Cost of Living in Pinehurst
Pinehurst's overall cost of living reads as modestly below both the U.S. and North Carolina averages by BestPlaces.net's index, even though housing itself carries a real, disclosed golf-course-community premium -- a genuinely different cost pattern than a market where housing and the overall index move together.
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Learn moreA below-average overall index, despite the housing premium
BestPlaces.net gives Pinehurst a cost-of-living score of 93.9 -- 6.1% below the U.S. average and 3.2% below the North Carolina average. That headline number can be misleading on its own: it reflects genuinely low property taxes, below-state-average homeowners insurance, and moderate day-to-day costs (groceries, healthcare, utilities) outweighing a housing component that runs well above the national median -- see the next section.
Housing is the real outlier -- and it pulls in the opposite direction
Pinehurst's median home sale price is cited at $595,000 (Redfin, month ending November 2025, up 6.3% year-over-year), with other trackers citing figures from $525,000 to $612,000 depending on measurement type and month -- well above the roughly $400K+ U.S. national median cited elsewhere in this dataset. Renting instead runs a genuinely wide $1,499-$2,270/month depending on source. See housing-market and renting for the full breakdown.
Property tax and insurance are real, disclosed cost advantages
Moore County's own levy is $0.2900 per $100 of assessed value (FY2026-27), and the Village of Pinehurst's own rate is just $0.22 per $100 -- a combined rate around $0.5525 per $100 for most Pinehurst parcels, among the lowest in the region. Homeowners insurance is cited at a median $1,356/year, about 1% above the U.S. median but well below the North Carolina statewide average of $3,124/year. See taxes and insurance-hazard-costs for more.
No state income tax offset does NOT apply here -- North Carolina has one
Unlike some Sun Belt states in this dataset, North Carolina levies a flat state income tax (3.99% as of 2026, on a legislated phase-down toward 2.99% by 2028 if revenue triggers are met) -- see the taxes topic and the state-level North Carolina record for the fuller picture. Pinehurst's genuine cost advantages come from low property tax and insurance, not an income-tax exemption.
Key takeaways
- BestPlaces.net's overall cost-of-living index for Pinehurst is 93.9 -- 6.1% below the U.S. average and 3.2% below the NC average -- despite housing running well above the national median.
- Median home sale price is cited at $595,000 (Redfin), with other trackers citing $525,000-$612,000 -- a real, disclosed golf-course-community premium that is the clear exception to Pinehurst's otherwise-affordable cost profile.
- Property tax is genuinely low (a combined ~$0.5525 per $100 for most Pinehurst parcels) and homeowners insurance ($1,356/year median) runs well below the NC state average ($3,124/year).
- North Carolina has a flat 3.99% state income tax (2026) -- Pinehurst's cost advantages come from low property tax and insurance, not a state income-tax exemption.
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