A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Beech Mountain$2,610/mo

Typical home $451K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $1,137/mo · Housing →

Saluda$2,150/mo

Typical home $367K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.72% · or rent about $1,263/mo · Housing →

The difference: $460 a month, about $5,500 a year, between Beech Mountain and Saluda.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every North Carolina ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools

–Beech MountainNot graded B+SaludaBetter than 74% of districts in the state

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

Beech MountainSaluda

Snow a year31″5″

January low22°F 32°F

July high77°F 86°F

Growing season (days)167d 231d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)22nd 56th

Outdoors & history

Beech MountainSaluda

Trails19 mi 1 mi

Conserved land7%1.9%

Settled1981 —

National Register places—5

Archive photos—10

Famous people born here—1

Community

Beech MountainSaluda

Library hours a week—47 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

72 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Beech MountainNC SaludaNC

Beech Mountain ↔ Saluda72 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs North Carolina average

Beech MountainSaluda

People

Population 987Highest 683Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -11.5% NC: +9.5%

Median age 61.7±3.7Lowest 58% above NC 65.4±5Highest 67% above NC

Saluda and Beech Mountain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 8.6%±4.1Lowest NC: 21.8% 13.3%±4.2Highest NC: 21.8%

Saluda and Beech Mountain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 40.7%±8.8Lowest NC: 17.2% 51.7%±8.1Highest NC: 17.2%

Saluda and Beech Mountain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 53.4%Lowest NC: 35.7% 53.9%Highest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.6%±1.4Highest NC: 6.4% 1.9%±1.5Lowest NC: 6.4%

Beech Mountain and Saluda are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $90,855±$17kHighest 26% above NC $52,137±$7kLowest 28% below NC

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $443,500±$26kHighest 54% above NC $372,400±$48kLowest 29% above NC

Beech Mountain and Saluda are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,137±$31Lowest 7% below NC $1,263±$238Highest about the NC average

Saluda and Beech Mountain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,859Highest 51% above NC $2,682Lowest 41% above NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 14%±60.3Lowest NC: 48.9% 63.3%±46.9Highest NC: 48.9%

Saluda and Beech Mountain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 6.4%Lowest NC: 13% 13.2%Highest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 89.3%Highest NC: 66.6% 83.7%Lowest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1985Highest 6 yrs older than NC 1962Lowest 29 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minLowest 8% above NC 29 minHighest 14% above NC

Work from home 30.2%±2.7Highest NC: 16.3% 13.1%±12.7Lowest NC: 16.3%

Work in townworking residents 7.4%Highest 5.7%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.8 miLowest 20.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.66Lowest 0.88Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Banner Elk (11%)Hendersonville (13%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SaludaFew work in Beech Mountain

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 7%Highest 1.9%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 19.1 miHighest 0.6 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.9 miHighest 0.4 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 33.6Lowest 73.4Highest

Schools

School district —Polk County Schools

High school in town —None in town

North Carolina average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Beech Mountain neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Beech Mountain’s Town Square.

Saluda neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Saluda’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Beech Mountain

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Pine Knoll Shores1,351 people · $592K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks North Carolina towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Beech Mountain vs Saluda

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $460 more a month in Beech Mountain

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

72 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Beech Mountain and Saluda

Towns like Beech Mountain

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