7. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
The famed research triangle has a lot more going for it than just basketball rivalries. In the Raleigh-Durham-Cary area, full-time civilian workers make $24.56, nearly $2 above the national average. The total cost of living is 2 percent below the national average in Raleigh and more than 3 below in Durham, but housing costs are especially enticing. They’re 11.2 percent lower than average in Raleigh and 13.4 percent lower in Durham, where the cost for a two-bedroom apartment is about $780, according to Rent.com.
