Cost of living in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina has about 481,031 people. Typical rent is $1,572 a month, including utilities, and a typical household earns $85,395 a year. Both figures are Census 2020–2024 medians, not a listing or your pay. This site does not approve or deny benefits. A missing figure stays blank. We do not guess it.
Ranked #137 in North Carolina on the 2026 Most Affordable Towns Index.
Simple answer
Typical rent is $1,572 a month.
Raleigh is a city in North Carolina. That rent number includes utilities. A typical household earns $85,395 a year.
- People
- 481,031
- Census average, 2020–2024
- Typical rent
- $1,572
- Median gross rent, includes utilities
- Typical pay
- $85,395
- Median household income, yearly
- Typical home
- $415,800
- Median home value
- 2-bedroom fair rent
- $1,689
- Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA
- Gas
- $4.035
- Lower Atlantic (PADD 1C), week of October 12, 2026
Raleigh, North Carolina has about 481,031 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.
A typical home is worth about $415,800.
HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Wake County is $1,689 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Raleigh. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.
In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, prices sit at 98.2 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.
North Carolina taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 7.0% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Raleigh's exact store tax.
In July 2026, a typical North Carolina home paid 15.16¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Raleigh's bill.
EIA does not publish a North Carolina gasoline price. For the week of October 12, 2026, the Lower Atlantic (PADD 1C) all-grades price was $4.035 a gallon. At 12,000 miles a year and 25 mpg, the index counts that as $1,936.80 a year. Those miles are our standard, not a Census figure, and every town in North Carolina shares this price.
Among 407 places we list in North Carolina with a rent figure, 52 have higher typical rent than Raleigh.
Nearby places
- Knightdale
Typical rent $1,674
Compare with Raleigh - Garner
Typical rent $1,549
Compare with Raleigh - Cary
Typical rent $1,738
Compare with Raleigh - Morrisville
Typical rent $1,858
Compare with Raleigh - Rolesville
Typical rent $1,085
Compare with Raleigh - Wake Forest
Typical rent $1,596
Compare with Raleigh - Apex
Typical rent $1,902
Compare with Raleigh - Clayton
Typical rent $1,661
Compare with Raleigh
EBT nearby
USDA has a live map of stores that take SNAP. We did not copy that store list here. The downloadable file is a history file for 2005 through 2025, so the live map is the one to use.
Locator page updated 2026-09-11. Last checked 2026-10-16.
Food stamps (SNAP) tools in North Carolina
Bigger places in North Carolina
Census 2020-2024. HUD rents for October 2026–September 2027. BEA prices for 2024. Taxes as of January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16. 15,000 places are in this guide.