What's Happening in Winston-Salem, NC…

Winston-Salem has come in second on a list of the 10 most affordable cities compiled by website The Simple Dollar.

The site, which helps people manage their finances, ranked Winston-Salem second only to Buffalo, New York, in affordability. No other North Carolina cities made the list.

Ilona Abramova, who compiled the rundown, did so by first looking at lists of cities put together by other publications that put together such rankings, and then adding in additional data, such as home prices and a city’s cultural attractions. She considered four other North Carolina cities (Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, and Raleigh), but ultimately none of them were selected.

Gayle Anderson, who is president of the city’s Chamber of Commerce, told the Winston-Salem Journal that the results of the survey were not particularly surprising to her. She added that the local chamber takes part in surveys about these issues with other chambers across the nation, and Winston-Salem repeatedly ranks highly for affordability. Anderson says the city’s cost of living is usually about 10% below the other communities taking part in the survey.

Anderson and Chamber of Commerce officials might consider working with brochure printers to create mailers highlighting Winston-Salem’s affordability. These could be sent to commercial realtors who could tell their clients about the opportunities for any businesses that might be considering opening locations in the city.