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%

Canton$1,680/mo

Typical home $292K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $790/mo · Housing →

Green Level$990/mo

Typical home $168K (Census) · tax rate 0.78% · or rent about $891/mo · Housing →

The difference: $690 a month, about $8,300 a year, between Canton and Green Level.

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

Canton places higher on 12 of 18 NC lists

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

B+CantonBetter than 69% of districts in the state –Green LevelNot graded

Health

BCantonHealthier than 65% of U.S. towns DGreen LevelHealthier than 14% of U.S. towns

12Canton

6Green Level

Lists won, of 18 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 296 towns #286#4 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 296 towns #90#291 Lowest obesityHealth · 296 towns #84#281 Highest graduation rateSchools · 284 towns #93#245 Fastest growingGrowth · 291 towns #172#31 Most activeHealth · 296 towns #117#252 HealthiestHealth · 296 towns #128#255 Shortest commuteGetting around · 297 towns #155#274

Left end = #1 in North Carolina. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Canton’s rankings →

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

CantonGreen Level

Snow a year10″2″

January low25°F —

July high83°F —

Growing season (days)185d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)65th 32nd

Outdoors & history

CantonGreen Level

Trails0 mi —

Conserved land1%—

Settled1889 —

National Register places3 —

Archive photos6 —

Famous people born here8 —

Community

CantonGreen Level

Library hours a week43 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

200 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

CantonNC Green LevelNC

Canton ↔ Green Level200 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

CantonGreen Level

People

Population 4,419Highest 3,230Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.6%Lowest NC: +9.5% +50.1%Highest NC: +9.5%

Median age 36.7±4.8Highest 6% below NC 32±3.1Lowest 18% below NC

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

Kids under 18 18.6%±4.8Lowest NC: 21.8% 33.9%±7Highest NC: 21.8%

Age 65+ 18.3%±5.4Highest NC: 17.2% 17%±4.4Lowest NC: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.7%Highest NC: 35.7% 13.3%Lowest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.3%±2 NC: 6.4% 3.3%±1.9 NC: 6.4%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $69,924±$13kHighest 3% below NC $55,823±$10kLowest 23% below NC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $246,700±$31kHighest 15% below NC $168,400±$35kLowest 42% below NC

Rentmedian gross, monthly $790±$274Lowest 36% below NC $891±$106Highest 27% below NC

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,545Highest 19% below NC $1,317Lowest 31% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.6%±24.6Highest NC: 48.9% 32.3%±21Lowest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 15%Lowest NC: 13% 19%Highest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 70.6%Highest NC: 66.6% 67.1%Lowest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1960Lowest 31 yrs older than NC 1986Highest 5 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minLowest about the NC average 33 minHighest 30% above NC

Work from home 2.2%±1.9Lowest NC: 16.3% 8.9%±5Highest NC: 16.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 12.4%Highest 0.5%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miLowest 22.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.37Highest 0.04Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Asheville (23%)Burlington (18%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Green LevelFew work in Canton

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1%Lowest 2%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.3 mi 0.3 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 112Highest 67.6Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #81 of 252 in NC—

School district Haywood County Schools—

High school in town Pisgah High—

Students per teacherat that high school 21.4 —

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.

Canton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Canton’s Town Square.

Green Level neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Green Level’s Town Square.

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Set another town beside Canton and Green Level

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Bordering Canton

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West Canton1,412 people · $197K homes

Towns like Canton

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Stanley4,069 people · $270K homes

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Sawmills5,042 people · $220K homes

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Lillington4,709 people · $247K homes

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Bessemer City5,580 people · $206K 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.

Canton vs Green Level

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $690 more a month in Canton

Canton places higher on 12 of 18 NC lists

What daily life feels like in each

200 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Canton and Green Level

Bordering Canton

Towns like Canton

Post to Canton

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