USA Cost of Living Compare US cities and states with official data

Staunton, VA vs Winston-Salem, NC: cost of living compared

Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).

The short answer

  • Overall, Winston-Salem, NC is 1.0% more expensive than Staunton, VA (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Staunton works out to about $75,800 in Winston-Salem, before taxes.
  • Most of the difference is housing, which costs 4.6% more in Winston-Salem. Goods are 0.2% lower and other services 0.4% lower.
  • Typical asking rent is $1,529 a month in Winston-Salem and $1,448 in Staunton, $972 a year more in Winston-Salem (Zillow, September 2026).
  • A typical home is valued at about $278,000 in Winston-Salem and $335,000 in Staunton.
  • The gap is about where it was in 2019 (0.2%).

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.

Try your own salary

18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.

Housing drives the gap: 4.6% higher in Winston-Salem than in Staunton

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

  • Staunton, VA
  • Winston-Salem, NC
All items
91.1 92.0
Goods
96.8 96.6
Housing (rents)
68.2 71.4
Utilities
89.5 88.4
Other services
98.6 98.2

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
Staunton, VAWinston-Salem, NC
All items91.192.0
Goods96.896.6
Housing (rents)68.271.4
Utilities89.588.4
Other services98.698.2
CategoryStauntonWinston-SalemWinston-Salem vs Staunton
All items 91.1 92.0 +1.0%
Goods 96.8 96.6 −0.2%
Housing (rents) 68.2 71.4 +4.6%
Utilities 89.5 88.4 −1.2%
Other services 98.6 98.2 −0.4%
Typical asking rent $1,448 $1,529 +5.6%
Typical home value $335,000 $278,000 −17.1%
Salary to match $75,000 in Staunton $75,000 $75,800 +1.0%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between Staunton and Winston-Salem has been fairly stable since 2008

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

  • Staunton, VA
  • Winston-Salem, NC
US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
Staunton, VAWinston-Salem, NC
200889.591.9
200985.890.7
201088.392.0
201187.993.2
201290.292.6
201390.892.6
201491.293.1
201591.493.0
201683.993.1
201788.991.6
201892.490.7
201989.589.3
202087.689.5
202192.891.6
202291.492.1
202392.991.6
202491.192.0

Goods

  • Staunton, VA
  • Winston-Salem, NC
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
Staunton, VAWinston-Salem, NC
200893.197.4
200990.795.4
201095.997.0
201193.897.0
201290.697.2
201392.897.1
201491.197.4
201590.496.5
201692.097.2
201791.497.1
201895.695.7
201995.195.7
202095.295.4
202196.196.2
202295.595.6
202397.196.8
202496.896.6

Housing (rents)

  • Staunton, VA
  • Winston-Salem, NC
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
Staunton, VAWinston-Salem, NC
200874.068.5
200968.767.1
201067.467.5
201167.770.2
201273.366.7
201373.068.5
201475.269.6
201577.968.3
201653.667.2
201772.864.5
201876.864.9
201970.164.5
202063.567.5
202173.166.3
202268.069.6
202375.268.8
202468.271.4

Utilities

  • Staunton, VA
  • Winston-Salem, NC
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
Staunton, VAWinston-Salem, NC
200882.186.4
200984.087.1
201084.988.9
201185.688.5
201291.890.4
201388.290.0
201491.689.8
201594.589.7
201693.787.2
201793.883.2
201890.186.2
201993.488.9
202091.287.4
202188.084.4
202290.081.9
202389.383.0
202489.588.4

Other services

  • Staunton, VA
  • Winston-Salem, NC
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
Staunton, VAWinston-Salem, NC
200895.198.8
200991.098.2
201094.599.7
201194.9101.2
201297.9100.8
201398.6100.3
201499.0100.6
201598.3101.1
201696.2102.3
201793.9100.5
201898.098.3
201995.495.8
202095.195.5
202199.699.6
202299.699.7
202398.998.7
202498.698.2

Rent and home values

Typical asking rent: $1,529 in Winston-Salem vs $1,448 in Staunton

Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.

  • Staunton, VA
  • Winston-Salem, NC
  • United States

Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.

Show the numbers
Staunton, VAWinston-Salem, NCUnited States
Mar 2015–$798$1,145
Jun 2015–$811$1,170
Sep 2015–$819$1,181
Dec 2015–$810$1,182
Mar 2016–$823$1,195
Jun 2016–$840$1,219
Sep 2016–$840$1,225
Dec 2016–$836$1,222
Mar 2017–$854$1,245
Jun 2017–$872$1,270
Sep 2017–$874$1,276
Dec 2017–$872$1,275
Mar 2018$883$891$1,296
Jun 2018$869$913$1,320
Sep 2018$880$914$1,327
Dec 2018$888$915$1,329
Mar 2019$896$935$1,349
Jun 2019$935$959$1,376
Sep 2019$907$957$1,383
Dec 2019$943$954$1,381
Mar 2020$947$986$1,402
Jun 2020$954$992$1,406
Sep 2020$1,008$1,029$1,410
Dec 2020$1,007$1,034$1,407
Mar 2021$1,036$1,071$1,443
Jun 2021$1,055$1,129$1,512
Sep 2021$1,094$1,172$1,590
Dec 2021$1,102$1,192$1,622
Mar 2022$1,140$1,229$1,661
Jun 2022$1,186$1,269$1,721
Sep 2022$1,192$1,306$1,748
Dec 2022$1,197$1,285$1,735
Mar 2023$1,198$1,318$1,757
Jun 2023$1,246$1,344$1,785
Sep 2023$1,272$1,359$1,797
Dec 2023$1,282$1,342$1,786
Mar 2024$1,313$1,371$1,807
Jun 2024$1,326$1,397$1,837
Sep 2024$1,351$1,409$1,845
Dec 2024$1,342$1,415$1,836
Mar 2025$1,359$1,426$1,860
Jun 2025$1,372$1,461$1,880
Sep 2025$1,395$1,462$1,881
Dec 2025$1,407$1,451$1,873
Mar 2026$1,433$1,484$1,894
Jun 2026$1,446$1,493$1,921
Sep 2026$1,448$1,529$1,932

Typical home value: $278,000 in Winston-Salem vs $335,000 in Staunton

Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.

  • Staunton, VA
  • Winston-Salem, NC
  • United States

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.

Show the numbers
Staunton, VAWinston-Salem, NCUnited States
Mar 2015$183K$137K$189K
Jun 2015$185K$138K$192K
Sep 2015$186K$140K$195K
Dec 2015$187K$141K$199K
Mar 2016$188K$143K$202K
Jun 2016$188K$143K$204K
Sep 2016$189K$144K$206K
Dec 2016$191K$146K$209K
Mar 2017$192K$147K$213K
Jun 2017$194K$149K$216K
Sep 2017$196K$151K$219K
Dec 2017$200K$153K$223K
Mar 2018$201K$155K$227K
Jun 2018$203K$157K$230K
Sep 2018$205K$160K$234K
Dec 2018$207K$163K$236K
Mar 2019$211K$166K$239K
Jun 2019$217K$169K$242K
Sep 2019$221K$171K$244K
Dec 2019$224K$174K$247K
Mar 2020$227K$177K$252K
Jun 2020$230K$180K$255K
Sep 2020$236K$186K$260K
Dec 2020$243K$195K$271K
Mar 2021$250K$203K$282K
Jun 2021$260K$214K$296K
Sep 2021$263K$219K$306K
Dec 2021$265K$221K$314K
Mar 2022$278K$232K$330K
Jun 2022$292K$246K$346K
Sep 2022$293K$251K$348K
Dec 2022$291K$251K$345K
Mar 2023$288K$249K$343K
Jun 2023$293K$253K$347K
Sep 2023$297K$259K$352K
Dec 2023$299K$263K$354K
Mar 2024$302K$264K$357K
Jun 2024$307K$270K$361K
Sep 2024$308K$271K$361K
Dec 2024$312K$271K$363K
Mar 2025$317K$272K$364K
Jun 2025$317K$271K$362K
Sep 2025$320K$273K$362K
Dec 2025$323K$276K$364K
Mar 2026$328K$279K$366K
Jun 2026$332K$278K$365K
Sep 2026$335K$278K$366K

More about each city

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
  • Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.