Cost of living in Carolina Beach research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Carolina Beach is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in North Carolina, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Carolina Beach is 122, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Carolina Beach is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Carolina Beach ranks as the #143 cheapest in North Carolina out of 157.
Carolina Beach ranks as the #4,541 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Carolina Beach is $599,254.
The median income in Carolina Beach is $88,239.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Carolina Beach has an overall cost of living index of 122, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to North Carolina, Carolina Beach has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than North Carolina's index of 92.
The standard of living in Carolina Beach ranks as #143 most affordable out of the 157 places we measured in North Carolina. By definition, that implies Carolina Beach ranks as the #14 most expensive place in the Tar Heel State.
For more reading on life in Carolina Beach, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Carolina Beach. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Carolina Beach is 101.
The Groceries index in Carolina Beach is 98.
The Health index in Carolina Beach is 110.
The Housing index in Carolina Beach is 174.
The Transportation index in Carolina Beach is 94.
The Utilities index in Carolina Beach is 97.
| Living Expense | Carolina Beach | North Carolina | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 122 | 92 | 100 | |
| Services | 101 | 100 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 110 | 106 | 100 | |
| Housing | 174 | 86 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 94 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 97 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in North Carolina, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Carolina Beach is $599,254.
The Median Rent in Carolina Beach is $1,544.
The Median Income in Carolina Beach is $88,239.
The Home Value To Income in Carolina Beach is 6.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Carolina Beach is 0.21x.
| Statistic | Carolina Beach | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $599,254 | $332,681 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,544 | $1,162 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $88,239 | $69,904 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.8x | 4.8x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Carolina Beach | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.09 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $10.27 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $11.0 | $18 |
| Haircut | $19.0 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $29.58 | $45.56 |
| Item | Carolina Beach | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.93 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.59 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.57 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.18 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $10.47 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.29 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.65 | $3.7 |
| Item | Carolina Beach | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $141.56 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $136.38 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $100.17 | $113.29 |
| Item | Carolina Beach | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.45 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $63.55 | $59.92 |
| Item | Carolina Beach | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $201.14 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $187.32 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Carolina Beach. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Wilmington, NC has a cost of living index of 110, 0.9x Carolina Beach.
Leland, NC has a cost of living index of 111, 0.9x Carolina Beach.
Murraysville, NC has a cost of living index of 104, 0.9x Carolina Beach.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Carolina Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington, NC | 118,578 | 110 | 0.9x |
| Leland, NC | 26,307 | 111 | 0.9x |
| Murraysville, NC | 17,307 | 104 | 0.9x |
| Myrtle Grove, NC | 12,404 | 115 | 0.9x |
| Kings Grant, NC | 9,061 | 101 | 0.8x |
| Ogden, NC | 8,363 | 120 | 1.0x |
| Porters Neck, NC | 7,102 | 126 | 1.0x |
| Silver Lake, NC | 6,242 | 99 | 0.8x |
| Boiling Spring Lakes, NC | 6,206 | 101 | 0.8x |