Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Canton vs Stanley

99 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+64% in Stanley) and jobs per worker (2.2× in Canton).

×
Canton, NCAn outdoors townNorth Carolina · 4,419 people
×
Stanley, NCAn outdoors townNorth Carolina · 4,069 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $510 more a month in Stanley

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.

Canton$1,680/mo
Typical home $292K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $790/mo · Housing →
Stanley$2,190/mo
Typical home $364K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.94% · or rent about $1,122/mo · Housing →

The difference: $510 a month, about $6,100 a year, between Stanley and Canton.

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 11 of 19 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.

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
CantonStanley
Snow a year10″1″
January low25°F31°F
July high83°F91°F
Growing season (days)185d228d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)65th5th
Outdoors & history
CantonStanley
Trails0 mi1 mi
Conserved land1%2.4%
Settled18891879
National Register places31
Archive photos6—
Famous people born here82
Community
CantonStanley
Library hours a week43 hrs40 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

99 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Canton ↔ Stanley99 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.

CantonStanley
People
Population 4,419Highest 4,069Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.6%Lowest NC: +9.5% +11.4%Highest NC: +9.5%
Median age 36.7±4.8Lowest 6% below NC 36.9±5.7Highest 6% below NC
Stanley and Canton 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% 20.7%±5.1Highest NC: 21.8%
Stanley and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 18.3%±5.4Highest NC: 17.2% 16.6%±3.4Lowest NC: 17.2%
Canton and Stanley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.7%Lowest NC: 35.7% 23.1%Highest NC: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.3%±2Lowest NC: 6.4% 8.1%±2.7Highest NC: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $69,924±$13kLowest 3% below NC $75,461±$20kHighest 4% above NC
Stanley and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $246,700±$31kLowest 15% below NC $270,200±$51kHighest 6% below NC
Stanley and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $790±$274Lowest 36% below NC $1,122±$84Highest 9% below NC
Stanley and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,545Lowest 19% below NC $2,533Highest 34% above NC
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.6%±24.6Highest NC: 48.9% 43.2%±16.9Lowest NC: 48.9%
Canton and Stanley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 15%Highest NC: 13% 8.1%Lowest NC: 13%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 70.6%Lowest NC: 66.6% 70.7%Highest NC: 66.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1960Lowest 31 yrs older than NC 1979Highest 12 yrs older than NC
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minLowest about the NC average 26 minHighest 4% above NC
Work from home 2.2%±1.9Lowest NC: 16.3% 11.1%±5.9Highest NC: 16.3%
Work in townworking residents 12.4%Highest 3.1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 mi 16.3 mi
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.37Highest 0.61Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Asheville (23%)Charlotte (34%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in StanleyFew work in Canton
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1%Lowest 2.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.3 miLowest 0.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 2Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 112Highest 65.8Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #81 of 252 in NC#149 of 252 in NC
School district Haywood County SchoolsGaston County Schools
High school in town Pisgah HighNone in town
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.

Stanley neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Stanley’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Canton and Stanley

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Canton

Towns like Canton

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.

Post to Canton

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in