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Most Affordable Cities in North Carolina

The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  North Carolina

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Home Prices · 30% Rent · 20% Cost Index · 25% Rent Burden · 15% Jobs · 10%

Top 12 Affordability Cities in North Carolina

Ranked by composite score across 5 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 69.1
Bladenboro, NC
2,181 residents
Home Prices $89,800
Rent $646
Cost Index 94
#2
Score 69
Jackson Heights, NC
1,002 residents
Home Prices $132,300
Rent $742
Cost Index 94
#3
Score 68.4
Troy, NC
2,905 residents
Home Prices $134,500
Rent $554
Cost Index 94
#4
Score 67.8
Dudley, NC
2,320 residents
Home Prices $100,700
Rent $728
Cost Index 94
#5
Score 67.7
Star, NC
1,430 residents
Home Prices $131,600
Rent $547
Cost Index 94
#6
Score 67.7
Robbins, NC
1,398 residents
Home Prices $102,900
Rent $645
Cost Index 94
#7
Score 66.3
Flat Rock, NC
1,141 residents
Home Prices $111,700
Rent $650
Cost Index 94
#8
Score 66.3
Murphy, NC
1,356 residents
Home Prices $221,100
Rent $354
Cost Index 94
#9
Score 65.8
La Grange, NC
2,692 residents
Home Prices $78,500
Rent $728
Cost Index 94
#10
Score 65.8
Beulaville, NC
1,438 residents
Home Prices $123,400
Rent $636
Cost Index 94
#11
Score 65.7
Biscoe, NC
2,259 residents
Home Prices $112,800
Rent $615
Cost Index 94
#12
Score 65.7
Chadbourn, NC
1,347 residents
Home Prices $100,300
Rent $578
Cost Index 94

Full Ranking, North Carolina

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Bladenboro NC 69.1
2 Jackson Heights NC 69
3 Troy NC 68.4
4 Dudley NC 67.8
5 Star NC 67.7
6 Robbins NC 67.7
7 Flat Rock NC 66.3
8 Murphy NC 66.3
9 La Grange NC 65.8
10 Beulaville NC 65.8
11 Biscoe NC 65.7
12 Chadbourn NC 65.7
13 Salem NC 65.6
14 Red Oak NC 65.2
15 Valdese NC 65.1
16 Green Level NC 65
17 Cherokee NC 64.9
18 Madison NC 64.7
19 Glen Raven NC 64.7
20 Dobson NC 64.5
21 Pinetops NC 64.4
22 Bethlehem NC 64.3
23 Cajah's Mountain NC 64.3
24 Kenansville NC 64.3
25 Princeton NC 64.3
26 Magnolia NC 64.2
27 Pleasant Garden NC 64
28 Emma NC 64
29 Hertford NC 64
30 Saxapahaw NC 63.9
31 Fruitland NC 63.8
32 Mayodan NC 63.8
33 Long View NC 63.8
34 Lenoir NC 63.7
35 Midway NC 63.7
36 Jonesville NC 63.6
37 Windsor NC 63.5
38 Hayesville NC 63.3
39 Taylorsville NC 63.2
40 Hildebran NC 63.2
41 Cricket NC 63.2
42 Pembroke NC 63.2
43 Stem NC 63.2
44 Elizabethtown NC 63.2
45 Tobaccoville NC 63.2
46 Sunset Beach NC 63.1
47 Lake Royale NC 63.1
48 Stoneville NC 63.1
49 Marion NC 63
50 Yanceyville NC 63

Bladenboro, NC tops the list with a composite score of 69.1 out of 100, followed by Jackson Heights and Troy. NC dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for affordability.

Rankings combine 5 independent metrics: Home Prices, Rent, Cost Index, Rent Burden, Jobs. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to affordability, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Families
Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

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