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North Carolina

R+3  ·  Moderate tax burden  ·  COL index 94

B+

4.5%

Income Tax

398

Violent Crime / 100K

75.7

Life Expectancy

$335K

Median Home

$1,050

Childcare / Mo

State Profile

59/100
255075100TAXES69SAFETY57HEALTH55SCHOOLS43AFFORDABLE82LONGEVITY48

Taxes

Income Tax

Flat rate, reducing toward 3.99% by 2026

4.5% flat

Property Tax

~$2,345/yr on median home

0.7% / yr

Sales Tax

7% avg

Social Security

Exempt

Pension / IRA

Partial

Estate Tax

None

Inheritance Tax

None

Capital Gains

Taxed as income

Housing & Cost of Living

Cost of Living Index

National avg = 100

94

Median Home Price

$335,000

Median Rent (2BR)

$1,450/mo

Home Insurance

$1,900/yr

Homestead Exemption

Home equity protected from creditors

$35,000

Asset Protection

Weak

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Crime & Safety

Violent Crime Rate

Near national avg

398 / 100K

Property Crime Rate

Near national avg

2,226 / 100K

Traffic Fatality Rate

12.7 / 100K

Healthcare

State Healthcare Rank

#23 of 50

Life Expectancy

75.7 yrs

Medicaid Expansion

Expanded

Uninsured Rate

11.8%

Education

K-12 Quality Rank

#29 of 50

School Choice / Vouchers

Available

Childcare

Avg Infant Care (Full-Time)

$1,050/mo

Transportation

Car Insurance (Avg Annual)

$1,390

Traffic Fatality Rate

12.7 / 100K

Broadband Access

84% of households

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Social & Legal

Abortion Access

12-week ban with exceptions

Limited

LGBTQ+ Protections

Limited

Marijuana

Illegal

Minimum Wage

$7.25/hr

Right to Work

Yes

Environment & Climate

Air Quality (Annual AQI)

Near national avg

36

Natural Disaster Risk

High

Primary Hazards

hurricanetornadoflood

Politics & Gun Laws

2024 Presidential Vote

R+3

Gun Law Grade

Source: Giffords Law Center

C+

Carry Permit

Shall-issue

Purchase Permit Required

No

Gambling

Legal

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Data is informational only. Verify with a tax professional, real estate agent, and local sources before making relocation decisions. Crime data: FBI UCR ~2022. Healthcare: Commonwealth Fund / US News ~2023. Education: Education Week ~2023. Housing: Zillow / Census ACS ~2024. Insurance: rate surveys ~2024. Sponsored links marked “Sponsored” may earn a commission. This does not affect our data or rankings.