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

CGrahamSafer than 26% of U.S. towns –MorgantonNot graded

Schools

CGrahamBetter than 32% of districts in the state BMorgantonBetter than 57% of districts in the state

Health

C+GrahamHealthier than 39% of U.S. towns C−MorgantonHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns

12Graham

10Morganton

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 284 towns #245#35 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 297 towns #213#23 Shortest commuteGetting around · 297 towns #186#11 Lowest depressionHealth · 296 towns #63#214 Most walkableOutdoors · 297 towns #88#217 Fastest growingGrowth · 291 towns #66#187 Most new homesHousing · 92 towns #16#54 Most conserved landOutdoors · 276 towns #203#95

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $160 more a month in Graham

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%

Graham$1,690/mo

Typical home $292K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.67% · or rent about $1,071/mo · Housing →

Morganton$1,540/mo

Typical home $261K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.76% · or rent about $944/mo · Housing →

The difference: $160 a month, about $1,900 a year, between Graham and Morganton.

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.

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

GrahamMorganton

Snow a year2″5″

January low—28°F

July high—88°F

Growing season (days)—202d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)47th 44th

Outdoors & history

GrahamMorganton

Trails4 mi 10 mi

Conserved land1.5%5.4%

Settled—1777

National Register places6 33

Archive photos17 —

Community

GrahamMorganton

Library hours a week56 hrs 57 hrs

Colleges in town1 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

131 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

GrahamNC MorgantonNC

Graham ↔ Morganton131 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

GrahamMorganton

People

Population 18,048Highest 17,646Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +21.2%Highest NC: +9.5% +3.3%Lowest NC: +9.5%

Median age 37.8±2.5 3% below NC 37.8±3.7 3% below NC

Kids under 18 20.9%±3Lowest NC: 21.8% 24.4%±3.1Highest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 17.8%±2.2Lowest NC: 17.2% 22%±2.6Highest NC: 17.2%

Morganton and Graham 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% 26.1%Highest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.1%±1.6Lowest NC: 6.4% 5.9%±1.9Highest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $56,239±$2kHighest 22% below NC $51,355±$3kLowest 29% below NC

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $233,800±$16kHighest 19% below NC $221,700±$21kLowest 23% below NC

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,071±$55Highest 13% below NC $944±$40Lowest 23% below NC

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,570Lowest 17% below NC $1,689Highest 11% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.1%±7.2Lowest NC: 48.9% 48%±11.7Highest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 16.8%Lowest NC: 13% 25.7%Highest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 53.2%Lowest NC: 66.6% 54.7%Highest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1987Highest 4 yrs older than NC 1976Lowest 15 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minHighest about the NC average 18 minLowest 29% below NC

Work from home 10.3%±2.7Highest NC: 16.3% 8.1%±2.6Lowest NC: 16.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 7.7%Lowest 35.8%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.3 miHighest 16.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.94Lowest 2.83Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Burlington (20%)Hickory (7%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MorgantonFew work in Graham

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.5%Lowest 5.4%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 4.3 miLowest 9.6 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miLowest 0.5 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Lowest 14Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 62.0Highest 38.2Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #174 of 252 in NC #118 of 252 in NC

School district Alamance-Burlington Schools · Alamance Community SchoolThe New Dimensions School · Burke County Schools

High school in town Graham HighFreedom High

Students per teacherat that high school 18.4Lowest 22.7Highest

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.

Graham neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Graham’s Town Square.

Morganton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Morganton’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Graham

+ Compare

Burlington59,610 people · $199K homes

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Haw River2,824 people · $162K homes

Towns like Graham

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Albemarle16,762 people · $205K homes

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Statesville29,894 people · $248K homes

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Shelby22,100 people · $197K homes

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Lincolnton11,783 people · $249K 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.

Graham vs Morganton

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Graham places higher on 12 of 22 NC lists

A typical home costs $160 more a month in Graham

What daily life feels like in each

131 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Graham and Morganton

Bordering Graham

Towns like Graham

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