City comparison
Laredo, TX versus Winston Salem, NC is a real move, not a trivia matchup. This comparison uses the same 2026 neighborhood report data we publish on each city page — typical rent, median household income, crime indexes, school composites, and typical weather — so you can see which city actually fits how you live, work, and spend. Typical rents sit near $1,161 a month in Laredo and $1,138 in Winston Salem, and median household income lands at $60,928 versus $72,400. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
Winston Salem takes affordability, job market, safety, and weather. The widest gap is median income, where Winston Salem leads by 19% — the kind of spread you feel in a monthly budget or a nightly walk, not just on a chart. Read the category rows as a filter: if cheaper housing would change your life more than a stronger job market, weight rent first. If you are moving with kids, weight schools and crime. If you picked a city after one good weekend, use the weather and income rows to test whether that weekend survives a full year.
Numbers below are citywide, not a guarantee about the street you will actually live on. Two ZIP codes in Laredo can feel further apart than Laredo and Winston Salem do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Laredo and Winston Salem reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Laredo, TX
Winston Salem, NC
Rent
2% cheaper
Winston Salem rent is 2% cheaper than Laredo
Laredo
$1,161/mo
Winston Salem
Winner$1,138/mo
Typical rent runs $1,138 a month in Winston Salem versus $1,161 in Laredo, so Winston Salem is 2% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $23, or $276 a year — noticeable, but rent alone should not pick the city. Use this as a tie-breaker after you compare income, schools, and crime, unless you are already stretching every dollar.
Median income
19% higher
Winston Salem's median income is 19% higher than Laredo
Laredo
$60,928
Winston Salem
Winner$72,400
Median household income is $72,400 in Winston Salem versus $60,928 in Laredo, so typical pay runs 19% higher in Winston Salem — about $11,472 more household income a year. Higher median income usually signals a stronger local job market and better negotiating leverage on salary. Remote workers should weigh this against cost of living rather than treating it as a direct personal benefit. For people who will actually work in town, Winston Salem is the stronger labor market on paper. Laredo can still win if housing is cheap enough to offset the weaker median or if your specific role already pays well there.
Crime index
11% lower crime
Winston Salem's crime index is 11% lower than Laredo
Laredo
109 (100 = avg)
Winston Salem
Winner97 (100 = avg)
Winston Salem's crime index is 97 versus 109 in Laredo (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 11% lower in Winston Salem. The difference is noticeable without being night-and-day. You will still want to pick the neighborhood carefully in Winston Salem, but you will usually spend less energy on constant vigilance than you would in Laredo. Tour both cities after dark before you let a modest index gap close the decision.
School scores
Neck and neck
Laredo and Winston Salem are about even on school scores.
Laredo
A- · 84/100
Winston Salem
A- · 84/100
School composites are effectively even (A- in Laredo, A- in Winston Salem). For families with kids this is a warning if you assumed one city was obviously better — at this range the campus, not the city name, decides it. Tour the zoned elementary you would actually use.
Typical weather
16% more comfortable
Winston Salem weather is 16% more comfortable than Laredo
Laredo
92°F typical
Winston Salem
WinnerComfort 52/100
Winston Salem scores 16% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Laredo reads as hot, long summers; Winston Salem reads as a mixed climate. Climate affects quality of life more than most people anticipate when planning a move. Consider how much time you spend outdoors and whether extreme heat or cold impacts your mood or productivity. Winston Salem is the better default if you want year-round outdoor access. Laredo can still be right if you love that climate on purpose — beach heat, dry heat, or a real winter — but you cannot return a city's weather.
Fit check
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Laredo
On these five categories Winston Salem takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose Laredo because the stats are kinder — they are not. Choose Laredo only if a job offer, family, a specific neighborhood, or a life you already started there outweighs the box score. Plenty of good moves ignore the aggregate; just do it on purpose.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside plus year-round outdoor access
Winston Salem is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 2% cheaper here at about $1,138 a month. Choose Winston Salem if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
It is also a match for career-focused movers who want salary upside and year-round outdoor access. Median household income runs 19% higher ($72,400), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two — closer to a livable outdoor day. That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.
Winston Salem is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 11% lower than Laredo (97 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Bottom line
If the job market is your priority, Winston Salem is the clear choice.
If weather matters more to you, Winston Salem pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, Winston Salem offers the better overall package.
Common questions
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