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%

Bethania$1,700/mo

Typical home $291K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $1,617/mo · Housing →

Falcon$1,210/mo

Typical home $204K (Census) · tax rate 0.80% · Housing →

The difference: $500 a month, about $6,000 a year, between Bethania and Falcon.

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

–BethaniaNot graded C+FalconBetter than 36% 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

BethaniaFalcon

Snow a year6″2″

January low—32°F

July high—92°F

Growing season (days)—226d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)35th 43rd

Outdoors & history

BethaniaFalcon

Trails3 mi 1 mi

Conserved land19.4%0%

Settled1759 —

National Register places4 1

Famous people born here3 —

Community

BethaniaFalcon

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

116 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BethaniaNC FalconNC

Bethania ↔ Falcon116 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

BethaniaFalcon

People

Population 443Highest 272Lowest

Median age 55.7±7.1Lowest 42% above NC 58.5±2.2Highest 50% above NC

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

Kids under 18 16%±3.9Lowest NC: 21.8% 21%±25.7Highest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 32.7%±10.1Lowest NC: 17.2% 36%±29.4Highest NC: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 33.2%Highest NC: 35.7% 24.7%Lowest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.3%±1.8Highest NC: 6.4% 0%±7.3Lowest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $87,866±$16k 21% above NC —

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $290,000±$82kHighest about the NC average $204,200±$47kLowest 29% below NC

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,617±$306 32% above NC —

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,176Highest 15% above NC $1,625Lowest 14% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 69.6%±27.5Lowest NC: 48.9% 100%±100Highest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 15.6%Lowest NC: 13% 44.5%Highest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 80.6%Highest NC: 66.6% 77.5%Lowest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1975Lowest 16 yrs older than NC 1985Highest 6 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 33 minLowest 31% above NC 39 minHighest 54% above NC

Work from home 22.5%±9.9Highest NC: 16.3% 13%±12.4Lowest NC: 16.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 0.6%Lowest 0.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miLowest 19.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.15Lowest 0.71Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Winston-Salem (45%)Fayetteville (34%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in FalconFew work in Bethania

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 19.4%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 2.5 miHighest 1.4 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 3.6 miHighest 1.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 33.9Highest 14.2Lowest

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.

Bethania neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bethania’s Town Square.

Falcon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Falcon’s Town Square.

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Bath391 people · $382K homes

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.

Bethania vs Falcon

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $500 more a month in Bethania

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

116 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Bethania and Falcon

Towns like Bethania

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