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%

Erwin$1,230/mo

Typical home $203K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $1,112/mo · Housing →

Dunn$1,380/mo

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

The difference: $150 a month, about $1,800 a year, between Dunn and Erwin.

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.

Where they are

Erwin and Dunn share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

ErwinDunn

Erwin ↔ Dunn3.5 miles apart · They share a border

Who commutes between them

167 Erwin residents work in Dunn (8.9% of its workers)

Work & commute in Erwin →

Report cards

Erwin places higher on 10 of 20 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

C−ErwinSafer than 17% of U.S. towns D−DunnSafer than 3% of U.S. towns

Schools

C+ErwinBetter than 37% of districts in the state C+DunnBetter than 37% of districts in the state

Health

CErwinHealthier than 26% of U.S. towns C−DunnHealthier than 23% of U.S. towns

10Erwin

9Dunn

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 296 towns #214#63 SafestSafety · 139 towns #72#129 Cheapest rentCost of living · 284 towns #153#39 Shortest commuteGetting around · 297 towns #272#166 Most walkableOutdoors · 297 towns #116#23 Fastest growingGrowth · 291 towns #191#273 Best schoolsSchools · 252 towns #179#237 Most remote workersWork · 285 towns #253#193

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

ErwinDunn

Snow a year2″2″

January low32°F 32°F

July high92°F 92°F

Growing season (days)226d 226d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)50th 28th

Outdoors & history

ErwinDunn

Trails0 mi 0 mi

Conserved land3.3%2.3%

Settled—1887

National Register places1 4

Archive photos6 18

Famous people born here4 —

Community

ErwinDunn

Library hours a week41 hrs 45 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.

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

ErwinDunn

People

Population 4,687Lowest 8,559Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.1%Highest NC: +9.5% -8.8%Lowest NC: +9.5%

Median age 47.1±5.2Highest 20% above NC 43.2±3.5Lowest 10% above NC

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

Kids under 18 18.3%±5.7Lowest NC: 21.8% 21.1%±2.9Highest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 21.7%±3.4Lowest NC: 17.2% 22.4%±2.7Highest NC: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.3%Lowest NC: 35.7% 20.9%Highest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.8%±1.6Lowest NC: 6.4% 4.7%±1.4Highest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $50,701±$7kHighest 30% below NC $46,830±$7kLowest 35% below NC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $161,100±$7kLowest 44% below NC $193,900±$13kHighest 33% below NC

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,112±$163Highest 9% below NC $788±$64Lowest 36% below NC

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,589Lowest 16% below NC $1,835Highest 3% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.9%±21.5Highest NC: 48.9% 40%±6.4Lowest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 12.2%Lowest NC: 13% 19.7%Highest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 71.4%Highest NC: 66.6% 54%Lowest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1966Lowest 25 yrs older than NC 1973Highest 18 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 32 minHighest 29% above NC 25 minLowest about the NC average

Work from home 4%±2.6Lowest NC: 16.3% 8%±2.8Highest NC: 16.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 4.6%Lowest 12.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 25.3 miLowest 27.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.87Lowest 1.47Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Raleigh (11%)Raleigh (12%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 9% work in DunnFew work in Erwin

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.3%Highest 2.3%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 56.5Lowest 85.0Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #179 of 252 in NC #237 of 252 in NC

School district Harnett County SchoolsHarnett County Schools

High school in town Triton HighHarnett County Early College

Students per teacherat that high school 22.0Lowest 34.3Highest

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.

Erwin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Erwin’s Town Square.

Dunn neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dunn’s Town Square.

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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.

Erwin vs Dunn

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs about the same each month

Erwin and Dunn share a border

Erwin places higher on 10 of 20 NC lists

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Erwin and Dunn

Towns like Erwin

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