Cost of living in Wendell 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 Wendell 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 Wendell is 102, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Wendell is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Wendell ranks as the #89 cheapest in North Carolina out of 157.
Wendell ranks as the #2,846 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Wendell is $374,212.
The median income in Wendell is $93,848.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Wendell has an overall cost of living index of 102, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to North Carolina, Wendell has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than North Carolina's index of 92.
The standard of living in Wendell ranks as #89 most affordable out of the 157 places we measured in North Carolina. By definition, that implies Wendell ranks as the #68 most expensive place in the Tar Heel State.
For more reading on life in Wendell, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Wendell. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Wendell is 97.
The Groceries index in Wendell is 99.
The Health index in Wendell is 113.
The Housing index in Wendell is 104.
The Transportation index in Wendell is 93.
The Utilities index in Wendell is 98.
| Living Expense | Wendell | North Carolina | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 102 | 92 | 100 | |
| Services | 97 | 100 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 99 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 113 | 106 | 100 | |
| Housing | 104 | 86 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 93 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 98 | 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 Wendell is $374,212.
The Median Rent in Wendell is $1,397.
The Median Income in Wendell is $93,848.
The Home Value To Income in Wendell is 4.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Wendell is 0.18x.
| Statistic | Wendell | North Carolina | United States | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $374,212 | $332,681 | $303,400 | 
| Median Rent | $1,397 | $1,162 | $1,348 | 
| Median Income | $93,848 | $69,904 | $78,538 | 
| Home Value To Income | 4.0x | 4.8x | 3.9x | 
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.2x | 0.21x | 
| Item | Wendell | 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 | Wendell | 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 | Wendell | North Carolina | 
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $141.56 | $125.68 | 
| Doctor | $136.38 | $135.78 | 
| Dentist | $100.17 | $113.29 | 
| Item | Wendell | North Carolina | 
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.45 | $3.46 | 
| Tire Balancing | $63.55 | $59.92 | 
| Item | Wendell | North Carolina | 
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $201.14 | $193.99 | 
| Phone | $187.32 | $192.25 | 
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Wendell. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Raleigh, NC has a cost of living index of 112, 1.1x Wendell.
Wake Forest, NC has a cost of living index of 117, 1.1x Wendell.
Garner, NC has a cost of living index of 106, 1.0x Wendell.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Wendell | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh, NC | 470,763 | 112 | 1.1x | 
| Wake Forest, NC | 51,199 | 117 | 1.1x | 
| Garner, NC | 32,543 | 106 | 1.0x | 
| Clayton, NC | 28,043 | 103 | 1.0x | 
| Knightdale, NC | 19,532 | 105 | 1.0x | 
| Smithfield, NC | 11,798 | 92 | 0.9x | 
| Rolesville, NC | 10,200 | 116 | 1.1x | 
| Zebulon, NC | 7,961 | 92 | 0.9x | 
| Selma, NC | 6,611 | 86 | 0.8x | 
| Archer Lodge, NC | 5,036 | 103 | 1.0x |