Is Your Salary Enough in Raleigh, NC?
Population 470,763 · Median income $82,424
Raleigh's median household income of $82,424 runs about 11% above the US figure, so the comfort thresholds below sit close to what national salary calculators tend to use. Rent at $1,468/month works out to about 21% of local median income — within the standard affordability band. A working comfort threshold for the city — 1.2× the local median — lands near $100,000.
Median Household Income
$82,424
Median Rent
$1,468/mo
Need $59,000/yr (30% rule)
Median Home Value
$377,800
Need $94,450/yr (4x rule)
Salary Breakdown for Raleigh
| Annual Salary | vs Local Median | Max Rent | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | 49% | $1,000/mo | Difficult |
| $55,000 | 67% | $1,375/mo | Tight |
| $70,000 | 85% | $1,750/mo | Tight |
| $85,000 | 103% | $2,125/mo | Average |
| $100,000 | 121% | $2,500/mo | Comfortable |
| $125,000 | 152% | $3,125/mo | Very Comfortable |
| $150,000 | 182% | $3,750/mo | Very Comfortable |
| $200,000 | 243% | $5,000/mo | Very Comfortable |
Home Buying in Raleigh
Conservative (3x income)
$125,933/yr
Standard (4x income)
$94,450/yr
Aggressive (5x income)
$75,560/yr
Key Facts for Raleigh
- Comfortable salary:
- $100,000+/yr
- Median rent:
- $1,468/mo
- Median home value:
- $377,800
- Median income:
- $82,424/yr