Cost of living by state
Weighing a move? Compare any two states side by side — cost of living, taxes, and demographics — then pick your specialty to see what that salary is really worth once it's adjusted for local prices. Green means cheaper or better; red means pricier or worse.
Overall cost of living
Wyoming is 1.7% cheaper overall than North Carolina.
What Other surgical specialties pay is really worth
Median pay → estimated after-tax take-home → adjusted for each state's cost of living.
North Carolina
- Median pay
- $398,550
- After tax
- $259,880
$275,589worth here
Wyoming
- Median pay
- $371,800
- After tax
- $259,517
$279,954worth here
Pay source: BLS OEWS May 2024 — “Surgeons, All Other”.
Take-home is an estimate for a single filer taking the standard deduction (federal + FICA + state income tax, wages only) — not tax advice.
| Metric | North Carolina | Wyoming |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US avg = 100) | ||
| Overall cost of living | 94.3 | 92.7 |
| Housing (rent) | 81.4 | 71.1 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 78.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 95.4 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.4 |
| Taxes | ||
| Top income tax rate | 4.25% | 0% |
| Sales tax (avg) | 7% | 5.44% |
| Property tax (effective) | 0.62% | 0.55% |
| About the state | ||
| Population | 10,584,340 | 579,761 |
| Median household income | $69,904 | $74,815 |
| Median age | 39.1 | 38.8 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.40% | 71.90% |
| Median home value | $259,400 | $285,100 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities (2024) · U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts · Tax Foundation. Figures are the latest published; cost-of-living is a price-level index, not tax-adjusted take-home pay.
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VitalPost shows sourced, public data for context only — it isn't financial or tax advice. Cost-of-living is a price-level index (US average = 100); taxes shown are statewide/averaged and don't capture local income or the specifics of your situation.