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%

Mesic$1,030/mo

Typical home $174K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.85% · Housing →

Vandemere$1,240/mo

Typical home $184K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · Housing →

The difference: $210 a month, about $2,500 a year, between Vandemere and Mesic.

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

MesicVandemere

Snow a year0″1″

January low36°F 34°F

July high89°F 88°F

Growing season (days)272d 224d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)99th 99th

Outdoors & history

MesicVandemere

Settled—1874

Community

MesicVandemere

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.

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

MesicVandemere

People

Population 205Lowest 209Highest

Median age 53.7±14Lowest 37% above NC 57.5±15.1Highest 47% above NC

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

Kids under 18 13.7%±14.9Lowest NC: 21.8% 23%±11.7Highest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 33.7%±10.4Highest NC: 17.2% 32.1%±9.7Lowest NC: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11.8%Lowest NC: 35.7% 20.8%Highest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 10.2%±8.2Highest NC: 6.4% 0.5%±6.8Lowest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $47,750±$42kHighest 34% below NC $35,833±$35kLowest 50% below NC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $160,500±$21kHighest 44% below NC $108,100±$45kLowest 63% below NC

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,369 28% below NC —

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100Lowest NC: 48.9% 100%±100Highest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 13.2%Lowest NC: 13% 29.2%Highest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 85.9%Highest NC: 66.6% 76.5%Lowest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1977Lowest 14 yrs older than NC 1992Highest 1 yr newer than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 25 minHighest about the NC average 20 minLowest 21% below NC

Work from home 0%±18.7Lowest NC: 16.3% 5.6%±6.4Highest NC: 16.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 0% 0%

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 26.3 miLowest 33.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.05 0.05

Top workplaceoutside town New Bern (21%)New Bern (12%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in VandemereFew work in Mesic

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.5%Lowest 1.4%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.3 miLowest 0.9 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.6 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 12.2Lowest 17.2Highest

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.

Mesic neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mesic’s Town Square.

Vandemere neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Vandemere’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Mesic and Vandemere

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

Towns like Mesic

+ Compare

Severn158 people · $121K homes

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Waco171 people · $93K homes

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Earl309 people · $163K homes

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McDonald106 people · $96K 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.

Mesic vs Vandemere

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Mesic and Vandemere share a border

A typical home costs $210 more a month in Vandemere

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Towns like Mesic

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