Louisville vs Winston-Salem
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $233,800 in Winston-Salem and $233,900 in Louisville.
- Households earn more in Louisville ($66,849 vs $59,268 median).
- Winston-Salem has the warmer winter: January highs of 49°F vs 44°F.
- Louisville gets far more snow: 13 inches a year vs 3.
Side by side
| Louisville, KY | Winston-Salem, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 641,962 | 257,271 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.6% | +3.1% |
| People per square mile | 2,441 | 1,924 |
| Median age | 37.7 | 35.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34% | 40% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,849 | $59,268 |
| Median home value | $233,900 | $233,800 |
| Home value to income | 3.5× | 3.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,120 | $1,087 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 93.1 | 92.0 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 78.6 | 71.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,800 | $69,000 |
| Homeowners | 61% | 56% |
| Top state income tax | 3.5% | 3.99% |
| Combined sales tax | 6% | 7.1% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.5 | 21.5 |
| Work from home | 13% | 14% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.5% | 5.7% |
| Poverty rate | 15.8% | 17.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 44° / 28° | 49° / 31° |
| July high / low | 89° / 71° | 88° / 69° |
| Precipitation per year | 48 in | 43 in |
| Snowfall per year | 13 in | 3 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 43 | 33 |
| Nights below freezing | 74 | 64 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.3 | 91.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 44% | 42% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.8% | +3.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +40.2% | +54.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Louisville: June and September to October. Winston-Salem: April to June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Louisville weather by month and Winston-Salem weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $69,800 in Louisville and $69,000 in Winston-Salem. Moving from Louisville to Winston-Salem, you would need about $74,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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