Best Affordable Place To Live In The Country Is This North Carolina Town And Here’s Why
Money is tighter than ever these days. And, we’re always on a search for a way to cut back on living expenses. Of course, we expect that many places in…
Money is tighter than ever these days. And, we're always on a search for a way to cut back on living expenses. Of course, we expect that many places in the South probably offer better cost saving opportunities. But, do you know exactly where you should be looking to relocate to do your wallet a favor? Well, according to U.S. News & World Report, the best affordable place to live in the country is in North Carolina.
The report indicates that Hickory, North Carolina takes top honors as the best affordable place to live in the country for 2023-2-24. U.S. News & World Report says with a metro population of 364,877, the Catawba Valley area offers a small town atmosphere. But, it has the advantage of growth seen from bigger areas close by. And, those include Charlotte and Asheville. But, the income spent on living expenses in Hickory is just below 20% at 18.95% of the median household income. And, the average salary in Hickory is $44,470.
But, there's also bragging rights for other locations in the Carolinas. Winston-Salem, North Carolina came in further down the list at number 16, with income spent on living expenses 21.73% of the median household income. And, the average salary is just over $51,000 for this area of the Tar Heel State. However, 2 cities in South Carolina scored even better on the U.S. News & World Report list.
One of my favorite spots, Greenville, South Carolina, sits at number 12 on the best affordable places to live in the country. The average annual salary in Greenville is $48,350, with 21.31% of the median household income spent on living expenses. And, this favorite in the Upstate came in at number 26 out of 150 on the 'Best Places to Live' list. I couldn't agree more!
Then, there's nearby Spartanburg, South Carolina. This top spot in the Palmetto State came in at number 11. The average salary is just over $47,000. And, 21.67% of the median household income goes to living expenses. And, the property taxes are fairly low in comparison to coastal areas like Charleston.
For more info and full stats on all the cities on the best affordable places to live list, see the full report.
US News Ranks These Two North Carolina Cities Among The Nation’s 10 Best Places To Live
We love a friendly rivalry between cities. And we love to see who comes out on top in those rivalries when publications put together different lists. This time it's the Best Places To Live. And this list comes from a reputable source- US News and World Report. As North Carolina residents we know there are plenty of fantastic places to call home in North Carolina. Whether it’s the beaches the Piedmont, or the mountains. There is something for everyone. Each year US News ranks the best places to live in the US, and this year not one but two North Carolina cities made the top 10. Yes, the top 10 for the entire country. That's big! And yes, it comes down to the two cities you'd expect Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham.
I know people have strong feelings about both, but I've called the two cities home though Charlotte for much more of my life, and love them both. I'll give you a hint one city ranked number 3 and the other came in at number 8 on this list. You can read all the information on the methodology US News uses in ranking cities here. Below you'll find the top 7 places to live in North Carolina. Why seven? It's the cities that are among the nation's 150 most populous. You'll also see where they stack up overall against the rest of the United States. And below that, you'll find the top places to live in the US.
You can read the full list from US News & World Report here.
Best Places To Live In North Carolina
According to US News & World Report
7. Fayetteville
#135 Best Places To Live
Overall Score: 5.7
Quality of Life: 6.0
Value: 6.8
6. Greensboro
#72 Best Places To Live
Overall Score: 5.7
Quality of Life: 6.5
Value: 7.5
Jason Kempin/Getty Images5. Winston-Salem
#41 Best Places To Live
Overall Score: 6.4
Quality of Life: 6.7
Value: 7.7
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4. Asheville
#29 Overall Best Places To Live
Overall Score: 6.5
Quality of Life: 6.8
Value: 7.0
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3. Hickory
#25 Overall Best Places To Live
Overall Score: 6.5
Quality of Life: 6.4
Value: 8.6
Jeff Yount
2. Charlotte
#8 Overall Best Places To Live
Overall Score: 6.7
Quality of Life: 6.4
Value: 7.0
Sean Pavone
1. Raleigh & Durham
#3 Best Places To Live Overall
Overall Score: 6.9
Quality of Life: 6.4
Value: 7.0
Sean Pavone
Top 10 Best Places To Live
According To US News
10. Fayetteville, AK
Overall Score: 6.7
Quality of Life: 6.9
Value: 7.8
BlazenImages
9. Colorado Springs
Overall Score: 6.7
Quality of Life: 6.5
Value: 5.8
Jacob Boomsma
8. Charlotte, NC
Overall Score: 6.7
Quality of Life: 6.4
Value: 7.0
Sean Pavone
7. Portland, ME
Overall Score: 6.7
Quality of Life: 7.4
Value: 6.2
Sean Pavone
6. Naples, FL
Overall Score: 6.8
Quality of Life: 7.1
Value: 6.2
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5. Sarasota, FL
Overall Score: 6.8
Quality of Life: 7.0
Value: 6.1
KarolinaBorkowski
4. Boulder, CO
Overall Score: 6.8
Quality of Life: 7.7
Value: 5.3
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3. Raleigh & Durham, NC
Overall Score: 6.9
Quality of Life: 6.4
Value: 7.0
Sean Pavone
2. Huntsville, AL
Overall Score: 6.9
Quality of Life: 7.0
Value: 8.2
Sean Pavone
1. Green Bay, WI
Overall Score: 6.9
Quality of Life: 7.3
Value: 8.0
Jacob Boomsma
