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%

Newport$1,950/mo

Typical home $341K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.56% · or rent about $896/mo · Housing →

Erwin$1,230/mo

Typical home $203K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $1,112/mo · Housing →

The difference: $710 a month, about $8,600 a year, between Newport and Erwin.

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

Newport places higher on 16 of 20 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

CNewportSafer than 33% of U.S. towns C−ErwinSafer than 17% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+NewportBetter than 73% of districts in the state C+ErwinBetter than 37% of districts in the state

Health

BNewportHealthier than 64% of U.S. towns CErwinHealthier than 26% of U.S. towns

16Newport

4Erwin

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 297 towns #17#272 Most walkableOutdoors · 297 towns #263#116 Most conserved landOutdoors · 276 towns #3#139 Most remote workersWork · 285 towns #129#253 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 296 towns #90#210 Most activeHealth · 296 towns #117#222 Fewest smokersHealth · 296 towns #125#216 HealthiestHealth · 296 towns #130#220

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

NewportErwin

Snow a year1″2″

January low36°F 32°F

July high90°F 92°F

Growing season (days)249d 226d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)99th 50th

Outdoors & history

NewportErwin

Trails3 mi 0 mi

Conserved land60.8%3.3%

National Register places—1

Archive photos—6

Famous people born here—4

Community

NewportErwin

Library hours a week54 hrs 41 hrs

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.

Where they are

108 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

NewportNC ErwinNC

Newport ↔ Erwin108 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

NewportErwin

People

Population 4,441Lowest 4,687Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +5.2%Highest NC: +9.5% +3.1%Lowest NC: +9.5%

Median age 44.1±6.3Lowest 13% above NC 47.1±5.2Highest 20% above NC

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

Kids under 18 19.4%±6.4Highest NC: 21.8% 18.3%±5.7Lowest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 20.5%±5.9Lowest NC: 17.2% 21.7%±3.4Highest NC: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.9%Highest NC: 35.7% 17.3%Lowest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.8%±3.3Highest NC: 6.4% 3.8%±1.6Lowest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $56,351±$17kHighest 22% below NC $50,701±$7kLowest 30% below NC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $233,600±$46kHighest 19% below NC $161,100±$7kLowest 44% below NC

Rentmedian gross, monthly $896±$308Lowest 27% below NC $1,112±$163Highest 9% below NC

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,297Lowest 32% below NC $1,589Highest 16% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 68.3%±27.4Highest NC: 48.9% 53.9%±21.5Lowest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 10.7%Lowest NC: 13% 12.2%Highest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 61.4%Lowest NC: 66.6% 71.4%Highest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1993Highest 2 yrs newer than NC 1966Lowest 25 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 28% below NC 32 minHighest 29% above NC

Work from home 11.9%±8Highest NC: 16.3% 4%±2.6Lowest NC: 16.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 7%Highest 4.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miLowest 25.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.68Lowest 0.87Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Morehead City (22%)Raleigh (11%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ErwinFew work in Newport

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 60.8%Highest 3.3%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 2.7 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 2Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 23.7Lowest 56.5Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #130 of 252 in NC #179 of 252 in NC

School district Carteret County Public SchoolsHarnett County Schools

High school in town None in townTriton High

Students per teacherat that high school — 22.0

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.

Newport neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Newport’s Town Square.

Erwin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Erwin’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Newport and Erwin

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

Towns like Newport

+ Compare

Burgaw3,850 people · $242K homes

+ Compare

Mocksville6,068 people · $241K homes

+ Compare

Wadesboro4,972 people · $153K homes

+ Compare

Dallas6,104 people · $254K 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.

Newport vs Erwin

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $710 more a month in Newport

Newport places higher on 16 of 20 NC lists

What daily life feels like in each

108 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Newport and Erwin

Towns like Newport

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