Best Hospitals in North Carolina 2026
North Carolina has 120 hospitals with an average procedure payment of $15K. The top-rated hospital is Rex Hospital in Raleigh with a 5-star CMS rating.
120 North Carolina hospitals appear in the CMS Inpatient Payment dataset. Ranked by average payment per documented procedure: Wilson Medical Center is the lowest at $9,316; Carteret General Hospital the highest at $21,998. The gap between the extremes is large enough to matter for any patient with elective scheduling.
These rankings are pure-cost rankings. The quality dimension lives in the CMS Hospital Compare star rating shown alongside each entry; the combined-value grade on the right of the table aggregates both. For patients comparing hospital costs, the ranking is a useful first cut, but the procedure-specific page is the better tool: cost spreads vary by DRG code, and the all-procedure average can hide important per-procedure differences.
Across North Carolina's 120 Medicare-participating hospitals, the average payment per procedure is $15K, below the national average of $16K. 24% ofNorth Carolina's hospitals carry a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or higher, and 34% earn an A or B on our Value Score, which weighs price (40%), quality (40%), and patient outcomes (20%).
Procedure prices in North Carolina range from Wilson Medical Center at $9K per procedure to Carteret General Hospital at $22K — a difference of $13K on the same kinds of inpatient stays. Where you go for the same procedure can swing the bill by more than the procedure itself.
All numbers come from the latest CMS Hospital Compare release, which uses Medicare claims data and only reflects payments for Medicare inpatient stays — not what private insurers or self-pay patients actually pay. Star ratings combine seven groups of measures including mortality, patient safety, readmissions, and patient experience. Lower-priced hospitals can still earn an A on the Value Score if their quality stays competitive.
Top 3 Hospitals in North Carolina
Rex Hospital
Raleigh, NC
North Carolina's top-rated hospital with a 5-star CMS quality rating and an average payment of $10K per procedure. Outcome score: 88/100.
Asheville-Oteen Va Medical Center
Asheville, NC
Second-best in North Carolina. 5-star CMS rating with an outcome score of 70/100. Average procedure payment: $15K.
Duke University Hospital
Durham, NC
Third on quality + outcomes. 5-star CMS rating; Value Score 82/100. Lists 12 priced procedures.
Top 20 of 120 Hospitals in North Carolina
Hospital quality and cost data for North Carolina is sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on CMS quality ratings and patient outcomes, Rex Hospital in Raleigh is the top-rated hospital in North Carolina with a 5-star CMS rating and an average procedure payment of $10K. Its Value Score is 94/100 (Grade A).
North Carolina has 120 Medicare-participating hospitals. The average procedure payment across the state is $15K, and 34% of hospitals earn an A or B Value Score.
North Carolina's average procedure payment of $15K is below the national average of $16K. Within the state, prices range from $9K at Wilson Medical Center to $22K at Carteret General Hospital — a gap of $13K per procedure.
Of 120 hospitals analyzed in North Carolina, 29 (24%) earn a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or better. CMS star ratings combine measures of mortality, safety, readmission, patient experience, timeliness, and effectiveness of care.
Hospitals are ranked first by CMS star quality rating (1-5 stars), then by outcome score, which reflects mortality rates, patient safety, and readmissions. The Value Score combines price percentile (40%, lower price = higher score), quality rating (40%), and outcome score (20%).
Hospitals ranked by CMS star quality rating and outcome score. Value Score: price percentile (40% inverted), quality rating (40%), outcome score (20%).