($1,441) Movers From Birmingham, AL to Winston-Salem, NC

What to know before moving from Birmingham to Winston-Salem

Moving from Birmingham to Winston-Salem means adjusting to a different pace of life — and a different price tag. On average, it costs significantly more to live in Birmingham than in Winston-Salem, making the move an opportunity for many to enjoy a lower cost of living.

Check out how Birmingham compares to Winston-Salem so you know what to expect before you relocate:

• Rent prices in Winston-Salem are 4% higher than in Birmingham, which means you’ll have less money in your pocket each month.
• In terms of homeownership, you’ll be able to get more for your money in Birmingham.
  Home prices in Winston-Salem are 97.5% higher than in Birmingham.
• Income in Winston-Salem is 58.4% higher than in Birmingham, so you could earn more for doing the same job. The top employers in Winston-Salem include Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Novant Health, and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.
• The cost of living for a single person in Winston-Salem is 10.3% lower than in Birmingham. This includes routine expenses like utilities, groceries, clothing, and transportation.
• The cost of living for a family in Winston-Salem is 21.7% lower than in Birmingham.
• The unemployment rate in Winston-Salem is 7.14% lower than in Birmingham.
• You’ll spend less on retail and restaurants in Winston-Salem, since the city’s sales taxes in Winston-Salem are 30.00% lower than in Birmingham.
• One perk of moving to Winston-Salem is paying less in state income taxes, which are 10.00% lower than in Birmingham.

To put this in perspective, you would need around $2,691.88 in Winston-Salem to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with $3,000.00 in Birmingham.

How life is different in Birmingham vs. Winston-Salem

• The population of Winston-Salem is about 27% greater than Birmingham, so you may find more to see and do in your new surroundings. Of course, with more people can also come increased competition for jobs and housing.
• Winston-Salem offers better access to buses and trains than Birmingham, based on public transportation ratings. Winston-Salem has a transit score of 3 out of 10 compared to 0 in Birmingham. The higher the score, the more public transportation pickup and dropoff locations a city provides.
• Winston-Salem neighborhoods and districts might not be as easy to navigate on foot as Birmingham. Based on its score of 22 out of 100, Winston-Salem isn’t as walkable as Birmingham, which has a score of 33 out of 100. The higher the walkability score a city has, the easier it is to access amenities. The most walkable cities also tend to be more densely populated and have shorter block lengths.
• Winston-Salem and Birmingham are similarly bike-friendly based on their comparable ratings of 29 and 31 respectively. Bike-friendliness scores between 50 and 100 indicate varying levels of infrastructure to support cyclists, including bike lanes and roadway connectivity. Cities with scores under 50 are considered more car-dependent.
• Winston-Salem has a lower crime rate than Birmingham based on scores of 32.67 and Birmingham's 61.64, respectively. The crime index shows how safe a city is perceived to be. So, a lower score generally means less crime.
• You might find more confidence in your overall safety in Winston-Salem than in Birmingham, based on Winston-Salem’s safety index of 67.33 versus 38.36 for Birmingham. With this index, higher scores indicate more safety, particularly around how comfortable residents feel walking alone during the day and at night.
• The air quality in Winston-Salem and Birmingham is generally the same (Good). Cities with good to moderate ratings have clean or acceptable air quality, with the possibility of small pollutants affecting people with certain health conditions like asthma. Anything beyond the moderate rate means increased impact on residents.

Other things to consider for your Birmingham vs. Winston-Salem move

• Weather: Climate in Winston-Salem is unlikely to affect your move but a freezing day in the winter could affect the conditions of the roads.
• HOA rules: Check ahead with any neighborhood or community rules on moving to ensure a smooth move.
• Elevator reservation: If your building has an elevator you'll want to check on how to reserve it for move day.
• Truck parking permits: Some cities require parking permits for large vehicles and moving trucks. Find out if you need any parking permits ahead of time.
• State licensing: For-profit household goods carriers in the state fall under the jurisdiction of the North Carolina Utilities Commission, Transportation Division. All legitimate movers should have a “C Number” issued by the commission, signifying that they’ve met minimum insurance requirements and adhere to the provisions outlined in the state’s Maximum Rate Tariff (MRT). Make sure the moving company you use has a license before hiring.
• State regulator: You can verify a North Carolina moving license and its status through the state's public utilities commission.
• Moving permits: North Carolina does not require any moving permits, but it is helpful to check local parking restrictions before moving into the state.
• Change of address: We recommend submitting your change of address form with USPS at least a week prior to your move. You can set an official move date on the form and this way all of your mail will get properly forwarded to Winston-Salem. Get started here.
• Moving company insurance: Every state requires moving companies to carry different levels of insurance.Choose Released Value Protection for no-cost, minimal coverage from movers, with responsibility limited to 60 cents per pound per article. For comprehensive coverage, explore alternatives with your chosen moving company or consider a third-party insurance provider.
• Moving checklist: Our moving checklist will help you have the peace of mind that you've got everything covered.

Where to live in Winston-Salem

Now that you've decided to make the move to "Camel City", these are the best neighborhoods to move to in Winston-Salem.

Helpful moving resources