Counties with the lowest cost of living in North Carolina
With inflation still eating into American household budgets, middle-class Americans are paying keen attention to their finances and finding ways to reduce spending.
Nearly three-quarters of Americans surveyed by financial services provider Primerica at the end of 2022 said they are not able to save for their future due to rising costs. Home prices, rent, and food inflation as well as higher prices for gas in the last couple of years are making it so that each dollar earned has even less purchasing power than before.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the lowest cost of living in North Carolina using 2022 rankings from Niche.
#30. Swain County
- Overall Grade: A-
- Public School Grade: B+
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 14,166
#29. Scotland County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: C+
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 34,345
#28. Stanly County
- Overall Grade: B
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 62,148
#27. Yadkin County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 37,198
#26. Hertford County
- Overall Grade: C+
- Public School Grade: C-
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 22,010
#25. Rockingham County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: B-
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 90,903
#24. Martin County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: C
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 22,213
#23. Anson County
- Overall Grade: C
- Public School Grade: C-
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 22,388
#22. Mitchell County
- Overall Grade: B
- Public School Grade: B+
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 14,951
#21. Surry County
- Overall Grade: B+
- Public School Grade: A
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 71,439
#20. Greene County
- Overall Grade: B
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 20,524
#19. Columbus County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: C+
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 51,474
#18. Warren County
- Overall Grade: C+
- Public School Grade: C
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 18,889
#17. Richmond County
- Overall Grade: B
- Public School Grade: B+
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 43,301
#16. Burke County
- Overall Grade: B+
- Public School Grade: A-
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 87,829
#15. Alexander County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 36,491
#14. Person County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: C+
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 38,999
#13. Caldwell County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: B+
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 80,705
#12. Wilkes County
- Overall Grade: B
- Public School Grade: B+
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 66,335
#11. Washington County
- Overall Grade: C-
- Public School Grade: D
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 11,183
#10. Bertie County
- Overall Grade: C+
- Public School Grade: C-
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 18,105
#9. Rutherford County
- Overall Grade: B+
- Public School Grade: A-
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 64,592
#8. McDowell County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: B-
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 44,527
#7. Jones County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 9,326
#6. Robeson County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: C-
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 118,836
#5. Sampson County
- Overall Grade: B
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 59,468
#4. Montgomery County
- Overall Grade: B
- Public School Grade: B-
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 25,891
#3. Duplin County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: C+
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 49,836
#2. Caswell County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: C-
- Cost of living grade: A-
- Population: 22,785
#1. Graham County
- Overall Grade: C+
- Public School Grade: B-
- Cost of living grade: A
- Population: 8,089
