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%

Rockfish$1,180/mo

Typical home $200K (Census) · tax rate 0.80% · or rent about $1,274/mo · Housing →

Canton$1,680/mo

Typical home $292K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $790/mo · Housing →

The difference: $500 a month, about $6,000 a year, between Canton and Rockfish.

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

Canton places higher on 9 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.

Schools

C+RockfishBetter than 41% of districts in the state B+CantonBetter than 69% of districts in the state

Health

B+RockfishHealthier than 66% of U.S. towns BCantonHealthier than 65% of U.S. towns

8Rockfish

9Canton

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

Most walkableOutdoors · 297 towns #262#4 Most remote workersWork · 285 towns #77#275 Cheapest rentCost of living · 284 towns #186#41 Shortest commuteGetting around · 297 towns #276#155 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 297 towns #104#218 Lowest depressionHealth · 296 towns #214#286 Most affordableCost of living · 297 towns #74#136 Most educatedPeople · 297 towns #205#248

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

RockfishCanton

Snow a year1″10″

January low32°F 25°F

July high91°F 83°F

Growing season (days)227d 185d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)49th 65th

Outdoors & history

RockfishCanton

Trails—0 mi

Conserved land—1%

Settled—1889

National Register places—3

Archive photos—6

Famous people born here—8

Community

RockfishCanton

Library hours a week—43 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

216 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

RockfishNC CantonNC

Rockfish ↔ Canton216 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

RockfishCanton

People

Population 3,574Lowest 4,419Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2.6%Lowest NC: +9.5% +4.6%Highest NC: +9.5%

Median age 33.6±4.7Lowest 14% below NC 36.7±4.8Highest 6% below NC

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

Kids under 18 29%±6.8Highest NC: 21.8% 18.6%±4.8Lowest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 7.6%±2.7Lowest NC: 17.2% 18.3%±5.4Highest NC: 17.2%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.1%Highest NC: 35.7% 17.7%Lowest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.7%±3.5Highest NC: 6.4% 3.3%±2Lowest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $64,476±$8kLowest 11% below NC $69,924±$13kHighest 3% below NC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $199,900±$12kLowest 31% below NC $246,700±$31kHighest 15% below NC

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,274±$187Highest 4% above NC $790±$274Lowest 36% below NC

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,590Highest 16% below NC $1,545Lowest 19% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.3%±16.6Highest NC: 48.9% 45.6%±24.6Lowest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 15.2%Highest NC: 13% 15%Lowest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 70.8%Highest NC: 66.6% 70.6%Lowest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1996Highest 5 yrs newer than NC 1960Lowest 31 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 33 minHighest 30% above NC 24 minLowest about the NC average

Work from home 18.7%±9.2Highest NC: 16.3% 2.2%±1.9Lowest NC: 16.3%

Work in townworking residents 1.3%Lowest 12.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 14.8 miLowest 16.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.13Lowest 1.37Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Fayetteville (31%)Asheville (23%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CantonFew work in Rockfish

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.5%Highest 1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 3Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 24.0Lowest 112Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #80 of 252 in NC #81 of 252 in NC

School district Hoke County SchoolsHaywood County Schools

High school in town None in townPisgah High

Students per teacherat that high school — 21.4

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.

Rockfish neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Rockfish’s Town Square.

Canton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Canton’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Rockfish and Canton

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

Bordering Rockfish

+ Compare

Fayetteville210,815 people · $188K homes

Towns like Rockfish

+ Compare

Haw River2,824 people · $162K homes

+ Compare

Stanley4,069 people · $270K homes

+ Compare

Rockwell2,782 people · $237K homes

+ Compare

Bessemer City5,580 people · $206K 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.

Rockfish vs Canton

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $500 more a month in Canton

Canton places higher on 9 of 19 NC lists

What daily life feels like in each

216 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Rockfish and Canton

Bordering Rockfish

Towns like Rockfish

Post to Rockfish

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