Massachusetts vs North Carolina
In $100,000 in Massachusetts
$94,518
The same income in North Carolina
$106,045
$100,000 has $11,527 more purchasing power in North Carolina.
Figures are in national-average dollars: what the income buys once each state's prices are accounted for (US = 100). Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, released February 19, 2026. How it's calculated
Salary needed in North Carolina
$89,130
to match $100,000 in Massachusetts, before tax.
We compare it with your current income after local prices.
Enter an offer greater than zero, or leave this field blank.
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Where the difference comes fromPrice components
Where the difference comes from
Price level by component, 100 = US average. The Difference column compares the destination price level with the origin; higher means the destination is more expensive.
| Component | Massachusetts | North Carolina | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 105.8 | 94.3 | −10.9% |
| Housing rents | 128.1 | 81.4 | −36.5% |
| Goods | 98.8 | 96.6 | −2.2% |
| Utilities | 152.1 | 88.6 | −41.7% |
| Other services | 102.9 | 98.2 | −4.6% |
BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 · rel. February 19, 2026 · Official data
Housing reality checkRent, homes & property tax
Housing reality check
ACS median gross rent, home value, and real estate taxes paid — statewide context beyond the index.
US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates · ACS5 · 2024 · rel. December 2025 · Official data
Tax at a glanceIncome & sales tax
Tax at a glance
Hand-curated, tax year 2026 · verified 2026-07-20
Top marginal and average combined rates do not estimate a household's total tax liability.
| Tax | Massachusetts | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax (top rate) | 9.00% | 3.99% |
| Sales tax (combined avg) | 6.25% | 7.00% |
Tax Foundation (income & sales) · Tax · 2026 · rel. tax year 2026 · Manually maintained · verified 2026-07-20
Who comes out ahead in North Carolina?
The answer depends on your situation. Each card compares statewide medians for one situation; the state named is the one the numbers favor.
An unchanged income buys about 12.2% more in North Carolina than in Massachusetts. On $100,000 that is $11,527 of national-average purchasing power a year.
Median gross rent is $1,762 in Massachusetts and $1,228 in North Carolina, $534 a month ($6,408 a year) less in North Carolina. Renters spend a median 30.9% and 29.5% of income on rent.
The median home is worth $562,100 in Massachusetts (5.4× median household income) and $288,900 in North Carolina (4×). Median property taxes equal 1.07% and 0.66% of the median home value.
Median household income is $103,960 in Massachusetts and $72,388 in North Carolina. After adjusting for prices, that is $98,261 and $76,764: local pay goes further in Massachusetts.
Unemployment is 4.4% in Massachusetts and 3.6% in North Carolina (July 2026). North Carolina has the tighter labor market by 0.8 points. Pay for specific jobs is compared below.
Massachusetts and North Carolina head to head
Statewide figures the calculator above does not show. “Edge” (bold on small screens) marks the state with the lower cost or higher income on that row; rows without a clear better direction are left blank.
| Measure | Massachusetts | North Carolina | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | |||
| Median household income | $103,960 | $72,388 | Massachusetts |
| Adjusted for local prices | $98,261 | $76,764 | Massachusetts |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownership rate | 62.5% | 66.6% | |
| Rent as % of renter income | 30.9% | 29.5% | North Carolina |
| Owner costs as % of income | 19.4% | 16.0% | North Carolina |
| Home value ÷ household income | 5.4× | 4× | North Carolina |
| Home price change, 2020–2025 · FHFA index | +49.9% | +62.6% | |
| Taxes | |||
| Top income tax rate | 9.00% (graduated) | 3.99% (flat) | North Carolina |
| Combined sales tax (avg) | 6.25% | 7.00% | Massachusetts |
| Median property tax paid | $5,992 | $1,896 | North Carolina |
| Property tax ÷ home value | 1.07% | 0.66% | North Carolina |
| Jobs | |||
| Unemployment (July 2026) | 4.4% | 3.6% | North Carolina |
| Minimum wage | $15.00/hr | $7.25/hr | |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Median rent, 2 bedrooms | $1,876/mo | $1,164/mo | North Carolina |
| Average electric bill (2024) | $167/mo | $144/mo | North Carolina |
| Electricity price | 29.4¢/kWh | 14.1¢/kWh | North Carolina |
| Health care spending per person (2025) | $12,751 | $9,310 | |
| All consumer spending per person (2025) | $74,900 | $55,700 | |
| People | |||
| Population change since July 2020 | +2.4% | +7.2% | |
| Net moves from other states | −145,282 | +468,133 | |
| Median age | 40.0 | 39.1 | |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 47.3% | 35.7% | |
| No health insurance | 2.6% | 9.9% | Massachusetts |
| Average commute | 29.1 min | 25.1 min | North Carolina |
| Crime (2025, per 100,000 residents) | |||
| Violent crime | 302.7 | 330.3 | Massachusetts |
| Property crime | 1,031.2 | 1,779.9 | Massachusetts |
| Murder | 1.4 | 6.5 | Massachusetts |
| Climate (1991–2020 averages) | |||
| Average temperature | 48.8°F | 59.6°F | |
| July average high | 81.9°F | 88.1°F | |
| January average low | 17.1°F | 30.3°F | |
| Precipitation | 48.6 in | 50.8 in | |
Sources: Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates, FHFA house price index via FRED, BLS LAUS, Tax Foundation 2026, US DOL minimum wage, EIA, BEA consumer spending, Census population estimates, FBI crime estimates, and NOAA statewide climate. Median property tax covers owner-occupied homes. Spending is in current dollars and reflects both prices and incomes.
Who is moving between Massachusetts and North Carolina
In 2024, about 5,343 people living in North Carolina had lived in Massachusetts a year earlier, and about 3,643 made the opposite move. The difference (+1,700 for North Carolina) is within the survey's margin of error, so the flow is roughly balanced.
Census State-to-State Migration Flows (ACS 1-year, 2024). ± values are 90% margins of error. Massachusetts and North Carolina profiles list each state's largest sources and destinations. What the biggest moves trade →
Salary in North Carolina that matches your Massachusetts pay
Pre-tax salary needed in North Carolina to keep the same purchasing power, using the all-items price levels (105.8 and 94.3).
| Salary in Massachusetts | Equivalent in North Carolina | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $35,652 | −$4,348 |
| $60,000 | $53,478 | −$6,522 |
| $80,000 | $71,304 | −$8,696 |
| $100,000 | $89,130 | −$10,870 |
| $150,000 | $133,696 | −$16,304 |
| $200,000 | $178,261 | −$21,739 |
What the same job pays in Massachusetts and North Carolina
BLS median annual wages (May 2025), then the same wages adjusted for each state's price level. The last column names the state where the job's median pay buys more.
| Occupation | Massachusetts | North Carolina | MA adjusted | NC adjusted | Goes further in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | $104,550 | $84,350 | $98,819 | $89,449 | Massachusetts |
| Software Developers | $165,210 | $134,710 | $156,153 | $142,853 | Massachusetts |
| Elementary School Teachers | $94,000 | $54,930 | $88,847 | $58,250 | Massachusetts |
| Electricians | $79,420 | $56,800 | $75,066 | $60,233 | Massachusetts |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $63,030 | $51,530 | $59,575 | $54,645 | Massachusetts |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,460 | $82,050 | $94,008 | $87,010 | Massachusetts |
| Police & Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | $78,940 | $59,300 | $74,612 | $62,884 | Massachusetts |
| Pharmacists | $138,170 | $138,860 | $130,595 | $147,253 | North Carolina |
| Dental Hygienists | $100,640 | $97,850 | $95,123 | $103,765 | North Carolina |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers & Brazers | $62,570 | $50,590 | $59,140 | $53,648 | Massachusetts |
Prices inside each state
A statewide price level averages cities and rural areas. The BEA also publishes price levels for metro areas; here is the range in each state.
Massachusetts
- Lowest Pittsfield, MA 95.1
- Highest Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 108.3
- Metro areas 7
North Carolina
- Lowest Rocky Mount, NC 88.0
- Highest Raleigh-Cary, NC 98.2
- Metro areas 16
Massachusetts vs North Carolina: the read
The bottom line
Compare a $100,000 income in Massachusetts and North Carolina: its purchasing power is $94,518 and $106,045, respectively, in national-average terms — a gain of $11,527. North Carolina is the cheaper of the two, running at 94.3 on the price index versus 105.8.
Where the difference comes from
The widest gap on the index is utilities: Massachusetts sits at 152.1 and North Carolina at 88.6 (100 = national), and North Carolina has the edge there. Rents also differ (128.1 versus 81.4), and because rent takes a much larger share of a typical budget than utilities, it usually does more to separate the two states' overall price levels.
Housing
Median rent runs $1,762 in Massachusetts against $1,228 in North Carolina, and the typical home $562,100 versus $288,900. North Carolina is the more affordable place to buy.
Taxes
On tax, Massachusetts has 9.00% top income tax and a combined sales tax of 6.25%; North Carolina has 3.99% top income tax and 7.00%. Those headline rates are useful screening facts, but they do not calculate either household's total liability.
Full profiles: Massachusetts · North Carolina. Every figure here is sourced on the pages linked above.
Massachusetts vs North Carolina: common questions
Is it cheaper to live in Massachusetts or North Carolina?
North Carolina is cheaper overall. Its price level is 94.3 against 105.8 in Massachusetts (US = 100), so the same basket of goods and services costs about 10.9% less there. The difference is usually largest for rent.
What salary in North Carolina matches $100,000 in Massachusetts?
About $89,130, before tax. That is $100,000 × 94.3 ÷ 105.8. Income tax, your actual rent or mortgage, and commuting costs can all shift the break-even point.
Which state has lower taxes, Massachusetts or North Carolina?
Massachusetts has a graduated income tax with a top rate of 9.00% and an average combined sales tax of 6.25%. North Carolina has a flat income tax with a top rate of 3.99% and 7.00%. Median real estate taxes paid by owners are $5,992 and $1,896 a year. Which state costs a household less depends on its income, spending, and whether it owns a home.
Do people earn more in Massachusetts or North Carolina?
Median household income is $103,960 in Massachusetts and $72,388 in North Carolina. Adjusted for prices, that is $98,261 and $76,764 in national-average dollars, so households in Massachusetts have more purchasing power at the median.
Are more people moving from Massachusetts to North Carolina or the other way?
In 2024, about 5,343 people moved from Massachusetts to North Carolina and about 3,643 moved from North Carolina to Massachusetts, according to Census state-to-state migration estimates. The difference is within the margin of error, so the two flows are roughly balanced.
Comparing a different pair? Use the full tool →