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%

Marion$1,370/mo

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

Hamlet$800/mo

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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

14Marion

5Hamlet

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

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

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

MarionHamlet

Snow a year7″1″

January low28°F 33°F

July high85°F 92°F

Growing season (days)209d 220d

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

Outdoors & history

MarionHamlet

Trails2 mi 0 mi

Conserved land9.9%3.6%

Settled1844 —

National Register places10 2

Archive photos—12

Famous people born here—9

Community

MarionHamlet

Library hours a week44 hrs 43 hrs

Colleges in town1 1

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 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

140 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MarionNC HamletNC

Marion ↔ Hamlet140 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

MarionHamlet

People

Population 7,579Highest 5,961Lowest

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

Median age 39.1±2.4Lowest about the NC average 39.5±6Highest 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 19.1%±3.2Lowest NC: 21.8% 22.7%±7Highest 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+ 16.5%±3.3Lowest NC: 17.2% 17%±4.4Highest 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+ 15.6%Highest NC: 35.7% 15.5%Lowest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.4%±1.6Lowest NC: 6.4% 8.6%±5.4Highest 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 $51,314±$16kHighest 29% below NC $41,590±$4kLowest 43% 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 $163,500±$10kHighest 43% below NC $112,600±$20kLowest 61% below NC

Rentmedian gross, monthly $762±$120Highest 38% below NC $640±$47Lowest 48% 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 $922Lowest 51% below NC $1,112Highest 41% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43.4%±10.5Highest NC: 48.9% 38.4%±15.3Lowest 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 23.5%Highest NC: 13% 21.6%Lowest NC: 13%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 2.6%±2.9Lowest NC: 16.3% 8%±5.7Highest 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 20.7%Highest 9.1%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.3 miLowest 22.8 miHighest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in HamletFew work in Marion

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 9.9%Highest 3.6%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 2.1 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 6Highest

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

Schools

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

School district McDowell County SchoolsRichmond County Schools

High school in town McDowell Early CollegeRichmond Early College High

Students per teacherat that high school 19.8Lowest 37.7Highest

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.

Marion neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Marion can answer.

Hamlet neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hamlet’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Marion and Hamlet

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

Bordering Marion

+ Compare

West Marion1,066 people · $162K homes

+ Compare

Nebo1,670 people · $130K homes

Towns like Marion

+ Compare

Nashville5,729 people · $205K homes

+ Compare

Siler City7,995 people · $155K homes

+ Compare

Oxford8,914 people · $196K homes

+ Compare

Clinton8,304 people · $212K 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.

Marion vs Hamlet

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 Marion and Hamlet

Bordering Marion

Towns like Marion

Post to Marion

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