Cost of living in Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville is 98, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Jacksonville is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Jacksonville ranks as the #76 cheapest in North Carolina out of 157.
Jacksonville ranks as the #2,372 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Jacksonville is $252,217.
The median income in Jacksonville is $54,069.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Jacksonville has an overall cost of living index of 98, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to North Carolina, Jacksonville has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than North Carolina's index of 92.
The standard of living in Jacksonville ranks as #76 most affordable out of the 157 places we measured in North Carolina. By definition, that implies Jacksonville ranks as the #81 most expensive place in the Tar Heel State.
For more reading on life in Jacksonville, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Jacksonville. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Jacksonville is 98.
The Groceries index in Jacksonville is 97.
The Health index in Jacksonville is 110.
The Housing index in Jacksonville is 90.
The Transportation index in Jacksonville is 95.
The Utilities index in Jacksonville is 96.
| Living Expense | Jacksonville | North Carolina | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 98 | 92 | 100 | |
| Services | 98 | 100 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 97 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 110 | 106 | 100 | |
| Housing | 90 | 86 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 95 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 96 | 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 Jacksonville is $252,217.
The Median Rent in Jacksonville is $1,268.
The Median Income in Jacksonville is $54,069.
The Home Value To Income in Jacksonville is 4.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Jacksonville is 0.28x.
| Statistic | Jacksonville | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $252,217 | $332,681 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,268 | $1,162 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $54,069 | $69,904 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 4.7x | 4.8x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.28x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Jacksonville | 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 | Jacksonville | 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 | Jacksonville | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $141.56 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $136.38 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $100.17 | $113.29 |
| Item | Jacksonville | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.45 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $63.55 | $59.92 |
| Item | Jacksonville | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $201.14 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $187.32 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Jacksonville. 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, 1.1x Jacksonville.
New Bern, NC has a cost of living index of 96, 1.0x Jacksonville.
Murraysville, NC has a cost of living index of 104, 1.1x Jacksonville.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Jacksonville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington, NC | 118,578 | 110 | 1.1x |
| New Bern, NC | 31,563 | 96 | 1.0x |
| Murraysville, NC | 17,307 | 104 | 1.1x |
| Havelock, NC | 16,471 | 96 | 1.0x |
| Piney Green, NC | 14,205 | 94 | 1.0x |
| Kings Grant, NC | 9,061 | 101 | 1.0x |
| Ogden, NC | 8,363 | 120 | 1.2x |
| Half Moon, NC | 7,780 | 94 | 1.0x |
| Porters Neck, NC | 7,102 | 126 | 1.3x |