Lynchburg vs Raleigh
The short version
- Lynchburg is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 9% lower than in the Raleigh area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $229,800 in Lynchburg and $415,800 in Raleigh.
- Households earn more in Raleigh ($85,395 vs $57,947 median).
- Raleigh has the warmer winter: January highs of 52°F vs 46°F.
- Raleigh has more scorching days: 52 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 27.
- Raleigh is growing faster: +8.2% since 2020 vs +3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Lynchburg (17 vs 23 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Lynchburg, VA | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 81,347 | 506,306 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3% | +8.2% |
| People per square mile | 1,663 | 3,354 |
| Median age | 28.6 | 34.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39% | 54% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $57,947 | $85,395 |
| Median home value | $229,800 | $415,800 |
| Home value to income | 4.0× | 4.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,073 | $1,572 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.4 | 98.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 63.9 | 103.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $67,000 | $73,600 |
| Homeowners | 49% | 51% |
| Top state income tax | 5.75% | 3.99% |
| Combined sales tax | 5.77% | 7.1% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 16.8 | 23.0 |
| Work from home | 14% | 26% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.3% | 4.4% |
| Poverty rate | 18.6% | 11.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 46° / 26° | 52° / 32° |
| July high / low | 87° / 65° | 91° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 43 in | 46 in |
| Snowfall per year | 12 in | 5 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 27 | 52 |
| Nights below freezing | 94 | 65 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 49.3 | 95.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | 66% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.7% | +1.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +51.2% | +44.9% |
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: Lynchburg: April to June and August to October. Raleigh: April to May and October.
Full monthly tables: Lynchburg weather by month and Raleigh weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $67,000 in Lynchburg and $73,600 in Raleigh. Moving from Lynchburg to Raleigh, you would need about $82,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Lynchburg and Raleigh
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Lynchburg and Raleigh.
Which would you pick?
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