FIRE Number & Cost of Living in North Carolina

Explore FIRE baselines across 7 cities in North Carolina. State taxes affect your take-home, so we show local tax context for each city. Find your target and compare retirement timelines. Compare North Carolina with the broader Southeast FIRE guide.

Cities covered

Avg FIRE target

$1,321,775

Avg annual cost

$52,871

All cities in North Carolina

Ranked by cost of living. Pick a city to see detailed FIRE calculations, tax context, and retirement scenarios specific to that location.

Asheville, NC

$55,300/year baseline

$1,382,500 FIRE target

Charlotte, NC

$54,600/year baseline

$1,365,000 FIRE target

Raleigh, NC

$53,900/year baseline

$1,347,500 FIRE target

Durham, NC

$53,600/year baseline

$1,340,000 FIRE target

Wilmington, NC

$52,800/year baseline

$1,320,000 FIRE target

Greensboro, NC

$50,200/year baseline

$1,255,000 FIRE target

Winston-Salem, NC

$49,700/year baseline

$1,242,500 FIRE target

Calculate your FIRE date for any city in North Carolina

Use the full calculator to model your specific income, savings rate, and taxes to get an exact retirement date.

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