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Morganton vs Glen Alpine

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (96× in Morganton) and jobs per worker (17.7× in Morganton).

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Morganton, NCA colonial town, settled 1777North Carolina · 17,646 people

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Glen Alpine, NCOne of the healthiest townsNorth Carolina · 1,991 people

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.

MorgantonA colonial town, settled 1777

HistorySettled in 177733 places on the National Register Work17,388 jobsbased in Morganton, a regional job hub Schools#118 for schools in NCof 252 towns All about Morganton →

Glen AlpineOne of the healthiest towns

Health80% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Glen Alpine →

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Morganton has more miles of trail

Morganton 9.6 miGlen Alpine 0.1 mi

Jobs per worker17.7×

Morganton is more of a job hub

Morganton 2.83Glen Alpine 0.16

Morganton is the bigger place

Morganton 17,646Glen Alpine 1,991

Work in town+35.3 pts

More of Morganton’s workers stay in town

Morganton 35.8%Glen Alpine 0.5%

Homeowners+30 pts renters

Morganton has more renters

Glen Alpine 84.7%Morganton 54.7%

Household income+36%

Households in Glen Alpine earn more

Glen Alpine $69,697Morganton $51,355

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $520 more a month in Morganton

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%

Morganton$1,540/mo

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

Glen Alpine$1,010/mo

Typical home $173K (Census) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $871/mo · Housing →

The difference: $520 a month, about $6,300 a year, between Morganton and Glen Alpine.

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.

Where they are

Morganton and Glen Alpine share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

MorgantonGlen Alpine

Morganton ↔ Glen Alpine4.7 miles apart · They share a border

Who commutes between them

219 Glen Alpine residents work in Morganton (34.7% of its workers)

Work & commute in Glen Alpine →

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

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

BMorgantonBetter than 57% of districts in the state BGlen AlpineBetter than 57% of districts in the state

Health

C−MorgantonHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns C−Glen AlpineHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns

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

MorgantonGlen Alpine

Snow a year5″5″

January low28°F 28°F

July high88°F 88°F

Growing season (days)202d 202d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)44th 42nd

Outdoors & history

MorgantonGlen Alpine

Trails10 mi 0 mi

Conserved land5.4%1.8%

Settled1777 —

National Register places33 —

Famous people born here—1

Community

MorgantonGlen Alpine

Library hours a week57 hrs —

Colleges in town1 —

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

MorgantonGlen Alpine

People

Population 17,646Highest 1,991Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.3%Highest NC: +9.5% +0.8%Lowest NC: +9.5%

Median age 37.8±3.7Highest 3% below NC 36.6±4.1Lowest 6% below NC

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

Kids under 18 24.4%±3.1Lowest NC: 21.8% 25.5%±3.8Highest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 22%±2.6Highest NC: 17.2% 12.8%±3.1Lowest NC: 17.2%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 26.1%Lowest NC: 35.7% 27.2%Highest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.9%±1.9Highest NC: 6.4% 3.8%±1.9Lowest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $51,355±$3kLowest 29% below NC $69,697±$11kHighest 4% below NC

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $221,700±$21kHighest 23% below NC $172,800±$34kLowest 40% below NC

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $944±$40Highest 23% below NC $871±$134Lowest 29% below NC

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,689Highest 11% below NC $1,295Lowest 32% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 48%±11.7Highest NC: 48.9% 31.3%±26.6Lowest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 25.7%Highest NC: 13% 11%Lowest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 54.7%Lowest NC: 66.6% 84.7%Highest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1976Highest 15 yrs older than NC 1971Lowest 20 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 29% below NC 26 minHighest 4% above NC

Work from home 8.1%±2.6 NC: 16.3% 8.1%±8.5 NC: 16.3%

Work in townworking residents 35.8%Highest 0.5%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miHighest 13.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.83Highest 0.16Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Hickory (7%)Morganton (35%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Glen Alpine35% work in Morganton

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 5.4%Highest 1.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 9.6 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 14Highest 2Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 38.2Lowest 41.2Highest

Schools

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

School district The New Dimensions School · Burke County SchoolsBurke County Schools

High school in town Freedom HighNone in town

Students per teacherat that high school 22.7 —

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.

Morganton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Morganton’s Town Square.

Glen Alpine neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Glen Alpine’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Morganton and Glen Alpine

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

Bordering Morganton

Salem2,377 people · $159K homes

Towns like Morganton

Graham18,048 people · $234K homes

Albemarle16,762 people · $205K homes

Shelby22,100 people · $197K homes

Statesville29,894 people · $248K 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.