What it's like to live in Raleigh
Raleigh is a large city in North Carolina with unemployment below the national average, a highly educated workforce, a growing population, and hospitals with strong quality ratings. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Raleigh deals with a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Highly educated workforce
- Growing population
- Strong hospital ratings
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- High rent burden for renters
How Raleigh compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Raleigh
Based on Raleigh's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,144
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $62,880 a year
- 51% of Raleigh renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$83,160
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $41,580
- Homes cost 4.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 11% above US
$1,572/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,572 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $415,800. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $415,800 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 23% below US
3.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.3%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 20% above US
395 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2305/100k · Raleigh Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 12% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 26% work from home.
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 33°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
4 hospitals
There are 4 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.5 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 50% above US
54% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
91 public schools inside the boundary
There are 91 public schools inside the boundary and 35 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (70 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Raleigh's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoff is a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,572/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, remote workers (26% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Raleigh
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