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%

Franklin$1,730/mo

Typical home $300K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $725/mo · Housing →

Spruce Pine$1,490/mo

Typical home $258K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $837/mo · Housing →

The difference: $240 a month, about $2,900 a year, between Franklin and Spruce Pine.

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.

Safety

C−FranklinSafer than 22% of U.S. towns –Spruce PineNot graded

Schools

B+FranklinBetter than 69% of districts in the state BSpruce PineBetter than 58% of districts in the state

Health

CFranklinHealthier than 35% of U.S. towns B−Spruce PineHealthier than 50% of U.S. towns

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

FranklinSpruce Pine

Snow a year3″13″

January low26°F 23°F

July high84°F 79°F

Growing season (days)187d 171d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)22nd 46th

Outdoors & history

FranklinSpruce Pine

Trails1 mi 2 mi

Conserved land3%2.5%

Settled1820 1913

National Register places7 2

Archive photos6 18

Famous people born here8 4

Community

FranklinSpruce Pine

Library hours a week—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.

Where they are

89 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

FranklinNC Spruce PineNC

Franklin ↔ Spruce Pine89 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

FranklinSpruce Pine

People

Population 4,268Highest 2,398Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +8.6%Highest NC: +9.5% +0.9%Lowest NC: +9.5%

Median age 48.1±4.4Lowest 23% above NC 48.6±7.8Highest 24% above NC

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

Kids under 18 14.2%±4.6Lowest NC: 21.8% 15.1%±3.9Highest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 28.8%±6.3Highest NC: 17.2% 21.7%±3.1Lowest NC: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 25.6%Highest NC: 35.7% 24.4%Lowest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.2%±3.3Highest NC: 6.4% 4.9%±3.3Lowest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $47,888±$4kHighest 34% below NC $42,098±$9kLowest 42% below NC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $195,000±$24kLowest 33% below NC $207,500±$41kHighest 28% below NC

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $725±$85Lowest 41% below NC $837±$121Highest 32% below NC

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,227Lowest 35% below NC $1,324Highest 30% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 35.6%±15.1Lowest NC: 48.9% 46.8%±16.3Highest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 12.7%Lowest NC: 13% 22.5%Highest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 58.2%Lowest NC: 66.6% 64.4%Highest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1981Highest 10 yrs older than NC 1968Lowest 23 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 23 minHighest 8% below NC 22 minLowest 14% below NC

Work from home 5%±3.1Highest NC: 16.3% 3.9%±4.3Lowest NC: 16.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 30.7%Highest 16.3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 14.3 miHighest 10.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 3.31Highest 2.14Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Asheville (6%)Bakersville (4%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Spruce PineFew work in Franklin

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3%Highest 2.5%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.9 miLowest 1.5 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 2Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 80.3Highest 39.6Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #40 of 252 in NC—

School district Macon County Schools—

High school in town Franklin High—

Students per teacherat that high school 21.2 —

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.

Franklin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Franklin’s Town Square.

Spruce Pine neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Spruce Pine’s Town Square.

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Towns like Franklin

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Newport4,441 people · $234K 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.

Franklin vs Spruce Pine

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $240 more a month in Franklin

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

89 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Franklin and Spruce Pine

Towns like Franklin

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