Cost of Living in Clayton
Clayton is the only one of the four markets built in this batch with a cost-of-living index below the national average, consistent with its lower housing costs and lower, but still above-state-median, household income.
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Learn moreThe only sub-national cost-of-living index in this batch
BestPlaces cites a cost-of-living index of 92.7 for Clayton -- meaning total costs run about 7.3% below the U.S. average -- the only one of the four markets built in this batch to read below 100 (Holly Springs and Garner both read 105.8; Fuquay-Varina also reads 105.8) (base record).
Household income runs the lowest of the batch, but still above the state median
Clayton's median household income ($73,348) is the lowest of the four markets built in this batch, though it still runs above the North Carolina statewide median cited in north-carolina.js -- consistent with Clayton's meaningfully lower housing costs relative to the three Wake County towns in this dataset.
The Novo Nordisk/Grifols wage floor is a real, if not independently itemized, local factor
While a precise average wage for Novo Nordisk or Grifols manufacturing roles in Clayton specifically was not independently confirmed this session, pharmaceutical manufacturing generally pays above-median wages, and Johnston County's $268 million annual pharma-sector payroll across roughly 3,400 combined workers implies an average payroll cost per worker in the high five figures to low six figures -- consistent with, though not proof of, real above-median local wages in that sector specifically.
Key takeaways
- BestPlaces cost-of-living index: 92.7 (7.3% below the U.S. average) -- the only sub-national reading of the four markets built in this batch.
- Median household income ($73,348) is the lowest of the four markets in this batch, though still above the North Carolina state median.
- Johnston County's $268 million annual pharma-sector payroll across ~3,400 combined Novo Nordisk/Grifols workers implies an average payroll cost per worker in the high five figures to low six figures, though this was not confirmed as a precise average wage this session.
- Clayton offers the most favorable cost-of-living-to-income balance among a genuinely lower-cost profile, distinct from the higher-cost, higher-income Wake County towns in this batch.
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