Winston-Salem is a city in the state of North Carolina. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest cityin the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to the tallest office buildings in the region, such as100 North Main Street. It is called the "Twin City" for its dual heritage, or "Camel City", a reference to Camel cigaretts and the city's prominent tobacco industry; many locals use "Winston" in informal speech. Other city nicknames include "The Dash," which is the name of the city's minor league baseball team and refers to the hyphen between "Winston" and "Salem". Winston-Salem is home to three universities and one college: Wake Forest University, a nationally distinguished private university, Winston-Salem State University, a historically-black universityfounded in 1892, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Salem College, a four-yearliberal arts college for women.

Winston-Salem is a prominent municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to the tallest office building in the region, the Wachovia Center. It is often referred to as the "Twin City" for its dual heritage, although "Camel City" is another popular nickname, referring to the city's prominent tobacco industry (after Camel cigarettes). Many locals, however, use the shortened name "Winston" in informal speech. "The Dash" is another nickname for Winston-Salem, referring to the hyphen between Winston and Salem. Winston-Salem is the home of Wake Forest University, a nationally distinguished private university.

Winston-Salem has grown to be an area known for its diversity of business and community, a strong and unwavering commitment to the arts, excellence in healthcare and technology, many opportunities for specialized and advanced education, and a high quality of life with a low cost of living.

You could shop till you drop and still not exhaust all of the opportunities for browsing and bargain hunting in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. Options range from the 1.8 million-square-foot Hanes Mall - the largest mall in the Carolinas - to the specialty shops and boutiques in the beautiful and historic Reynolda Village, part of a sprawling estate also featuring an art museum, restaurants and beautiful gardens. Such attractions draw shoppers from as far away as Virginia to the area, which is also home to many shopping centers housing a wide variety of national and regional retailers.

Housing Cost

Homes in Winston-Salem average $125,000 - $325,000 while ranging from $150,000 and up.

Demographics

Estimated population in July 2006: 196,990. Winston Salem covers 108.9 square miles. It sits at an elevation of 912 feet above sea leve.

Climate

Winston-Salem, NC climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's and very cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 30's.

The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 87.60 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 28.20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperature variations between night and day tend to be fairly limited during summer with a difference that can reach 19 degrees Fahrenheit, and moderate during winter with an average difference of 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

The annual average precipitation at Winston-Salem is 43.14 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is July with an average rainfall of 4.44 Inches.

Information provided by idcide.com and city data.com