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%

Saluda$2,150/mo

Typical home $367K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.72% · or rent about $1,263/mo · Housing →

Oriental$2,270/mo

Typical home $396K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.59% · or rent about $1,138/mo · Housing →

The difference: $120 a month, about $1,500 a year, between Oriental and Saluda.

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

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

B+SaludaBetter than 74% of districts in the state –OrientalNot graded

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

SaludaOriental

Snow a year5″1″

January low32°F 36°F

July high86°F 90°F

Growing season (days)231d 249d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)56th 99th

Outdoors & history

SaludaOriental

Trails1 mi 1 mi

Conserved land1.9%0.6%

National Register places5 —

Archive photos10 —

Famous people born here1 —

Community

SaludaOriental

Library hours a week47 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

321 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SaludaNC OrientalNC

Saluda ↔ Oriental321 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

SaludaOriental

People

Population 683Lowest 873Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -11.5%Lowest NC: +9.5% -2.2%Highest NC: +9.5%

Median age 65.4±5Lowest 67% above NC 69.6±1.3Highest 78% above NC

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

Kids under 18 13.3%±4.2Highest NC: 21.8% 1.9%±3.6Lowest NC: 21.8%

Age 65+ 51.7%±8.1Lowest NC: 17.2% 70.7%±3.3Highest NC: 17.2%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 53.9%Highest NC: 35.7% 51%Lowest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.9%±1.5Highest NC: 6.4% 0.5%±1.7Lowest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $52,137±$7kLowest 28% below NC $57,880±$12kHighest 20% below NC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $372,400±$48kLowest 29% above NC $422,900±$29kHighest 46% above NC

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,263±$238Highest about the NC average $1,138±$67Lowest 7% below NC

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,682Highest 41% above NC $2,511Lowest 32% above NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 63.3%±46.9Highest NC: 48.9% 63.1%±32.2Lowest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 13.2%Highest NC: 13% 7.7%Lowest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 83.7%Lowest NC: 66.6% 84.4%Highest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1962Lowest 29 yrs older than NC 1993Highest 2 yrs newer than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 29 minHighest 14% above NC 22 minLowest 14% below NC

Work from home 13.1%±12.7Lowest NC: 16.3% 23.7%±12Highest NC: 16.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 5.7%Lowest 10.8%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.3 miLowest 21.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.88Lowest 1.17Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Hendersonville (13%)New Bern (8%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in OrientalFew work in Saluda

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.9%Highest 0.6%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miLowest 1.1 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miLowest 0.7 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 73.4Highest 53.1Lowest

Schools

School district Polk 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.

Saluda neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Saluda’s Town Square.

Oriental neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Oriental’s Town Square.

Add a town

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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.

Saluda vs Oriental

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs about the same each month

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

321 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Saluda and Oriental

Towns like Saluda

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