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

Texas vs North Carolina: cost of living compared

Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).

Is it cheaper to live in Texas or North Carolina?

  • Overall, North Carolina is 2.8% less expensive than Texas (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Texas works out to about $72,900 in North Carolina, before taxes.
  • Most of the difference is housing, which costs 15.7% less in North Carolina. Goods are 1.5% lower and other services 1.1% higher.
  • After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $56,310 in North Carolina and $58,219 in Texas (3.3% lower in North Carolina; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
  • Inside each state, metro price levels run from 88.0 in Rocky Mount, NC to 98.2 in Raleigh, NC (North Carolina) and from 83.8 in Eagle Pass, TX to 103.1 in Dallas, TX (Texas), US = 100.
  • The gap has narrowed since 2019, when North Carolina was 6.7% less expensive than Texas.

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities and real personal income by state. Statewide averages mix cities and rural areas; taxes are 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 states against the US average (100).

Housing drives the gap: 15.7% lower in North Carolina than in Texas

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

  • Texas
  • North Carolina
All items
97.1 94.3
Goods
98.1 96.6
Housing (rents)
96.5 81.4
Utilities
87.5 88.6
Other services
97.1 98.2

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

Show the numbers
TexasNorth Carolina
All items97.194.3
Goods98.196.6
Housing (rents)96.581.4
Utilities87.588.6
Other services97.198.2
CategoryTexasNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina vs Texas
All items97.194.3−2.8%
Goods98.196.6−1.5%
Housing (rents)96.581.4−15.7%
Utilities87.588.6+1.3%
Other services97.198.2+1.1%
Income per person, adjusted for prices $58,219 $56,310 −3.3%
Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* $3.70 $3.86 +4.2%
Salary to match $75,000 in Texas $75,000 $72,900 −2.8%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices. *Lower Atlantic region average (EIA has no separate North Carolina figure).

Cheapest and most expensive places in each state

Texas

  1. Eagle Pass, TX 83.8
  2. Texarkana, TX 84.0
  3. McAllen, TX 85.9
  4. Brownsville, TX 86.0
  5. Laredo, TX 87.0
  6. Longview, TX 89.5
  7. Wichita Falls, TX 89.5
  8. Victoria, TX 89.8
  9. El Paso, TX 89.9
  10. Beaumont, TX 90.0
  11. Abilene, TX 90.4
  12. College Station, TX 91.0
  13. Killeen, TX 91.1
  14. Lubbock, TX 91.3
  15. Amarillo, TX 91.8
  16. Tyler, TX 92.2
  17. San Angelo, TX 92.5
  18. Waco, TX 92.6
  19. Corpus Christi, TX 92.7
  20. Sherman, TX 93.8
  21. Odessa, TX 93.9
  22. San Antonio, TX 94.7
  23. Midland, TX 95.8
  24. Austin, TX 98.1
  25. Houston, TX 98.6
  26. Dallas, TX 103.1

North Carolina

  1. Rocky Mount, NC 88.0
  2. Pinehurst, NC 88.3
  3. Greenville, NC 88.4
  4. Goldsboro, NC 88.5
  5. Hickory, NC 88.5
  6. Fayetteville, NC 92.0
  7. Winston-Salem, NC 92.0
  8. Jacksonville, NC 92.1
  9. Greensboro, NC 92.9
  10. Burlington, NC 93.2
  11. Wilmington, NC 96.4
  12. Asheville, NC 96.5
  13. Charlotte, NC 97.3
  14. Durham, NC 97.6
  15. Virginia Beach, VA 97.9
  16. Raleigh, NC 98.2

Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between Texas and North Carolina has narrowed since 2008: 4.6 points then, 2.7 now

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

  • Texas
  • North Carolina
US average = 100

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

Show the numbers
TexasNorth Carolina
200897.192.4
200996.791.3
201097.792.9
201197.093.6
201297.793.5
201398.193.7
201498.493.8
201598.393.6
201698.193.8
201797.493.0
201897.892.9
201998.591.9
202098.891.3
202198.493.7
202297.494.0
202397.194.4
202497.194.3

Goods

  • Texas
  • North Carolina
US = 100

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

Show the numbers
TexasNorth Carolina
200897.196.6
200996.194.3
201098.196.9
201196.596.4
201297.695.6
201397.696.0
201497.495.7
201597.195.0
201698.495.9
201797.195.7
201897.195.7
201997.995.7
202098.295.4
202198.596.2
202297.295.6
202398.196.8
202498.196.6

Housing (rents)

  • Texas
  • North Carolina
US = 100

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

Show the numbers
TexasNorth Carolina
200888.074.3
200988.275.3
201089.375.4
201189.776.3
201291.175.8
201391.476.0
201493.676.3
201594.075.8
201695.674.7
201795.275.5
201895.275.3
201995.875.4
202095.875.0
202195.676.0
202297.078.8
202397.580.8
202496.581.4

Utilities

  • Texas
  • North Carolina
US = 100

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

Show the numbers
TexasNorth Carolina
2008101.485.4
200996.285.5
201098.187.6
201194.487.3
201293.190.5
201395.789.8
201494.990.4
201591.191.0
201691.988.4
201788.085.4
201887.586.8
201987.789.2
202085.087.7
202186.284.6
202288.782.5
202392.483.6
202487.588.6

Other services

  • Texas
  • North Carolina
US = 100

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

Show the numbers
TexasNorth Carolina
2008100.097.7
2009100.496.6
2010100.398.1
2011100.199.5
2012100.499.9
2013101.0100.0
2014101.1100.2
2015101.1100.3
201699.0100.7
201798.998.8
201899.898.3
2019100.595.8
2020101.395.5
2021100.099.6
202298.299.7
202396.698.7
202497.198.2

What incomes buy in each state

Income per person after adjusting for prices: $56,310 in North Carolina, $58,219 in Texas

Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).

  • Texas
  • North Carolina
  • United States

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.

Show the numbers
TexasNorth CarolinaUnited States
2008$46,068$45,858$45,816
2009$43,349$44,321$44,204
2010$44,078$42,691$44,808
2011$46,663$42,462$45,957
2012$47,554$44,038$46,796
2013$47,301$42,463$46,358
2014$48,959$43,820$47,661
2015$48,983$45,796$49,396
2016$47,686$46,302$49,828
2017$49,918$47,646$51,006
2018$51,551$48,676$52,242
2019$52,343$50,966$53,683
2020$53,181$54,346$56,514
2021$56,442$56,146$59,365
2022$56,452$54,204$57,104
2023$57,708$54,748$58,088
2024$58,219$56,310$59,195

More

Related state comparisons

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State income, sales and property taxes differ a lot between states and are not included.
  • Where you live inside the state. Statewide figures average cities and rural areas; the metro lists above show the spread.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider if housing is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels and incomes are for 2024; gas prices are weekly.

Methodology · Data sources · Report an error