Residential comparison · 13 facts
Apex, NC vs Sanford, NC
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Apex needs about $73,500 in Sanford to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Sanford, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $96,500 in Apex.
A few differences
- Apex is higher on median household income ($144,135 vs $57,586).
- Sanford is lower on cost of living index (86 vs 115).
- Sanford is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,049/mo vs $1,801/mo).
Apex vs Sanford · facet by facet
| Facet | Apex, NC | Sanford, NC |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $576,100 | $245,400 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,801/mo | $1,049/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.82% | 0.82% |
| State & local income tax | 3.15% | 3.15% |
| Sales tax | 7% | 7% |
| Cost of living index | 115 | 86 |
| Groceries index | 98 | 98 |
| Utilities | $155/mo | $155/mo |
| Median household income | $144,135 | $57,586 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Crime index | 48/100 | 48/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 213 days | 213 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Apex, NC · Sanford, NC
Questions & answers
- Is Apex cheaper than Sanford?
- Sanford has the lower day-to-day cost index (86 vs 115 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Sanford equals $85,000 in Apex?
- A household earning $85,000 in Apex needs about $73,500 in Sanford to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Sanford lifestyle costs about $96,500 in Apex.