| Index | Southern Pines | North Carolina | National |
| Cost of living | 113 | 96 | 100 |
| Groceries | 101 | 100 | 100 |
| Health care | 97 | 99 | 100 |
| Housing | 149 | 88 | 100 |
| Transportation | 101 | 99 | 100 |
| Utilities | 99 | 99 | 100 |
| Lifestyle & Entertainment | 95 | 100 | 100 |
| Household Items | 98 | 100 | 100 |
| Education & Childcare | 94 | 100 | 100 |
The cost of living in Southern Pines affects the quality of life one can afford in this new location. It allows people to assess whether they can maintain their preferred lifestyle, including housing, leisure activities and dining options. Your total monthly expenditures can varry depending on the area, as well as many other factors. The cost of living in Southern Pines is 113, which is 13% higher than the national average. Knowledge of the cost of living can help individuals make informed decisions about retirement savings, investments, and financial goals.
Housing costs make up a big chunk of the cost of living in Southern Pines, and they usually eat into a large part of your take-home pay. Unfortunately, in this area, both buying a home and renting one costs 49% more than the average city. This includes stuff like home prices, rent, mortgage rates, and insurance.
Is Southern Pines an affordable place to live? That's a valid question to ask when you're thinking about moving to a new city. After all, how much it costs to live somewhere can be a huge factor in your decision. Affordability can be broken down into 3 common categories. The cost of living index (we talked about it earlier), housing expenses and income levels all play a big role in figuring out if a place is affordable. For instance, in Southern Pines, the median home price is 70.5% higher than what most folks pay across the country, and monthly rent prices are 1.2% lower than the usual rates. Income levels in Southern Pines come in at $104,338, which is 28.3% higher than the national average.
Subsidies: Certain regions may provide government subsidies or assistance initiatives designed to alleviate the cost of living burden on their residents. These programs encompass a wide range of support mechanisms, such as Medicare, Medicaid, housing subsidies, low-income home energy assistance programs, school lunch programs, supplemental nutrition assistance programs, student loans, electric vehicle tax credits, affordable care act subsidies and farming subsidies. Areas with fewer subsidy offerings might experience an elevation in their cost of living.
Transportation: In cities with limited or no public transportation, residents may find it necessary to own and maintain vehicles, thereby elevating the cost of living. Monthly expenditures include fuel, insurance, routine maintenance and potential lease or financing commitments. In Southern Pines, the transportation index stands at 0.7% higher than the national average.
Utilities: As with the prices of anything else, utility costs can exhibit significant variations, contingent on factors like climate, energy source availability, geographic location and state regulations. The expenses associated with electricity, water, heating, and waste disposal can fluctuate, either upward or downward, depending on the particular city or state. In Southern Pines, the utilities index registers 1.4% lower than the national average.
The cost of living data for Southern Pines shown above is based on a U.S. average baseline score of 100, making it easier to compare how far your dollar may go from one city to another. Housing uses U.S. Census home price and rental data, while all remaining values are AI-assisted estimates informed by regional pricing, climate, transportation dynamics, and local economic factors. These scores are best used for directional comparisons between cities.
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| Groceries index | |
| Health care index | |
| Housing index | |
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| Household index | |
| Educare index |
| Median Income | Per Year | Per Month | Max Budget (28% DTI) | Max Budget (36% DTI) |
| Owners | $126,710 | $10,559 | $2,956 | $3,802 |
| Renters | $55,024 | $4,585 | $1,284 | $1,651 |
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax |
| North Carolina | 4.75% | 7.5% |
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) |
| North Carolina | 4.75% | 4.75% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Hoffman, NC | 800 | 83 | 17.1% |
| Ashley Heights, NC | 336 | 89 | 10.6% |
| Silver City, NC | 1,134 | 90 | 10.3% |
| Cameron, NC | 493 | 90 | 10.2% |
| Raeford, NC | 5,115 | 92 | 8.3% |
| Southern Pines, NC | 14,777 | 113 | 13.5% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Strathmore, AB | 14,778 | n/a | |
| Ozark, AL | 14,780 | 87 | 13.0% |
| Sooke, BC | 14,780 | n/a | |
| Fate, TX | 14,768 | 120 | 20.1% |
| Robbinsdale, MN | 14,767 | 103 | 3.3% |
| Southern Pines, NC | 14,777 | 113 | 13.5% |
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