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%

Falcon$1,210/mo

Typical home $204K (Census) · tax rate 0.80% · Housing →

Bethania$1,700/mo

Typical home $291K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $1,617/mo · Housing →

The difference: $500 a month, about $6,000 a year, between Bethania and Falcon.

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

Grades and rankings, side by side

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.

Schools

C+FalconBetter than 36% of districts in the state –BethaniaNot graded

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

FalconBethania

Snow a year2″6″

January low32°F —

July high92°F —

Growing season (days)226d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)43rd 35th

Outdoors & history

FalconBethania

Trails1 mi 3 mi

Conserved land0%19.4%

Settled—1759

National Register places1 4

Famous people born here—3

Community

FalconBethania

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

116 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

FalconNC BethaniaNC

Falcon ↔ Bethania116 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

FalconBethania

People

Population 272Lowest 443Highest

Median age 58.5±2.2Highest 50% above NC 55.7±7.1Lowest 42% above NC

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

Kids under 18 21%±25.7Highest NC: 21.8% 16%±3.9Lowest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 36%±29.4Highest NC: 17.2% 32.7%±10.1Lowest NC: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 24.7%Lowest NC: 35.7% 33.2%Highest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±7.3Lowest NC: 6.4% 2.3%±1.8Highest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian — $87,866±$16k 21% above NC

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $204,200±$47kLowest 29% below NC $290,000±$82kHighest about the NC average

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly — $1,617±$306 32% above NC

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,625Lowest 14% below NC $2,176Highest 15% above NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 100%±100Highest NC: 48.9% 69.6%±27.5Lowest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 44.5%Highest NC: 13% 15.6%Lowest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 77.5%Lowest NC: 66.6% 80.6%Highest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1985Highest 6 yrs older than NC 1975Lowest 16 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 39 minHighest 54% above NC 33 minLowest 31% above NC

Work from home 13%±12.4Lowest NC: 16.3% 22.5%±9.9Highest NC: 16.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 0.9%Highest 0.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.3 miHighest 9.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.71Highest 0.15Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Fayetteville (34%)Winston-Salem (45%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BethaniaFew work in Falcon

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 19.4%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 1.4 miLowest 2.5 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.0 miLowest 3.6 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 4Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 14.2Lowest 33.9Highest

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.

Falcon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Falcon’s Town Square.

Bethania neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bethania’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Falcon and Bethania

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Towns like Falcon

+ Compare

Vandemere209 people · $108K homes

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Halifax294 people

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Whitsett569 people · $213K homes

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Newton Grove498 people · $150K 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.

Falcon vs Bethania

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $500 more a month in Bethania

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

116 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Falcon and Bethania

Towns like Falcon

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