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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

12Spring Lake

8Selma

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

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

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

Spring Lake$1,640/mo

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

Selma$1,610/mo

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

Spring LakeSelma

Snow a year1″1″

January low—31°F

July high—92°F

Growing season (days)—220d

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

Outdoors & history

Spring LakeSelma

Trails46 mi 0 mi

Conserved land81.9%0.9%

Settled1923 1873

National Register places2 8

Archive photos—12

Community

Spring LakeSelma

Library hours a week57 hrs 47 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.

Spring LakeNC SelmaNC

Spring Lake ↔ Selma47 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

Spring LakeSelma

People

Population 11,573Highest 6,817Lowest

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

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

Kids under 18 25.2%±2.9Highest NC: 21.8% 20.9%±5.4Lowest 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+ 7.9%±1.5Lowest NC: 17.2% 15.7%±3.6Highest NC: 17.2%

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

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $51,958±$7kHighest 28% below NC $41,368±$21kLowest 43% 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 $124,000±$29kLowest 57% below NC $171,600±$23kHighest 41% 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 $1,351±$57Highest 10% above NC $820±$168Lowest 33% below NC

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

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 51.6%±6.9Lowest NC: 48.9% 62%±19.1Highest 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 17.7%Lowest NC: 13% 24.7%Highest NC: 13%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 3.3%±1.3Lowest NC: 16.3% 8.4%±5.6Highest 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 6.4%Highest 4.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 22.8 miLowest 25.3 miHighest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SelmaFew work in Spring Lake

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 81.9%Highest 0.9%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 46.0 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.9 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Highest 1Lowest

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

Schools

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

School district Cumberland County SchoolsJohnston County Public 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.

Spring Lake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Spring Lake’s Town Square.

Selma neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Selma’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Spring Lake and Selma

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

Bordering Spring Lake

+ Compare

Fayetteville210,815 people · $188K homes

Towns like Spring Lake

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Havelock17,691 people · $208K homes

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Lumberton18,859 people · $153K homes

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Henderson14,885 people · $124K homes

+ Compare

Elizabeth City18,871 people · $188K 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.

Spring Lake vs Selma

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 Spring Lake and Selma

Bordering Spring Lake

Towns like Spring Lake

Post to Spring Lake

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