Raleigh vs Winston-Salem
Raleigh, North Carolina versus Winston-Salem, North Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Raleigh and Winston-Salem score about the same overall (43 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Raleigh | Winston-Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $79k | $54k |
| Cost of Living | $64k | $48k |
| Home Value | $347k | $187k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $956 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.80% | 1.00% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.32% | 10.25% |
| Unemployment | 4.5% | 6.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 41°F | 40°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.6 in | 43.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 4.5 in | 6.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 194 days | 211 days |
| Summer Humidity | 69°F | 67°F |
| Comfortable Days | 80 days | 84 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 57.7 | 23.2 |
| Air Quality | 50 AQI | 52 AQI |
| School Quality | 45.4 | 46.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1899/100k | 4200/100k |
| Property Crime | 2364/100k | 3897/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 465,517 | 249,571 |
| Median Age | 34.6 | 35.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.60 | 0.62 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.90 |
| Political Leaning | D+27 | D+14 |
| White (%) | 52.5% | 44.9% |
| Black (%) | 27.5% | 32.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.6% | 16.6% |
| Asian (%) | 4.5% | 2.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.9% | 3.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 22 min |
| Walkability | 12.5/20 | 12.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 9 mi | 73 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.2% | 84.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 16.24 | 9.10 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Raleigh or Winston-Salem more affordable?
- Winston-Salem has the lower cost of living: its index is $48k, compared with Raleigh's $64k and Winston-Salem's $48k. Median rent is $1k in Raleigh versus $956 in Winston-Salem.
- Is Raleigh or Winston-Salem safer?
- Raleigh has the lower violent crime rate. Raleigh reports 1899/100k and Winston-Salem reports 4200/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Raleigh or Winston-Salem?
- The median home value is $347k in Raleigh and $187k in Winston-Salem, so homes are more affordable in Winston-Salem.