CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

36.27° N · 80.36° W · GEOID 3735760

King

Forsyth County, North Carolina · part of the Winston, NC metro

North CarolinaKing, NCKingKing

The short answer

King is home to 7,408 people. Median household income is $57,817 a year and median rent is $895 a month, 18.6% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $238,200, about 4.1x annual median household income.

The story in King is how fast things are changing. Housing became less affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 13.7% to 18.6% of income. Also notable: Household income growth is -2.6% a year, against 4.8% a year in its closest peers.

35OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

King scores better than 35% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 89th of 161 in North Carolina.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%53
Economy 20%34
Safety 20%48
Amenities 15%50
Education 10%28
Commute 10%51
Growth 5%38
Median gross rent
$895
34% below the median place
Median household income
$57,817
28% below the median place
Median home value
$238,200
25% below the median place
Unemployment
5.0%
3% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about King

  • GrowthThe population grew 10.8% since 2020, faster than in 85% of places its size. The growth shows signs of strain: rent is outrunning pay, home prices are pulling away from incomes and many renters are cost-burdened. Experimental
01

Moving to King

Forsyth County gains about 2.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in18,541
Moved out17,761
Net+780

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Guilford County, NC2,8632,359+504
Davidson County, NC1,3481,908−560
Stokes County, NC613893−280
Davie County, NC474751−277
Wake County, NC431510−79
Yadkin County, NC262418−156
Surry County, NC259373−114

Within North Carolina, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within North CarolinaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$65K
Leavers$68K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Forsyth County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.3% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Forsyth County report $65,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $68,400.
Income you would need
$35,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $895 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,451 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $238,200.
Getting to work
25 minutes each way on average; 10.1% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Guntersville, AL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
4.6%
19% below the median place
Moved from another state1
3.3%
64% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
2.6
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureKingAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year14.6%19% below
Moved from another state1County figure3.3%64% above
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure2.6above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$65,2388% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$68,3553% below
02

What it costs to live here

72% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 95% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track.

King18.6%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$35,800
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
18.6%
9% below the median place
Home price to income
4.1x
8% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
19%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$49,100
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in King, $895 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.3 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like King, but easier on the budget

Places that match King on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Guntersville, AL9514.9% vs 18.6%n/aCompare
Effingham, IL9412.0% vs 18.6%n/aCompare
Tipp City, OH9313.2% vs 18.6%$21,200Compare
Bedford, VA9314.1% vs 18.6%$14,900Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in King.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to King? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
72.3%
43% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,585
51% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.7%
26% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureKingAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$89534% below
Rent to income118.6%9% below
Property tax rate10.7%26% below
Home price to income14.1x8% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure92.09% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,33218% below
HUD area median income4County figure$96,70010% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,58551% below
Median home value1$238,20025% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.5%11% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure62.3%21% above
Homeownership165.1%2% below
Renters paying 30%+172.3%43% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,45122% below
Vacant homes1County figure8.9%27% above
Median year built119850% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Median household income1
$57,817
28% below the median place
Poverty rate1
7.0%
35% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$34,267 −14%
Works from home10.1% −19%
Mean commute25 min −0%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureKingAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$57,81728% below
Income per person1$34,26714% below
Unemployment1County figure5.0%3% above
Average annual pay6County figure$69,7316% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure5.2%41% above
Jobs6County figure190,30526% above
Poverty rate17.0%35% below
Mean commute125 min0% below
Works from home110.1%19% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Born abroad is 2.8%, 69% below the median place.

Born abroad1
2.8%
69% below the median place
Population change since 20207
10.8%
above the median place (median 1.1%)
Household size1
2.2
12% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance10.8% +69%
Median age42.3 +8%
Bachelor's or higher22.8% −29%
High school or higher94.8% +3%
Homes with broadband90.3% −2%
All 9 people measures
MeasureKingAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population17,4085195th largest
Population change since 2020710.8%above (median 1.1%)
Median age142.38% above
Bachelor's or higher122.8%29% below
High school or higher194.8%3% above
Household size12.212% below
Born abroad12.8%69% below
No health insurance110.8%69% above
Homes with broadband190.3%2% below
05

Life in King

OpenStreetMap shows 9.4 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, more than in 96% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

Founded or incorporated in 1888. 2 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 5 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Rock House listed 1975
  • King Historic District listed 2002

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents5.4 −47%
Playgrounds per 10k8.1 −14%
Grocery stores per 10k9.4 4.5×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k31.1 2.8×
Libraries per 10k2.7 3.1×
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Guilford Courthouse National Military Park 30 miles
  • Booker T. Washington National Monument 67 miles
  • Appalachian Trail 74 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.6 +4%
Shops34.7 +15%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.5 +10%
Doctors' offices and clinics17.1 −15%
Child care centers1.8 −22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools14
5
44% below the median place
Public school students14
2,655
46% below the median place
Students per teacher14
15.6
1% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureKingAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14544% below
Public school students142,65546% below
Students per teacher1415.61% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure21.64% above
Shops per 10k9County figure34.715% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure4.510% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure17.115% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure1.822% below
Parks per 10k105.447% below
Playgrounds per 10k108.114% below
Grocery stores per 10k109.4346% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1031.1178% above
Libraries per 10k102.7210% above
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1130.12% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles11150% below
National Register listings12285% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 101, 47% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
101
47% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
2,049
69% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Wildfire risk16
35.8
42% below the median place
Hurricane risk16
86.5
22% above the median place
Heat wave risk16
80.3
11% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureKingAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure88°F1% above
January average low15County figure29°F13% above
Average temperature15County figure58°F6% above
Annual precipitation15County figure45.0 in3% above
Natural hazard risk16County figure91.51% below
Hurricane risk16County figure86.522% above
Tornado risk16County figure90.912% above
Wildfire risk16County figure35.842% below
Heat wave risk16County figure80.311% below
Median air quality index17County figure455% above
Good air days17County figure63.6%7% below
08

King in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 19% of the median income in 2030, up from 19% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, King does better than 48% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 58%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$895/mo (2024)$1,140/mo$940 to $1,390/mo+4.2%
Median household income$57,817 (2024)$70,500$59,500 to $83,500+3.4%
Median home value$238,200 (2024)$343,000$249,000 to $473,000+6.3%
Population7,977 (2025)8,4608,110 to 8,810+1.2%

The median home would be worth 4.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.1 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like King

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Mocksville, NC$892$55,367Compare
London, OH$916$60,231Compare
Fraser, MI$843$64,354Compare
Louisville, OH$910$64,375Compare
Louisville, OHFraser, MILondon, OHMocksville, NCKing, NCKingMocksvilleLondonFraserLouisvilleKingMocksvilleLondonFraser

Places built like King

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how King performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
King, NC18.6%-2.6%/yr10.8%
Springfield, FL28.8%7.0%/yr5.6%Compare
Gloucester Point, VA17.2%3.6%/yrn/aCompare
Mocksville, NC19.3%5.2%/yr6.6%Compare
Brooksville, FL24.8%11.3%/yr14.5%Compare
Oxford, NC27.7%2.2%/yr2.3%Compare
Bedford, VA14.1%14.1%/yr3.8%Compare

Common questions

Is King a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 35 out of 100, better than 35% of the places we rate and 89th of 161 in North Carolina. The population grew 10.8% since 2020, faster than in 85% of places its size. The growth shows signs of strain: rent is outrunning pay, home prices are pulling away from incomes and many renters are cost-burdened. On cost, space and class size it scores 47 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is King expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 18.6% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $238,200.

What salary do you need to live in King?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $35,800 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is King safe?

There were 101 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to King?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Mocksville, NC, London, OH, Fraser, MI and Louisville, OH.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares King with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for King itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/king-north-carolina

Citytistics. “King, North Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/king-north-carolina/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.