8
79Chatham County, NC
21.9
40.7
80Guilford County, NC
21.9
34.5
81Johnston County, NC
21.3
43.5
82Harnett County, NC
20.7
34.7
83Pender County, NC
20.1
44.9
84Pasquotank County, NC
20
45.2
85Cumberland County, NC
19.5
25.9
86Moore County, NC
18.4
48.6
87Iredell County, NC
18.2
42.4
88Brunswick County, NC
17.8
45.9
89Onslow County, NC
16.8
39.3
90Buncombe County, NC
16.6
41.4
91Currituck County, NC
13.6
56.4
92Cabarrus County, NC
11.6
42.2
93Camden County, NC
11.6
40.4
94Dare County, NC
11.6
51.3
95New Hanover County, NC
10.7
39.6
96Durham County, NC
9.3
34.1
97Union County, NC
9
46.1
98Orange County, NC
8.6
49.6
99Mecklenburg County, NC
7.4
33.2
100Wake County, NC
6
53.8

Data Source

Cost of Living data from CostByCounty. See full details at CostByCounty. Data updated February 2026.