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BURNOUT INDEX — NC — #47th OF 50

Raleigh-Cary
NC

25
/100
Below-average pressure
No change vs. last update

Median household income is +19% vs. the national median with a BEA RPP of 98.2, implying relatively favorable purchasing power. Unemployment at 3.2% and a 26.9-minute average commute keep Raleigh-Cary near the bottom of the burnout ranking. The labor market conditions here, on these three metrics, work less hard against you.

Scored 2026-10-26. Data: Census ACS 5-year 2023, BEA RPP 2024. Unemployment: BLS LAUS (most recent final month).

The receipts

Three components, three public sources. Each term is clamped to [0, 1] before weighting. The formula is published on the methodology page; any change to the weights requires a public ADR (ADR-0013+).

Component Raw value vs. national Weight Contribution Source
Pay-to-cost gap
Median HH income vs. cost of living.
Purchasing power index: 1.21 (wages above cost-adjusted national) 		$96,066
RPP 98.2 		+19% national
median income 		40% 0 Census ACS 2023 BEA RPP 2024
Mean commute
Minutes/day, ACS 5-year. Capped at 60 min. 		26.9 min 0.4 min longer than
26.5 min national 		30% 13.5 Census ACS 2023
Unemployment rate
BLS LAUS (monthly, MSA-level). Capped at 8%. 		3.2% 0.7pp below
3.9% national (ACS period) 		30% 12 BLS LAUS LAUMT373958000000003
Total score 25

Raleigh-Cary in context

Raleigh-Cary ranks 47th out of 50 major US metro areas on the Office Blues Burnout Index. The index measures three labor-market signals that directly affect worker quality of life: the gap between wages and cost of living, commute time, and unemployment pressure. It does not measure culture, management quality, or RTO mandates — those signals are not yet available at MSA level from primary sources without scraping.

The metro area population is approximately 1,431,949, making it one of the top-50 US metros by size. The data covers the Raleigh-Cary, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA 39580), which typically extends well beyond the core city limits.

On wages vs. cost of living: median household income here is $96,066 per year (+19% the national median of $80,610). Against a BEA Regional Price Parity of 98.2 (national average = 100, higher = more expensive), that works out to a purchasing-power index of 1.21 relative to a national baseline of 1.0. Wages here stretch further than the national average on a cost-adjusted basis — that's why the pay-to-cost gap contributes 0 points, not more.

On commute: the average one-way trip takes 26.9 minutes — 0.4 min longer than the national mean of 26.5 minutes. The commute component contributes 13.5 points out of a possible 30 (capped when commute ≥ 60 minutes). Commute time is the most consistent predictor of reported job dissatisfaction in the academic literature; it compounds every other signal.

On unemployment: the rate is 3.2%, which is 0.7pp below the national reference figure of 3.9% for the ACS measurement period. The unemployment component contributes 12 points out of a possible 30 (capped at 8%). High unemployment signals a weak labor market where workers have fewer outside options — the classic condition for wage suppression and lower bargaining power. This figure is from BLS LAUS (2026-07-31), the most recent month BLS has finalized.

The score formula is editorial — 40/30/30 weights are a deliberate choice, not derived from regression. If you think the weights are wrong, the methodology page explains the rationale. Weight changes require a public ADR (ADR-0013+). The sources are federal, license-free for reuse with attribution.

HOW THIS IS CALCULATED

Formula (ADR-0012, binding):

burnout_score = round(
  40 × clamp₀₁(1 − normalized_wage / cost_norm)   // pay-to-cost gap
+ 30 × clamp₀₁(commute_min / 60)                  // commute
+ 30 × clamp₀₁(unemployment_pct / 8)              // unemployment
)

Where:

  • normalized_wage = $96,066 ÷ $80,610 (national median) = 1.1917
  • cost_norm = 98.192 ÷ 100 = 0.9819
  • pay_term = clamp₀₁(1 − 1.1917 ÷ 0.9819) = 0.0000
  • commute_term = clamp₀₁(26.9 ÷ 60) = 0.4483
  • unemp_term = clamp₀₁(3.2 ÷ 8) = 0.4000

Score = round(40 × 0.0000 + 30 × 0.4483 + 30 × 0.4000) = round(25.45) = 25

Full methodology, weight rationale, and source citations: /methodology#burnout-index. Weight changes are a brand contract — any modification requires ADR-0013+.

What changed since last update

Score moved from 25 to 25 (0 points). Data sources refresh weekly on a schedule. Score changes reflect BLS LAUS monthly releases (unemployment) and are recomputed every Monday at 14:30 UTC.

Metros that feel like Raleigh

Same index, same three inputs. These metros land nearest Raleigh's 25/100 — which makes them the fair comparison when someone tells you the grass is greener.

Elsewhere in the South Atlantic

Both ends of the scale, for scale: Riverside carries the most pressure of the 50 metros ranked (38/100), and Cleveland the least (23/100). See the full ranking →

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Raw JSON: /burnout-index/raleigh-nc.json · License: CC BY 4.0 · Cite as: Office Blues Burnout Index, Raleigh-Cary, NC, officeblues.net/burnout-index/raleigh-nc, 2026-10-26

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