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Long View vs Spindale

39 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (4× in Long View) and growth since 2010 (+6.7 pts in Long View).

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Long View, NCHomes around $187KNorth Carolina · 5,011 people
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Spindale, NCHomes around $148KNorth Carolina · 4,131 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.

Long ViewHomes around $187K
Housing$187K typical home44% below the NC typical home Outdoors#56 most walkable in NC0.4 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves SchoolsBetter than 50%of NC districts All about Long View →
SpindaleHomes around $148K
Housing$148K typical home56% below the NC typical home Health94% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates College town1 collegeIsothermal Community College All about Spindale →
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.

Trails4×
Long View has more miles of trail
Long View 0.4 miSpindale 0.1 mi
Growth since 2010+6.7 pts
Long View has grown faster since 2010
Long View +4.5%Spindale -2.2%
Homeowners+9.5 pts renters
Spindale has more renters
Long View 53.1%Spindale 43.6%
Property tax bill+16%
Tax bills are bigger in Spindale
Spindale $1,455Long View $1,259
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $220 more a month in Long View

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.

Long View$1,100/mo
Typical home $187K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.80% · or rent about $794/mo · Housing →
Spindale$880/mo
Typical home $148K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.87% · or rent about $755/mo · Housing →

The difference: $220 a month, about $2,600 a year, between Long View and Spindale.

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

Long View places higher on 13 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.

Schools
B−Long ViewBetter than 50% of districts in the state B−SpindaleBetter than 51% of districts in the state
Health
CLong ViewHealthier than 30% of U.S. towns DSpindaleHealthier than 6% of U.S. towns
13Long View
3Spindale

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

Most remote workersWork · 285 towns #259#172 Most walkableOutdoors · 297 towns #56#142 HealthiestHealth · 296 towns #208#280 Fewest smokersHealth · 296 towns #216#288 Fastest growingGrowth · 291 towns #174#235 Most activeHealth · 296 towns #202#264 Lowest obesityHealth · 296 towns #213#264 Lowest depressionHealth · 296 towns #214#258

Left end = #1 in North Carolina. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Long View’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
Long ViewSpindale
Snow a year0″5″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)7th14th
Outdoors & history
Long ViewSpindale
Trails0 mi0 mi
Conserved land1.4%0.9%
Settled—1923
National Register places1—
Archive photos—11
Famous people born here—2
Community
Long ViewSpindale
Library hours a week—47 hrs
Colleges in town—1
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

39 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Long ViewNCSpindaleNC
Long View ↔ Spindale39 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.

Long ViewSpindale
People
Population 5,011Highest 4,131Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.5%Highest NC: +9.5% -2.2%Lowest NC: +9.5%
Median age 43.5±7.6Lowest 11% above NC 44.9±3.4Highest 15% above NC
Spindale and Long View are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 15.9%±4.7Highest NC: 21.8% 13.6%±4.9Lowest NC: 21.8%
Long View and Spindale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.6%±5Lowest NC: 17.2% 20.9%±5.2Highest NC: 17.2%
Spindale and Long View are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 7.9%Lowest NC: 35.7% 15.5%Highest NC: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1%±0.9Lowest NC: 6.4% 3.8%±2.1Highest NC: 6.4%
Spindale and Long View are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $46,739±$2kHighest 35% below NC $41,262±$6kLowest 43% below NC
Long View and Spindale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $157,300±$21kLowest 46% below NC $167,400±$44kHighest 42% below NC
Spindale and Long View are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $794±$158Highest 35% below NC $755±$33Lowest 39% below NC
Long View and Spindale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,259Lowest 34% below NC $1,455Highest 23% below NC
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 37.7%±16.2Highest NC: 48.9% 29.2%±15.4Lowest NC: 48.9%
Long View and Spindale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 11.3%Lowest NC: 13% 21.8%Highest NC: 13%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 53.1%Highest NC: 66.6% 43.6%Lowest NC: 66.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1970Highest 21 yrs older than NC 1964Lowest 27 yrs older than NC
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 5% below NC 25 minHighest about the NC average
Work from home 3.4%±3.7Lowest NC: 16.3% 9.2%±6.9Highest NC: 16.3%
Spindale and Long View are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 3.2%Lowest 5.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miLowest 23.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.39Highest 1.18Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Hickory (31%)Forest City (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SpindaleFew work in Long View
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.4%Highest 0.9%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.4 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 68.6Highest 52.4Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#210 of 252 in NC
School district Hickory City SchoolsRutherford County Schools
High school in town None in townNone in town
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.

Long View neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Long View’s Town Square.

Spindale neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Spindale’s Town Square.

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Bordering Long View

+ Compare
Hickory44,258 people · $278K homes
+ Compare
Hildebran2,207 people · $194K homes
M
+ Compare
Mountain View3,982 people · $223K homes

Towns like Long View

W
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Wallace3,457 people · $178K homes
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Williamston5,112 people · $107K homes
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Roxboro8,182 people · $158K homes
+ Compare
Tabor City3,777 people · $116K 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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