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Compare towns

Erwin vs Spencer

102 miles apart. The biggest differences: work from home (+14.7 pts in Spencer) and home values (+25% in Spencer).

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Erwin, NCHomes around $203KNorth Carolina · 4,687 people
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Spencer, NCOne of the healthiest townsNorth Carolina · 3,349 people
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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.

ErwinHomes around $203K
Housing$203K typical home39% below the NC typical home Outdoors#116 most walkable in NC0.0 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves SafetySafer than 17%of U.S. towns we grade All about Erwin →
SpencerOne of the healthiest towns
Health78% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$205K typical home39% below the NC typical home Outdoors#77 most conserved land in NC0.0 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Spencer →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

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

Work from home+14.7 pts
More people work from home in Spencer
Spencer 18.7%Erwin 4%
Home values+25%
Homes cost more in Spencer
Spencer $201,700Erwin $161,100
Typical home built16 yrs
Spencer’s homes are older
Erwin 1966Spencer 1950
Bachelor’s degree++8.3 pts
More adults in Spencer have a degree
Spencer 25.6%Erwin 17.3%
★ What stands out · 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.

Erwin$1,230/mo
Typical home $203K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $1,112/mo · Housing →
Spencer$1,230/mo
Typical home $205K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.91% · or rent about $1,000/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.

Report cards

Spencer places higher on 8 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.

Safety
C−ErwinSafer than 17% of U.S. towns –SpencerNot graded
Schools
C+ErwinBetter than 37% of districts in the state CSpencerBetter than 34% of districts in the state
Health
CErwinHealthier than 26% of U.S. towns C−SpencerHealthier than 22% of U.S. towns
7Erwin
8Spencer

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

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 297 towns #220#28 Lowest depressionHealth · 296 towns #214#63 Highest graduation rateSchools · 284 towns #173#93 Best schoolsSchools · 252 towns #179#245 Most educatedPeople · 297 towns #251#175 Highest incomeIncome · 297 towns #233#160 Most conserved landOutdoors · 276 towns #139#77 Lowest obesityHealth · 296 towns #167#230

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
ErwinSpencer
Snow a year2″2″
January low32°F29°F
July high92°F88°F
Growing season (days)226d208d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)50th27th
Outdoors & history
ErwinSpencer
Trails0 mi0 mi
Conserved land3.3%6.5%
Settled—1905
National Register places14
Archive photos615
Famous people born here45
Community
ErwinSpencer
Library hours a week41 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

102 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ErwinNCSpencerNC
Erwin ↔ Spencer102 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.

ErwinSpencer
People
Population 4,687Highest 3,349Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.1%Highest NC: +9.5% +1.3%Lowest NC: +9.5%
Median age 47.1±5.2Highest 20% above NC 44.2±5.9Lowest 13% above NC
Erwin and Spencer 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% 19%±5.7Highest NC: 21.8%
Spencer 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% 23.4%±6.5Highest NC: 17.2%
Spencer 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% 25.6%Highest NC: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.8%±1.6Lowest NC: 6.4% 8.8%±5Highest NC: 6.4%
Spencer 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±$7kLowest 30% below NC $65,465±$17kHighest 10% below NC
Spencer and Erwin 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 $201,700±$26kHighest 30% below NC
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,112±$163Highest 9% below NC $1,000±$200Lowest 19% below NC
Erwin and Spencer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,589Lowest 16% below NC $1,827Highest 4% below NC
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.9%±21.5Highest NC: 48.9% 51.3%±17.5Lowest NC: 48.9%
Erwin and Spencer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 12.2%Highest NC: 13% 11.2%Lowest NC: 13%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 71.4%Lowest NC: 66.6% 72.7%Highest NC: 66.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1966Highest 25 yrs older than NC 1950Lowest 41 yrs older than NC
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 32 minHighest 29% above NC 32 minLowest 27% above NC
Work from home 4%±2.6Lowest NC: 16.3% 18.7%±10.7Highest NC: 16.3%
Work in townworking residents 4.6%Highest 3%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 25.3 miHighest 21.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.87Highest 0.78Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Raleigh (11%)Salisbury (24%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SpencerFew work in Erwin
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3.3%Lowest 6.5%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 56.5Highest 52.1Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #179 of 252 in NC#245 of 252 in NC
School district Harnett County SchoolsRowan-Salisbury Schools
High school in town Triton HighNorth Rowan High
Students per teacherat that high school 22.0Highest 20.0Lowest
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.

Spencer neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Spencer’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Erwin and Spencer

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Bordering Erwin

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Dunn8,559 people · $194K homes

Towns like Erwin

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Burgaw3,850 people · $242K homes
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Wadesboro4,972 people · $153K homes
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Newport4,441 people · $234K homes
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Lowell3,768 people · $201K 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.

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