VarroExplore other towns

Winston, NC

Mocksville is part of the Winston area. This page covers the whole metro.

Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around Winston

Bethabara Historic Park
Bethabara Historic Park · Photo: David Bjorgen, CC BY-SA 3.0
Biotech Place Night Image
Central Bus Terminal, Winston Salem Transit Authority, Winston Salem, NC
Central Bus Terminal, Winston Salem Transit Authority, Winston Salem, NC · Photo: Warren LeMay from Cullowhee, NC, United States, CC0
City Hall, Winston Salem, NC
City Hall, Winston Salem, NC · Photo: Warren LeMay from Cullowhee, NC, United States, CC0
Downtown Winston Salem Aerial Angle
Downtown Winston Salem Aerial Angle · Photo: formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
Forsyth Medical Center
Forsyth Medical Center · Photo: David Bjorgen, CC BY-SA 3.0
Historical Marker, Old Salem Town Hall, Old Salem, Winston Salem, NC
Historical Marker, Old Salem Town Hall, Old Salem, Winston Salem, NC · Photo: Warren LeMay from Cullowhee, NC, United States, CC0
Home Moravian Church, Old Salem, Winston Salem, NC
Home Moravian Church, Old Salem, Winston Salem, NC · Photo: Warren LeMay from Cullowhee, NC, United States, CC0
I in Winston Salem
I in Winston Salem · Photo: Beejayhelper, CC BY 4.0
Inside of Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Inside of Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum · Photo: Jayron32, CC BY-SA 3.0
floor
Photo of Winston
More towns near Winston
Ranks the towns around it by your budget and what you love doing.
Winston hasn't been added yet

Sign in (free) to add it. It takes about a minute, and then anyone can read it.

Where it is
Winston
Winston in North Carolina
North Carolina in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of the center of the Winston area.

31
grocery stores
133
restaurants
23
coffee shops
57
parks
46
playgrounds
7
libraries
3
movie theaters
1
live theater
10
museums
10
bookstores
9
gyms
19
bars
13
pharmacies
5
hospitals

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of the Winston area.

Bike lanes and bike paths
43 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
65 miles
more than most U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 81,613 rented homes in the Winston area, 96% rent for under $2,000 a month and 99% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 53%
$1,000 to $1,499: 33%
$1,500 to $1,999: 10%
$2,000 to $2,499: 3%
$2,500 to $2,999: 1%
$3,000 or more: 1%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in the Winston area rents for under $1,000 a month. First month plus a one-month deposit comes to about under $2,000 before you get the keys.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Your first weeks in North Carolina

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the North Carolina DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: North Carolina voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

2 public school districts in this county, with about 52,978 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools · Winston Salem
52,717 students · 14.7 students per teacher · 81 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Appalachian State U Academy Middle Fork · Walkertown
261 students · 18.6 students per teacher · 1 school · grades K to 5

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

North Carolina keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$203/week
about $10,600 a year
$188/week
about $9,800 a year
Toddler (2)$169/week
about $8,800 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$150/week
about $7,800 a year
$148/week
about $7,700 a year
School-age$81/week
about $4,200 a year

For an infant at a center: $203/week here, $220 across NC, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 13% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in North Carolina →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

7 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Winston. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

Wake Forest University · Winston-Salem
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 9,121 students · $64,758 a year
Forsyth Technical Community College · Winston-Salem
Public, 2-year (community college) · 8,716 students · $2,256 in-state, $6,864 out-of-state
Winston-Salem State University · Winston-Salem
Public, 4-year · 4,776 students · $6,735 in-state, $17,391 out-of-state
University of North Carolina School of the Arts · Winston Salem
Public, 4-year · 1,074 students · $9,477 in-state, $27,211 out-of-state
Carolina University · Winston-Salem
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 893 students · $16,000 a year

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$280,379
What a typical home sells for across the Winston area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Cost of living
About 8% below the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $92 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 92 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Average commute
24 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Homeowners insurance
About $3,124 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in NC. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
5 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
20.1 per 100,000 people a year
80 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. NC average: 20.2 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 8 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 6,746 people without housing in the North Carolina Balance of State area (85 counties): 4,521 in shelters and 2,225 outside, up from 4,180 in 2024. NC: 14 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$65,541
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.85% of home value a year
About $850 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Flat 3.99%
NC's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

More towns in North Carolina →