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%

Dunn$1,380/mo

Typical home $228K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.95% · or rent about $788/mo · Housing →

Clinton$940/mo

Typical home $160K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $759/mo · Housing →

The difference: $440 a month, about $5,300 a year, between Dunn and Clinton.

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

Dunn places higher on 11 of 21 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.

Safety

D−DunnSafer than 3% of U.S. towns DClintonSafer than 7% of U.S. towns

Schools

C+DunnBetter than 37% of districts in the state C+ClintonBetter than 42% of districts in the state

Health

C−DunnHealthier than 23% of U.S. towns DClintonHealthier than 14% of U.S. towns

11Dunn

10Clinton

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Best schoolsSchools · 252 towns #237#102 Shortest commuteGetting around · 297 towns #166#41 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 296 towns #172#260 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 297 towns #198#279 Highest graduation rateSchools · 284 towns #173#245 Most walkableOutdoors · 297 towns #23#95 Lowest obesityHealth · 296 towns #213#264 SafestSafety · 139 towns #129#107

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

DunnClinton

Snow a year2″2″

January low32°F 32°F

July high92°F 90°F

Growing season (days)226d 226d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)28th 84th

Outdoors & history

DunnClinton

Trails0 mi 1 mi

Conserved land2.3%3.2%

Settled1887 1740

National Register places4 13

Archive photos18 12

Famous people born here—26

Community

DunnClinton

Library hours a week45 hrs 44 hrs

Colleges in town—1

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

27 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

DunnClinton

Dunn ↔ Clinton27 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

DunnClinton

People

Population 8,559Highest 8,304Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8.8%Lowest NC: +9.5% -3%Highest NC: +9.5%

Median age 43.2±3.5Highest 10% above NC 39.9±2.5Lowest about the NC average

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

Kids under 18 21.1%±2.9Lowest NC: 21.8% 22.9%±3.3Highest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 22.4%±2.7Lowest NC: 17.2% 24.3%±3Highest NC: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 20.9%Lowest NC: 35.7% 23.8%Highest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.7%±1.4Highest NC: 6.4% 4.1%±1.4Lowest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $46,830±$7kHighest 35% below NC $44,953±$4kLowest 38% below NC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $193,900±$13kLowest 33% below NC $212,000±$16kHighest 27% below NC

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $788±$64Highest 36% below NC $759±$56Lowest 38% below NC

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,835Highest 3% below NC $1,590Lowest 16% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 40%±6.4Highest NC: 48.9% 38.4%±6.4Lowest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 19.7%Lowest NC: 13% 23.6%Highest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 54%Highest NC: 66.6% 48.6%Lowest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1973Lowest 18 yrs older than NC 1975Highest 16 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 25 minHighest about the NC average 20 minLowest 22% below NC

Work from home 8%±2.8 NC: 16.3% 8%±4.1 NC: 16.3%

Work in townworking residents 12.1%Lowest 25.6%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 27.3 mi 27.3 mi

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.47Lowest 2.54Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Raleigh (12%)Raleigh (4%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ClintonFew work in Dunn

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.3%Lowest 3.2%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 1.2 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 85.0Highest 59.7Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #237 of 252 in NC #102 of 252 in NC

School district Harnett County SchoolsClinton City Schools · Sampson County Schools

High school in town Harnett County Early CollegeClinton High

Students per teacherat that high school 34.3Highest 18.9Lowest

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.

Dunn neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dunn’s Town Square.

Clinton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Clinton’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Dunn and Clinton

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

Bordering Dunn

+ Compare

Erwin4,687 people · $161K homes

Towns like Dunn

+ Compare

Oxford8,914 people · $196K homes

+ Compare

Mount Airy10,633 people · $182K homes

+ Compare

Roxboro8,182 people · $158K homes

+ Compare

Reidsville14,585 people · $139K 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.

Dunn vs Clinton

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $440 more a month in Dunn

Dunn places higher on 11 of 21 NC lists

What daily life feels like in each

27 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Dunn and Clinton

Bordering Dunn

Towns like Dunn

Post to Dunn

Check your email