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%

Hamlet$800/mo

Typical home $132K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $640/mo · Housing →

Marion$1,370/mo

Typical home $239K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.56% · or rent about $762/mo · Housing →

The difference: $570 a month, about $6,800 a year, between Marion and Hamlet.

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

Marion places higher on 14 of 19 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

–HamletNot graded C−MarionSafer than 15% of U.S. towns

Schools

CHamletBetter than 29% of districts in the state C+MarionBetter than 43% of districts in the state

Health

DHamletHealthier than 7% of U.S. towns CMarionHealthier than 27% of U.S. towns

5Hamlet

14Marion

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest obesityHealth · 296 towns #264#167 Best schoolsSchools · 252 towns #162#85 Most conserved landOutdoors · 276 towns #130#47 Most walkableOutdoors · 297 towns #48#135 Most remote workersWork · 285 towns #195#272 Highest graduation rateSchools · 284 towns #245#173 Lowest depressionHealth · 296 towns #214#139 Most activeHealth · 296 towns #264#202

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

HamletMarion

Snow a year1″7″

January low33°F 28°F

July high92°F 85°F

Growing season (days)220d 209d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)42nd 16th

Outdoors & history

HamletMarion

Trails0 mi 2 mi

Conserved land3.6%9.9%

Settled—1844

National Register places2 10

Archive photos12 —

Famous people born here9 —

Community

HamletMarion

Library hours a week43 hrs 44 hrs

Colleges in town1 1

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

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

140 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

HamletNC MarionNC

Hamlet ↔ Marion140 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

HamletMarion

People

Population 5,961Lowest 7,579Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -7.2%Lowest NC: +9.5% -1.5%Highest NC: +9.5%

Median age 39.5±6Highest about the NC average 39.1±2.4Lowest about the NC average

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

Kids under 18 22.7%±7Highest NC: 21.8% 19.1%±3.2Lowest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 17%±4.4Highest NC: 17.2% 16.5%±3.3Lowest NC: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15.5%Lowest NC: 35.7% 15.6%Highest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.6%±5.4Highest NC: 6.4% 3.4%±1.6Lowest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $41,590±$4kLowest 43% below NC $51,314±$16kHighest 29% below NC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $112,600±$20kLowest 61% below NC $163,500±$10kHighest 43% below NC

Rentmedian gross, monthly $640±$47Lowest 48% below NC $762±$120Highest 38% below NC

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,112Highest 41% below NC $922Lowest 51% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 38.4%±15.3Lowest NC: 48.9% 43.4%±10.5Highest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 21.6%Lowest NC: 13% 23.5%Highest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 52%Highest NC: 66.6% 51.3%Lowest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1963Lowest 28 yrs older than NC 1968Highest 23 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 12% below NC 22 minLowest 14% below NC

Work from home 8%±5.7Highest NC: 16.3% 2.6%±2.9Lowest NC: 16.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 9.1%Lowest 20.7%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 22.8 miHighest 20.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.78Lowest 2.03Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Rockingham (15%)Asheville (8%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MarionFew work in Hamlet

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.6%Lowest 9.9%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 2.1 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 6Highest 2Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 71.3Highest 53.6Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #162 of 252 in NC #85 of 252 in NC

School district Richmond County SchoolsMcDowell County Schools

High school in town Richmond Early College HighMcDowell Early College

Students per teacherat that high school 37.7Highest 19.8Lowest

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.

Hamlet neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hamlet’s Town Square.

Marion neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Marion can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Hamlet and Marion

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Hamlet

+ Compare

Dobbins Heights560 people · $56K homes

Towns like Hamlet

+ Compare

Ahoskie4,764 people · $143K homes

+ Compare

Siler City7,995 people · $155K homes

+ Compare

Nashville5,729 people · $205K homes

+ Compare

Tabor City3,777 people · $116K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks North Carolina towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

Hamlet vs Marion

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $570 more a month in Marion

Marion places higher on 14 of 19 NC lists

What daily life feels like in each

140 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Hamlet and Marion

Bordering Hamlet

Towns like Hamlet

Post to Hamlet

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