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

DSelmaSafer than 8% of U.S. towns DSpring LakeSafer than 9% of U.S. towns

Schools

B−SelmaBetter than 53% of districts in the state C+Spring LakeBetter than 36% of districts in the state

Health

C−SelmaHealthier than 17% of U.S. towns C+Spring LakeHealthier than 45% of U.S. towns

8Selma

12Spring Lake

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

Most conserved landOutdoors · 276 towns #230#1 Shortest commuteGetting around · 297 towns #264#28 Lowest depressionHealth · 296 towns #28#258 Highest graduation rateSchools · 284 towns #35#235 Cheapest rentCost of living · 284 towns #55#202 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 297 towns #39#191 Most walkableOutdoors · 297 towns #152#272 Most educatedPeople · 297 towns #274#177

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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%

Selma$1,610/mo

Typical home $273K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.79% · or rent about $820/mo · Housing →

Spring Lake$1,640/mo

Typical home $259K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.32% · or rent about $1,351/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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.

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

SelmaSpring Lake

Snow a year1″1″

January low31°F —

July high92°F —

Growing season (days)220d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)21st 49th

Outdoors & history

SelmaSpring Lake

Trails0 mi 46 mi

Conserved land0.9%81.9%

Settled1873 1923

National Register places8 2

Archive photos12 —

Community

SelmaSpring Lake

Library hours a week47 hrs 57 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

47 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SelmaNC Spring LakeNC

Selma ↔ Spring Lake47 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

SelmaSpring Lake

People

Population 6,817Lowest 11,573Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4%Highest NC: +9.5% -2.5%Lowest NC: +9.5%

Median age 34.1±4Highest 13% below NC 26.1±1Lowest 33% below NC

Kids under 18 20.9%±5.4Lowest NC: 21.8% 25.2%±2.9Highest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 15.7%±3.6Highest NC: 17.2% 7.9%±1.5Lowest NC: 17.2%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.8%Lowest NC: 35.7% 25.2%Highest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.3%±2.9Lowest NC: 6.4% 10.4%±2.1Highest NC: 6.4%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $41,368±$21kLowest 43% below NC $51,958±$7kHighest 28% below NC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $171,600±$23kHighest 41% below NC $124,000±$29kLowest 57% below NC

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $820±$168Lowest 33% below NC $1,351±$57Highest 10% above NC

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,356Lowest 28% below NC $1,637Highest 14% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 62%±19.1Highest NC: 48.9% 51.6%±6.9Lowest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 24.7%Highest NC: 13% 17.7%Lowest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 43.1%Highest NC: 66.6% 19.8%Lowest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1974Lowest 17 yrs older than NC 1990Highest 1 yr older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 32 minHighest 27% above NC 19 minLowest 25% below NC

Work from home 8.4%±5.6Highest NC: 16.3% 3.3%±1.3Lowest NC: 16.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 4.8%Lowest 6.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 25.3 miHighest 22.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.29Highest 0.98Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Raleigh (14%)Fayetteville (28%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Spring LakeFew work in Selma

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.9%Lowest 81.9%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 46.0 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 1.9 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 5Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 51.2Highest 19.6Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #240 of 252 in NC #234 of 252 in NC

School district Johnston County Public SchoolsCumberland County Schools

High school in town None in townNone 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.

Selma neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Selma’s Town Square.

Spring Lake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Spring Lake’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Selma and Spring Lake

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

Bordering Selma

+ Compare

Smithfield12,116 people · $243K homes

+ Compare

Pine Level2,031 people · $221K homes

Towns like Selma

+ Compare

Forest City7,363 people · $161K homes

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Ahoskie4,764 people · $143K homes

+ Compare

Marion7,579 people · $164K homes

+ Compare

Whiteville4,696 people · $188K 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.

Selma vs Spring Lake

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Spring Lake places higher on 12 of 20 NC lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

47 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Selma and Spring Lake

Bordering Selma

Towns like Selma

Post to Selma

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