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%

Oakboro$1,900/mo

Typical home $330K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.61% · or rent about $1,057/mo · Housing →

Mar-Mac$850/mo

Typical home $149K (Census) · tax rate 0.55% · or rent about $821/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,040 a month, about $12,500 a year, between Oakboro and Mar-Mac.

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

Oakboro places higher on 11 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−OakboroBetter than 45% of districts in the state –Mar-MacNot graded

Health

B−OakboroHealthier than 49% of U.S. towns C+Mar-MacHealthier than 39% of U.S. towns

11Oakboro

7Mar-Mac

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

Lowest depressionHealth · 296 towns #258#63 Highest graduation rateSchools · 284 towns #93#276 Fastest growingGrowth · 291 towns #103#284 Most remote workersWork · 285 towns #131#283 Most affordableCost of living · 297 towns #166#25 Lowest property taxCost of living · 297 towns #133#6 Shortest commuteGetting around · 297 towns #278#160 Most walkableOutdoors · 297 towns #143#239

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

OakboroMar-Mac

Snow a year1″2″

January low31°F 35°F

July high89°F 91°F

Growing season (days)220d 250d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)58th 71st

Outdoors & history

OakboroMar-Mac

Trails1 mi —

Conserved land3.2%—

Famous people born here3 —

Community

OakboroMar-Mac

Library hours a week15 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

129 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

OakboroNC Mar-MacNC

Oakboro ↔ Mar-Mac129 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

OakboroMar-Mac

People

Population 2,683Lowest 2,877Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +14.5%Highest NC: +9.5% -11.9%Lowest NC: +9.5%

Median age 38.9±5.1Lowest about the NC average 39±11.7Highest about the NC average

Mar-Mac and Oakboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 20.1%±4.8Lowest NC: 21.8% 28.1%±6Highest NC: 21.8%

Mar-Mac and Oakboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 17.1%±4.1Highest NC: 17.2% 16.5%±5.3Lowest NC: 17.2%

Oakboro and Mar-Mac are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.3%Highest NC: 35.7% 20.1%Lowest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.8%±1.9Lowest NC: 6.4% 6.7%±3.1Highest NC: 6.4%

Mar-Mac and Oakboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $69,100±$15kHighest 5% below NC $53,819±$14kLowest 26% below NC

Oakboro and Mar-Mac are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $282,600±$28kHighest about the NC average $149,200±$16kLowest 48% below NC

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,057±$196Highest 14% below NC $821±$56Lowest 33% below NC

Oakboro and Mar-Mac are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,714Highest 10% below NC $824Lowest 57% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 30.9%±15.8Lowest NC: 48.9% 68.2%±34.4Highest NC: 48.9%

Mar-Mac and Oakboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 5.5%Lowest NC: 13% 11.8%Highest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 80.7%Highest NC: 66.6% 79.3%Lowest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1989Highest 2 yrs older than NC 1980Lowest 11 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 33 minHighest 33% above NC 25 minLowest about the NC average

Work from home 11.9%±7Highest NC: 16.3% 0.9%±1.6Lowest NC: 16.3%

Work in townworking residents 4.6%Highest 0.3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 22.8 miHighest 16.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.62Highest 0.10Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Charlotte (23%)Goldsboro (27%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Mar-MacFew work in Oakboro

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.2%Lowest 3.4%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 1.0 miHighest 0.6 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 52.4Highest 30.7Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #129 of 252 in NC—

School district Stanly County Schools—

High school in town None 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.

Oakboro neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Oakboro’s Town Square.

Mar-Mac neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mar-Mac’s Town Square.

Add a town

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

Bordering Oakboro

+ Compare

Red Cross903 people · $257K homes

Towns like Oakboro

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Pine Level2,031 people · $221K homes

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Hemby Bridge2,096 people · $298K homes

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Granite Quarry3,043 people · $257K homes

+ Compare

Landis3,765 people · $252K 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.

Oakboro vs Mar-Mac

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,040 more a month in Oakboro

Oakboro places higher on 11 of 18 NC lists

What daily life feels like in each

129 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Oakboro and Mar-Mac

Bordering Oakboro

Towns like Oakboro

Post to Oakboro

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