Residential comparison · 13 facts
Durham, NC vs Winston-Salem, 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 Durham needs about $80,000 in Winston-Salem to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Winston-Salem, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $90,000 in Durham.
A few differences
- Winston-Salem is lower on property tax rate (0.82% vs 0.95%).
- Winston-Salem is lower on sales tax (7% vs 7.5%).
- Durham is higher on median household income ($74,000 vs $59,268).
Durham vs Winston-Salem · facet by facet
| Facet | Durham, NC | Winston-Salem, NC |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $400,000 | $233,800 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,600/mo | $1,052/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.95% | 0.82% |
| State & local income tax | 3.15% | 3.15% |
| Sales tax | 7.5% | 7% |
| Cost of living index | 96 | 86 |
| Groceries index | 98 | 98 |
| Utilities | $150/mo | $155/mo |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $59,268 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.8% |
| Crime index | 46/100 | 48/100 |
| School rating | 7.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 212 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: Durham, NC · Winston-Salem, NC
Questions & answers
- Is Durham cheaper than Winston-Salem?
- Winston-Salem has the lower day-to-day cost index (86 vs 96 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Winston-Salem equals $85,000 in Durham?
- A household earning $85,000 in Durham needs about $80,000 in Winston-Salem to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Winston-Salem lifestyle costs about $90,000 in Durham.