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.

Safety

–ConoverNot graded C+ButnerSafer than 38% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+ConoverBetter than 65% of districts in the state CButnerBetter than 27% of districts in the state

Health

C+ConoverHealthier than 40% of U.S. towns C−ButnerHealthier than 22% of U.S. towns

9Conover

10Butner

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most conserved landOutdoors · 276 towns #245#7 Lowest depressionHealth · 296 towns #214#63 Most remote workersWork · 285 towns #252#124 Shortest commuteGetting around · 297 towns #23#150 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 297 towns #239#116 Cheapest rentCost of living · 284 towns #84#192 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 296 towns #210#278 Fastest growingGrowth · 291 towns #190#128

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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%

Conover$1,600/mo

Typical home $278K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $898/mo · Housing →

Butner$1,570/mo

Typical home $268K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $1,307/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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.

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

ConoverButner

Snow a year4″2″

January low29°F —

July high87°F —

Growing season (days)217d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)12th 35th

Outdoors & history

ConoverButner

Trails2 mi 1 mi

Conserved land0.6%41.1%

Settled1876 —

National Register places2 —

Archive photos4 4

Famous people born here2 —

Community

ConoverButner

Library hours a week39 hrs 52 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

141 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ConoverNC ButnerNC

Conover ↔ Butner141 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

ConoverButner

People

Population 8,580Highest 8,065Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.1%Lowest NC: +9.5% +10.6%Highest NC: +9.5%

Median age 36.8±9Lowest 6% below NC 40.3±3.5Highest 3% above NC

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

Kids under 18 30.5%±5.5Highest NC: 21.8% 21.9%±3.9Lowest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 18%±4.4Highest NC: 17.2% 16.8%±3.5Lowest NC: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.8%Lowest NC: 35.7% 27%Highest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.1%±1.2Lowest NC: 6.4% 4.4%±1.9Highest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $65,972±$10kLowest 9% below NC $74,739±$6kHighest 3% above NC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $271,300±$30kHighest 6% below NC $231,100±$15kLowest 20% below NC

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $898±$100Lowest 27% below NC $1,307±$129Highest 6% above NC

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,723Lowest 9% below NC $1,726Highest 9% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 55.5%±16.3Highest NC: 48.9% 41.1%±14.7Lowest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 15.7%Highest NC: 13% 15%Lowest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 69%Lowest NC: 66.6% 73.8%Highest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1991 same as NC 1991 same as NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 25% below NC 24 minHighest 4% below NC

Work from home 4.1%±2.4Lowest NC: 16.3% 12.2%±4Highest NC: 16.3%

Work in townworking residents 11.2%Highest 5.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.3 miLowest 18.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.76Highest 1.45Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Hickory (22%)Durham (24%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ButnerFew work in Conover

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.6%Lowest 41.1%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 1.8 miHighest 1.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 38.1Highest 23.3Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #132 of 252 in NC #112 of 252 in NC

School district Catawba County Schools · Newton Conover City SchoolsGranville County Schools

High school in town None in townGranville Early College High

Students per teacherat that high school — 31.4

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.

Conover neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Conover’s Town Square.

Butner neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Butner’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Conover and Butner

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

Bordering Conover

+ Compare

Newton13,333 people · $186K homes

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St. Stephens9,457 people · $213K homes

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Hickory44,258 people · $278K homes

Towns like Conover

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Cherryville6,226 people · $232K homes

+ Compare

Zebulon8,711 people · $321K homes

+ Compare

Dallas6,104 people · $254K homes

+ Compare

Walkertown5,873 people · $237K 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.

Conover vs Butner

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Butner places higher on 10 of 19 NC lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

141 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Conover and Butner

Bordering Conover

Towns like Conover

Post to Conover

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