Places › North Carolina › Goldsboro

Living in Goldsboro, NC

Small city in North Carolina

Goldsboro is a small city in North Carolina, home to about 33,000 people, with 185,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Goldsboro a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $221k and rents for $1,500 a month
  • Low natural disaster risk: 7 federally declared disasters since 2000
  • Low taxes: about $1,615 state income tax per resident, 0.98% property tax
  • Dog-friendly: 4 dog parks within 9 mi

👎 Cons

  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
  • Fewer graduates: 21% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Smaller job market: about 185,000 people live within 31 mi

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Goldsboro ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
33,000
185,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
57°F / 89°F
Average daily highs · 2″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$221k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,500/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
88
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$1,615
State income tax per resident · 0.98% property tax
Safety
2.1× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
7 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, hurricanes
Top-rated hospitals
2
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Poor
Tests well below US average · 15 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
21%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
RDU
57 mi away

Living in Goldsboro: common questions

What is the cost of living in Goldsboro?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $221k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,500 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 88, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Goldsboro?

North Carolina collects about $1,615 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.98% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Goldsboro safe?

Violent crime is well above the national rate (2.1× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Goldsboro?

Public schools in Goldsboro test well below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 15 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Goldsboro?

Goldsboro has mild winters: winter days average around 57°F and summer days around 89°F, with roughly 2″ of snow a year.

Does Goldsboro get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding and hurricanes: 7 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.87 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Goldsboro?

The nearest major airport is RDU, about 57 mi away.

How Goldsboro scores

Each bar compares Goldsboro with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietSuburban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundMostly car Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureCulture & nature Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateMild winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingVery affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceSlow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityPrivate AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesGood
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcareAverage
🏫SchoolsPoor
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyPoor
🐕Dog-friendlyGood
⛰️OutdoorsPoor
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetyHigher crime
🌪️Few natural disastersGood
☀️SunnyAverage
🌤️Mild summersAverage
✈️AirportAverage

Places like Goldsboro

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Cleveland, TNSmall city43 $321k$1,580/moHigher crime Sumter, SCSmall city39 $205k$1,530/moHigher crime Albany, GASmall city36 $129k$1,530/moHigher crime Wilson, NCSmall city47 $224k$1,310/moModerate crime Rome, GASmall city45 $246k$1,540/moNo crime data Salisbury, NCSmall city47 $297k$1,570/moHigher crime

Nearby

Wilson, NCSmall city · 24 mi away47 $224k$1,310/moModerate crime Clayton, NCSuburb · 33 mi away61 $329k$2,200/moVery safe Greenville, NCSmall city · 37 mi away43 $237k$1,470/moModerate crime Rocky Mount, NCSmall city · 42 mi away38 $187k$1,550/moHigher crime Garner, NCSuburb · 42 mi away67 $346k$2,200/moSafe Fuquay-Varina, NCSuburb · 48 mi away68 $477k$2,200/moVery safe

See all the best places to live in North Carolina.

Is Goldsboro right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.