Scottsdale, AZ vs. Winston-Salem, NC

Median rent is $1,910 a month in Scottsdale, AZ and $1,033 in Winston-Salem, NC. Household income is $107,372 against $57,673. Both cities are read from the same ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates and the same BEA Regional Price Parities 2023, so the two columns below are directly comparable.

City A

City B

Annual salary to convert

Same standard of living

A salary of $100,000 in Scottsdale, AZ buys what $93,110 buys in Winston-Salem, NC

-$6,890 less to keep the same standard of living

Median gross rent Monthly

$1,910 $1,033 -45.9%

Median household income Annual

$107,372 $57,673 -46.3%

Median home value Owner-occupied

$709,900 $208,200 -70.7%

Rent as share of income Annual rent ÷ income

21.3% 21.5% 0.2 pp

Price level U.S. average = 100

101.1 94.1 -6.9%

Salary needed for median rent Keeps rent at 30% of gross

$76,400 $41,300 -45.9%

Rent median income carries at 30% Affordable rent

$2,684 $1,442 -46.3%

Population City proper

242,169 250,887 +3.6%

Equivalent salary For $100,000 in Scottsdale

$100,000 $93,110 -6.9%

A green or red badge means the second city is higher or lower, not better or worse: a lower rent is good for a tenant, a lower household income is not. For the price level and
the share of income the raw values are shown, because a percentage difference between two
percentages is easy to misread.

What the gap means

Lower rent

$1,033

Winston-Salem, NC · 84.9% below Scottsdale, AZ

Higher household income

$107,372

Scottsdale, AZ · 86.2% above Winston-Salem, NC

Same standard of living

$93,110

$100,000 in Scottsdale, AZ needs $93,110 in Winston-Salem, NC

Price level gap

7.0 points

101.1 in AZ against 94.1 in NC

Rent burden gap

0.1 points

Winston-Salem, NC versus Scottsdale, AZ, share of income taken by rent

Highest buying power

106.2%

Winston-Salem, NC · share of the national average income that a dollar there buys

Scottsdale, AZ vs Winston-Salem, NC: frequently asked questions

Is Winston-Salem, NC more expensive than Scottsdale, AZ?

No. Prices in Winston-Salem, NC are about 6.9% lower than in Scottsdale, AZ: a regional price level of 94.1 against 101.1, where the U.S. average is 100.

How much do I need to earn in Winston-Salem, NC to keep a $100,000 lifestyle from Scottsdale, AZ?

About $93,100. Adjusting $100,000 by the BEA regional price levels of the two areas (101.1 in Scottsdale, AZ, 94.1 in Winston-Salem, NC) gives the salary with the same purchasing power. Taxes and personal spending habits are not included.

Is rent cheaper in Scottsdale, AZ or Winston-Salem, NC?

The median gross rent is $1,910 a month in Scottsdale, AZ and $1,033 in Winston-Salem, NC, a difference of $877 a month or $10,524 a year.

Where are household incomes higher, Scottsdale, AZ or Winston-Salem, NC?

The median household income is $107,372 in Scottsdale, AZ and $57,673 in Winston-Salem, NC. Rent takes 21.3% of the median income in Scottsdale, AZ and 21.5% in Winston-Salem, NC.

What salary do I need to afford the median rent in Winston-Salem, NC?

About $41,300 a year, the gross income that keeps the median rent of $1,033 a month at 30% of income. The same rule gives $76,400 in Scottsdale, AZ.

More comparisons with Scottsdale, AZ

More comparisons with Winston-Salem, NC

Open this pair in the interactive tool · All comparisons

Definitions used on this page

Salary needed for the median rent: Twelve months of median gross rent divided by 0.30: the income that keeps the median rent at 30% of gross pay.
Price level: BEA regional price parity for the metro area where one is published, otherwise for the state. The national average is 100.
Same standard of living: A salary in Scottsdale, AZ converted into Winston-Salem, NC at the ratio of the two price levels. It adjusts for prices only, not for taxes or for what either city offers.
Buying power: One hundred divided by the price level: what a dollar buys locally relative to the national average.

Sources

Census Bureau — ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates
Scottsdale, AZ: tables B01003, B19013, B25064, B25077 · geography 1600000US0465000
Census Bureau — ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates
Winston-Salem, NC: tables B01003, B19013, B25064, B25077 · geography 1600000US3775000
BEA — BEA Regional Price Parities 2023
Regional price parities · metropolitan area where published, otherwise the state

Margins of error are published for every Census figure. Read the methodology before reading a small gap between two cities as a real difference.

Full detail for each city: Scottsdale, AZ · Winston-Salem, NC