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Spindale vs Long View

39 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (4× in Long View) and growth since 2010 (+6.7 pts in Long View).

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Spindale, NCHomes around $148KNorth Carolina · 4,131 people
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Long View, NCHomes around $187KNorth Carolina · 5,011 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

SpindaleHomes around $148K
Housing$148K typical home56% below the NC typical home Health94% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates College town1 collegeIsothermal Community College All about Spindale →
Long ViewHomes around $187K
Housing$187K typical home44% below the NC typical home Outdoors#56 most walkable in NC0.4 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves SchoolsBetter than 50%of NC districts All about Long View →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails4×
Long View has more miles of trail
Long View 0.4 miSpindale 0.1 mi
Growth since 2010+6.7 pts
Long View has grown faster since 2010
Long View +4.5%Spindale -2.2%
Homeowners+9.5 pts renters
Spindale has more renters
Long View 53.1%Spindale 43.6%
Property tax bill+16%
Tax bills are bigger in Spindale
Spindale $1,455Long View $1,259
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $220 more a month in Long View

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.

Spindale$880/mo
Typical home $148K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.87% · or rent about $755/mo · Housing →
Long View$1,100/mo
Typical home $187K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.80% · or rent about $794/mo · Housing →

The difference: $220 a month, about $2,600 a year, between Long View and Spindale.

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

Long View places higher on 13 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−SpindaleBetter than 51% of districts in the state B−Long ViewBetter than 50% of districts in the state
Health
DSpindaleHealthier than 6% of U.S. towns CLong ViewHealthier than 30% of U.S. towns
3Spindale
13Long View

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

Most remote workersWork · 285 towns #172#259 Most walkableOutdoors · 297 towns #142#56 HealthiestHealth · 296 towns #280#208 Fewest smokersHealth · 296 towns #288#216 Fastest growingGrowth · 291 towns #235#174 Most activeHealth · 296 towns #264#202 Lowest obesityHealth · 296 towns #264#213 Lowest depressionHealth · 296 towns #258#214

Left end = #1 in North Carolina. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Spindale’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
SpindaleLong View
Snow a year5″0″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)14th7th
Outdoors & history
SpindaleLong View
Trails0 mi0 mi
Conserved land0.9%1.4%
Settled1923—
National Register places—1
Archive photos11—
Famous people born here2—
Community
SpindaleLong View
Library hours a week47 hrs—
Colleges in town1—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

39 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SpindaleNCLong ViewNC
Spindale ↔ Long View39 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.

SpindaleLong View
People
Population 4,131Lowest 5,011Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2.2%Lowest NC: +9.5% +4.5%Highest NC: +9.5%
Median age 44.9±3.4Highest 15% above NC 43.5±7.6Lowest 11% above NC
Spindale and Long View are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 13.6%±4.9Lowest NC: 21.8% 15.9%±4.7Highest NC: 21.8%
Long View and Spindale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 20.9%±5.2Highest NC: 17.2% 17.6%±5Lowest NC: 17.2%
Spindale and Long View are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15.5%Highest NC: 35.7% 7.9%Lowest NC: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.8%±2.1Highest NC: 6.4% 1%±0.9Lowest NC: 6.4%
Spindale and Long View are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $41,262±$6kLowest 43% below NC $46,739±$2kHighest 35% below NC
Long View and Spindale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $167,400±$44kHighest 42% below NC $157,300±$21kLowest 46% below NC
Spindale and Long View are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $755±$33Lowest 39% below NC $794±$158Highest 35% below NC
Long View and Spindale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,455Highest 23% below NC $1,259Lowest 34% below NC
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 29.2%±15.4Lowest NC: 48.9% 37.7%±16.2Highest NC: 48.9%
Long View and Spindale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 21.8%Highest NC: 13% 11.3%Lowest NC: 13%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 43.6%Lowest NC: 66.6% 53.1%Highest NC: 66.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1964Lowest 27 yrs older than NC 1970Highest 21 yrs older than NC
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minHighest about the NC average 24 minLowest 5% below NC
Work from home 9.2%±6.9Highest NC: 16.3% 3.4%±3.7Lowest NC: 16.3%
Spindale and Long View are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 5.9%Highest 3.2%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.3 miHighest 10.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.18Lowest 1.39Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Forest City (11%)Hickory (31%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Long ViewFew work in Spindale
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.9%Lowest 1.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 0.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 52.4Lowest 68.6Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #210 of 252 in NC—
School district Rutherford County SchoolsHickory City 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.

Spindale neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Spindale’s Town Square.

Long View neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Long View’s Town Square.

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Set another town beside Spindale and Long View

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Bordering Spindale

+ Compare
Rutherfordton3,680 people · $288K homes
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Forest City7,363 people · $161K homes

Towns like Spindale

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Williamston5,112 people · $107K homes
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Wilkesboro3,646 people · $224K homes
+ Compare
Roxboro8,182 people · $158K homes
N
+ Compare
North Wilkesboro4,421 people · $213K homes

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.

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