Cost of Living in Burlington
Burlington runs meaningfully below the national average on cost of living across every measure checked, with a real, disclosed spread in exactly how far below depending on the source.
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Learn moreA genuinely low cost of living, with a disclosed source spread
BestPlaces.net puts Burlington's cost-of-living index at 78.3, meaning total costs run 21.7% below the U.S. average -- broken down as Grocery 95, Health 95.2, Housing 49.2 (the standout low category), Utilities 99.9, Transportation 72.1, and Miscellaneous 101.6. A separate source (Salary.com) described Burlington's costs as only 6% below the national average -- a real, disclosed methodological gap between sources rather than a single settled figure (base record).
Housing is the single biggest cost advantage
BestPlaces' Housing sub-index of 49.2 -- roughly half the national baseline -- is the clearest driver of Burlington's low overall cost of living, consistent with the base record's $260,839 citywide median home price.
Low property taxes compound the affordability
Burlington's median effective property tax rate of 0.47% runs below both the Alamance County average (0.52%) and the North Carolina state average (0.82%) -- a real, additional affordability layer on top of the low cost-of-living index itself (base record).
Lower income levels are a real, disclosed tradeoff
Burlington's median household income ($56,880) and poverty rate (16.35%) both run less favorably than several other markets in this NC Tier B batch -- the low cost of living is real, but so is a lower local income base, worth weighing for anyone relocating for a specific local job rather than remote work.
Key takeaways
- BestPlaces.net cost-of-living index: 78.3 (21.7% below the U.S. average); a separate source cited a more modest 6% below average -- a real, disclosed spread.
- Housing is the single biggest driver of the low cost of living (BestPlaces Housing sub-index of 49.2, roughly half the national baseline).
- A 0.47% effective property tax rate, below both the county and state averages, compounds the affordability.
- Median household income ($56,880) and poverty rate (16.35%) both run less favorably than several comparable NC Tier B markets -- a real tradeoff alongside the low cost of living.
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