North Carolina · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Franklin County, NC

Prices around Franklin County, NC run 1.8% below the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $74,240 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $1,750 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $70,000 a year.

Franklin County, NC at a glance

Median household income

$74,240$6,187 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$1,750HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)98.2-1.8% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity14.7¢per kWh · EIA Residential NC
Population74,386Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Franklin County, NC?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Affordable (< 30% of income)
HUD Fair Market Rent$1,750Monthly market rent
Share of gross income28.3%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$70,000To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$1,856At 30% of $74,240
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Franklin County, NC? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Franklin County, NC, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$1,524$18,288$60,96024.6%
1-Bedroom Apartment$1,596$19,152$63,84025.8%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$1,750$21,000$70,00028.3%
3-Bedroom Home$2,196$26,352$87,84035.5%
4-Bedroom Home$2,936$35,232$117,44047.5%

Rent in Franklin County, NC, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Franklin County, NC

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $74,240 a year ($6,187 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$3,093/moRent ($1,750 2-BR), utilities (~$133/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$1,856/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$1,237/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $74,240 leaves after North Carolina taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and North Carolina tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$74,240
$25,000$150,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$74,240
Net 79%
Fed 10%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$58,604After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,884Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,254Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate21.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$7,503 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$2,453 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$5,679 / yr

Living in Franklin County, NC: common questions

What is the median household income in Franklin County, NC?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Franklin County, NC is $74,240 per year (approximately $6,187 per month).

What is the average rent in Franklin County, NC?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $1,524 for a studio, $1,596 for one bedroom, $1,750 for two, $2,196 for three and $2,936 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Franklin County, NC expensive to live in?

Prices there run 1.8% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 98.2, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Franklin County, NC?

To keep a $1,750 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $70,000 a year, or $5,833 a month. That is 94% of what the typical household in Franklin County, NC earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Franklin County, NC?

On the local median income of $74,240 ($6,187 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $3,093 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $1,856 for everything else and $1,237 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $1,750 takes 57% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Franklin County, NC?

Homes in North Carolina paid 14.7¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $133. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.