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Gas Cost Calculator for Winston-Salem, NC
Local data pre-filled
Gas prices in Winston-Salem, NC average roughly $3.08/gallon, adjusted for the local cost of living index of 88. Calculate your monthly and annual fuel costs based on your commute in Winston-Salem.
Data as of · Sources: Zillow, Census ACS, Tax Foundation, Freddie Mac
North Carolina Financial Snapshot (2026) — Gas Cost Calculator
Cost-of-living index scales typical utility spend for the gas cost calculator in North Carolina.
How the Gas Cost Calculator Math Works Under North Carolina Law
The Gas Cost Calculator runs a well-known formula (principal × rate, discounted cash flow, amortization, or equivalent) client-side and layers on North Carolina's tax and cost-of-living inputs. State-specific numbers — brackets, exemptions, and averages — come from public federal / state datasets cited in the sources section.
Local context: Winston-Salem, NC
Housing economics in Winston-Salem, NC. The median home value runs 35.8% below the U.S. baseline for Winston-Salem, NC is $230,000 per Zillow's home-value index. Median rent runs $950 a month per Zillow ZORI, cheaper than the national $1,850 baseline. Effective property tax sits at 0.79% of assessed value, below the 0.99% national average tracked by the Tax Foundation.
Income and tax climate. North Carolina's top marginal state income tax bracket lands at 4.99% — compared to the volume-weighted national average around 4-5%. BEA's Regional Price Parity scores Winston-Salem, NC at 88.0 (national = 100), meaning a dollar in Winston-Salem, NC buys 114¢ — more goods and services than the same dollar nationally.
Local context as of 2026-04-19.
Winston-Salem versus the U.S. baseline
| Metric | Winston-Salem, NC | U.S. baseline | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value[zillow] | $230,000 | $358,000 | -35.8% |
| Median monthly rent[zillow] | $950 | $1,850 | -48.6% |
| Property tax (effective)[tax-foundation] | 0.79% | 0.99% | -20.2% |
| State top marginal income tax[tax-foundation] | 4.99% | ~4.08% (volume-weighted) | 0.9 pp |
| State cost-of-living index[bea-rpp] | 88.0 | 100.0 | -12.0 pts |
How to use the Gas Cost Calculator
Walk through using the Gas Cost Calculator with Winston-Salem, NC-specific defaults pre-loaded from primary sources.
- Enter your Winston-Salem numbersFill in the gas cost inputs. Defaults reflect Winston-Salem, NC 2026: median home $230,000, median rent $950/mo, 0.79% effective property tax.
- Apply the local 2026 inputsThe median home value in Winston-Salem is $230,000 (Zillow ZHVI), with median monthly rent running $950/mo.
- Compare against Winston-Salem contextMonthly PITI on the $230,000 median home in Winston-Salem is ~$1,550/mo — vs a $950/mo median rent.
How North Carolina Compares to Neighboring States
| State | Median home | Top inc tax | Prop tax rate | RPP (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina (this page) | $330,000 | 4.25% | 0.82% | 94.4 |
| Georgia side-by-side | $325,000 | 5.39% | 0.92% | 96.5 |
| see South Carolina | $295,000 | 6.20% | 0.55% | 93.5 |
| Tennessee | $325,000 | None | 0.71% | 92.1 |
| see Virginia | $385,000 | 5.75% | 0.80% | 101.3 |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI[1], state Departments of Revenue / Tax Foundation[2], Tax Foundation property taxes[3], BEA Regional Price Parities[4].
What Changes Your Result in North Carolina
- North Carolina cost-of-living drag:Line-item costs in North Carolina deviate from the US mean by whatever the BEA all-items RPP deviates from 100. Weight your budget toward the state average rather than the national average.
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How Winston-Salem Compares to the National Average
Understanding how Winston-Salem stacks up helps you calibrate your financial planning.
| Metric | Winston-Salem, NC | US Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $230,000 | $420,800 | -45.3% |
| Median Monthly Rent | $950 | $1,713 | -44.5% |
| Median Household Income | $64,282 | $74,580 | -13.8% |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.79% | 1.10% | -28.2% |
| Cost of Living Index | 88 | 100 | -12.0% |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, BLS, Zillow, NAR (2024–2025). Green = favorable for residents; red = less favorable.
Winston-Salem Financial Snapshot
- Population (Metro)
- 680,000
- Unemployment
- 4.2%
- Avg Commute
- 22 min
- Median Age
- 35.7
- Price-to-Rent Ratio
- 20.2x
- Annual Property Tax
- $1,817
More Financial Calculators for Winston-Salem, NC
Gas Cost Calculator in Other North Carolina Cities
Frequently Asked Questions — Winston-Salem
- Can median-income households afford the median home in Winston-Salem?
- With a ~$1,550 monthly PITI and $64,282 median income, housing would consume ~28.9% of gross annual income. Qualifying under the 28% DTI rule requires ~$66,429 in annual income. Educational reference only.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Winston-Salem?
- Winston-Salem's price-to-rent ratio (20.2x) tilts toward renting — above 20x, buying is generally expensive relative to renting.
- What is the annual property tax bill on the median home in Winston-Salem?
- Approximately $1,817/yr at the 0.79% effective rate on the $230,000 median home. The national average effective rate is 1.07%.
- What share of median income goes to rent in Winston-Salem?
- The $950/mo median rent represents 17.7% of the $64,282 median household income. The recommended housing cost threshold is 30%; Winston-Salem falls within that guideline. Educational reference only.
- How much does commuting cost in Winston-Salem?
- Average commute time in Winston-Salem is 22 minutes per ACS. Estimated annual commute cost runs about $3,832. Educational reference only.
- How does the cost of living in Winston-Salem compare to the national average?
- Winston-Salem's BEA RPP index is 88, 12% below the national baseline of 100. For a household earning the national median income of $77,540, this translates to ~$9,305/yr in purchasing power difference. Educational reference only.
- What is the median home price in Winston-Salem, NC?
- The median home price in Winston-Salem is $230,000 as of 2025–2026.
- What is the average rent in Winston-Salem?
- The median monthly rent in Winston-Salem, NC is $950.
- Does the gas cost replace professional advice?
- No. This calculator gives educational estimates using public Winston-Salem data and standard formulas. It is not personalized tax, legal, or investment advice. Consult a licensed professional for decisions with material consequences.
How we compute this — methodology
The Winston-Salem page uses local median home price ($230,000), median rent ($950/mo), and property tax rate (0.79%) alongside the calculator's client-side formula. Calculations run in your browser — no inputs are sent to a server.
Known limits: ZIP-level variance within Winston-Salem can be substantial — the figures shown are city-wide medians. For a precise property tax quote, consult your county assessor.
Sources
- Zillow Research — ZHVI (Zillow Home Value Index) + ZORI (Zillow Observed Rent Index), city-level. zillow.com/research/data. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates for median household income and population. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs.
- CalcFi state financial context — tips + first-time homebuyer programs compiled from each state's Housing Finance Authority (HFA) public pages. See
src/data/state-financial-context.ts. - Tax Foundation — state property tax effective rates and state/local sales tax rates. taxfoundation.org.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) — weekly national mortgage rate averages used by mortgage-related calculators. freddiemac.com/pmms.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — residential electricity / natural gas / gasoline — www.eia.gov. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) — real median household income, unemployment, HPI, LFPR per state — fred.stlouisfed.org. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) — weekly national mortgage rates — www.freddiemac.com/pmms. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owners, and Homeowners Tenants Insurance Report — content.naic.org/article/homeowners-insurance-report. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- State Departments of Revenue — official bracket + deduction publications (one primary URL per state; linked in the brackets table below) — taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-income-tax-rates. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by State — www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- U.S. Department of Labor — State Minimum Wage Laws — www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — state-level occupational wages — www.bls.gov/oes. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
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