What it's like to live in Kinston
Kinston is a small city in North Carolina with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Kinston deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- Above-average rainfall
How Kinston compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Kinston
Based on Kinston's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,734
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $34,680 a year
- 44% of Kinston renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$23,860
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $11,930
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 39% below US
$867/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $867 a month. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $119,300. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $119,300 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 28% above US
5.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.5%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 136% above US
776 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 4039/100k · Kinston Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 20% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 37°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 54% below US
16% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Moores Creek National Battlefield (64 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Kinston's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($867/mo) equals 28% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Kinston
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