Raleigh skyline from the Boylan Bridge, Raleigh, NC

Moving from Boston to Raleigh, NC

The typical home in the Raleigh, NC metro costs $445,000, against $784,778 in the Boston metro. That's a mortgage of $2,445 a month instead of $4,313: $1,867 less every month, $22,407 a year. To keep the lifestyle $150,000 buys in Boston, you would need about $135,994 in Raleigh. The average commute is 6 minutes shorter each way, about 0.9 hours a week back.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 4, 2026.

$1,867Less each month on the typical home^1,2On the mortgage
$697 lessDifference in 2-bedroom rent³Utilities included
$135,994Matches $150,000 in Boston⁴Same lifestyle, local prices
3.99%North Carolina income tax⁵Flat rate, 2026

Boston vs Raleigh: the numbers

Side by side, from the mortgage to the tax on your paycheck.^1,4,5

Measure	Boston	Raleigh
Typical home for sale	$784,778	$445,000
Monthly mortgage on it	$4,313	$2,445
2-bedroom rent	$2,370	$1,673
Everyday prices	8% above avg	2% below avg
Housing costs	48% above avg	3% above avg
Income tax on wages, 2026	Up to 9%	3.99% flat

What else changes when you move to Raleigh

January lows average 31.8°F and July highs 90.8°F, with 5.2 inches of snow and 46.07 inches of total precipitation in a typical year^source.

Between July 2024 and July 2025, 19,974 more people moved to the Raleigh metro from elsewhere in the US than moved away^source.

The Boston metro lost 29,132 more residents to the rest of the country than it gained over the same year (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025).

Taxes: North Carolina taxes wages at a flat 3.99%; Massachusetts tops out at 9% (2026, married filing jointly). Property and sales taxes differ too; each state page has them where we track them.

After you move: North Carolina deadlines

New residents get a set number of days to switch their license and register their car.

Driver's license: within 60 days of becoming a resident^source.
Vehicle registration: the deadline depends on your situation; check the North Carolina DMV page.

The full order of tasks is in our moving out of state checklist, and what the move itself costs is in how much it costs to move out of state (HireAHelper, 2026).

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Questions people ask

Is it cheaper to live in Raleigh than Boston?

Yes. Everyday prices, rent included, run 9% lower in Raleigh, NC than in the Boston metro by BEA's regional price parities (98.2 against 108.3, US = 100, 2024).

What salary in Raleigh matches $150,000 in Boston?

About $135,994, using BEA regional price parities for Raleigh, NC (98.2) and the Boston metro (108.3), 2024. Taxes are not included; see the tax comparison on this page.

How much would I save on housing moving from Boston to Raleigh?

On the median listed home, principal and interest drop from $4,313 to $2,445 a month ($1,867 less), with 20% down at 7.32% (Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026; Freddie Mac). Median rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,673 against $2,370 (Census ACS 2025).

Does North Carolina have a state income tax?

Yes, a flat 3.99% on wages in 2026 (Tax Foundation, State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026 (Feb 17, 2026); NCDOR, North Carolina Child Deduction). In Massachusetts the top state rate is 9%.

How much does it cost to move from Boston to Raleigh?

Nobody publishes an average for this route. HireAHelper's 2026 long-distance estimates for a 2 to 3 bedroom home run from $533 to $728 for a rental truck you load yourself to $2,910 to $4,569 for full-service movers, before distance pushes the price up. Get three written estimates for the same inventory; federal rules cap what an interstate mover can demand at delivery at 110% of a non-binding estimate (FMCSA).

More moves from Boston

Notes on the numbers

1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026. Boston values are for the whole metro area; Raleigh values are for its metro area.
2Monthly mortgage: Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Rate source
3Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities). Census table
4Everyday prices, housing costs and the matching salary: BEA regional price parities, 2024, compared with the US average.
5Income tax: state revenue departments, 2026 rates for married couples filing jointly. Details on our state income tax comparison.
6Commute: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table S0801, mean travel time to work (one way, workers who do not work from home), 2025. Hours back assume a 5-day round trip. Census table

Sources for this page