North Carolina as a state is celebrated for many things. It is home to great cities like Charlotte and Raleigh, where you will find the North Carolina Museum of Natural History and the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
It is also loved for its diverse scenery and ecosystems, which encompass everything from beaches and ocean to mountains. Pennsylvania on the other hand, provides almost entirely mountainous landscapes, alongside its beautiful forests.
That state is where the Liberty Bell is found and is considered to be where democracy in the US was birthed. Pennsylvania is also where Hershey’s chocolate bars were first made.
Both states can be appealing places to settle in and their comparative qualities in that regard are what this article will examine.
Things to Do
The two biggest cities in NC – Raleigh and Charlotte – both have plenty to keep individuals and families amused. Aside from the attractions mentioned in the introduction, you will be able to spend time at the amusement park Carowinds in Charlotte that has its own water park and roller coaster rides.
This city is also home to art galleries, museums, shopping centers and the Queen City district, where food lovers can try out its famous pimento cheese. The heart of capital city Raleigh is Pullen Park, which houses everything from a theater to an aquatic center.
PA also has lots of things to do though. It has a Museum of Art, the Reading Terminal Market and the lush Longwood Gardens.
Plus it is one of the states in the US where casino gaming has been legalized. That means it has more casinos than NC, where the gaming rules remain stricter.
One of the finest is the Mount Airy Casino Resort which offers slots and table games as well as a luxury hotel with golfing. There are also great online casinos in PA, as placing bets over the internet is legal there too.
Housing
NC is currently a more expensive place in terms of property, whether you are looking to buy or rent. The median purchase price for a home in the state is $303,480, which is 21% higher than that of PA, but still under the US national average by 15%.
The median price if you wanted to buy your own home in PA would be $240,405, which puts it well under the national average for the US. Renting an apartment is also more expensive in NC, whether you want to live downtown of one of the major cities or in the suburbs.
In the case of the former, you will pay a median price of $1,481.44 for a one-bedroom place, while the latter will cost $1,208.87 on average. In PA, a one-bedroom place downtown will cost $1,247.33, while in the suburbs the median monthly cost is $1,088.60.
That amounts to a 2.1% average difference in housing costs and might point to PA as the better option, but other factors complicate that view.
Living Costs
House prices and rents are higher in NC than PA, but many other living costs are notably lower. The state scores better on a range of essential goods and services.
For instance, the median price of groceries (milk, bread, cheese etc) is 6.2% less in NC than it is in PA. Going out to a restaurant for a meal will cost you 7.7% less on average in NC than it would in PA. A straightforward meal with drink in the latter state has a median price of $19.31, compared with just $15.15 here in NC.
Transportation costs are also lower, by a striking 8%. You will pay $0.99 for a liter of gas in PA, whereas here it is just $0.86. It costs much less for a pass for public transit per month in Carolina too.
Demographics
There is not much difference between the demographics of the two states in terms of age and educational background. 26% of the residents both states are millennials while PA has a slightly higher percentage of boomers, at 39% to 37%.
Both states have 14% of residents with a master’s degree and just over 20% with bachelor’s degrees.
Economic Performance
Here NC scores much more highly than PA. Its economy is currently ranked as the seventh best performing in the country, while PA languishes at number 28 on the list.
That suggests that NC is the better place to base yourself if you are interested in starting a business or securing a job in a high-tech industry. That is something to consider when deciding which state to live in.
Both NC and PA have their benefits and drawbacks. PA offers lower housing costs and legal gambling, but NC has a stronger economy and lower living costs in other areas. Choosing will be a matter of priorities.
