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%

Spruce Pine$1,490/mo

Typical home $258K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $837/mo · Housing →

Franklin$1,730/mo

Typical home $300K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $725/mo · Housing →

The difference: $240 a month, about $2,900 a year, between Franklin and Spruce Pine.

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.

Safety

–Spruce PineNot graded C−FranklinSafer than 22% of U.S. towns

Schools

BSpruce PineBetter than 58% of districts in the state B+FranklinBetter than 69% of districts in the state

Health

B−Spruce PineHealthier than 50% of U.S. towns CFranklinHealthier than 35% of U.S. towns

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

Spruce PineFranklin

Snow a year13″3″

January low23°F 26°F

July high79°F 84°F

Growing season (days)171d 187d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)46th 22nd

Outdoors & history

Spruce PineFranklin

Trails2 mi 1 mi

Conserved land2.5%3%

Settled1913 1820

National Register places2 7

Archive photos18 6

Famous people born here4 8

Community

Spruce PineFranklin

Library hours a week45 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

89 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Spruce PineNC FranklinNC

Spruce Pine ↔ Franklin89 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

Spruce PineFranklin

People

Population 2,398Lowest 4,268Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.9%Lowest NC: +9.5% +8.6%Highest NC: +9.5%

Median age 48.6±7.8Highest 24% above NC 48.1±4.4Lowest 23% above NC

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

Kids under 18 15.1%±3.9Highest NC: 21.8% 14.2%±4.6Lowest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 21.7%±3.1Lowest NC: 17.2% 28.8%±6.3Highest NC: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 24.4%Lowest NC: 35.7% 25.6%Highest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.9%±3.3Lowest NC: 6.4% 5.2%±3.3Highest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $42,098±$9kLowest 42% below NC $47,888±$4kHighest 34% below NC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $207,500±$41kHighest 28% below NC $195,000±$24kLowest 33% below NC

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $837±$121Highest 32% below NC $725±$85Lowest 41% below NC

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,324Highest 30% below NC $1,227Lowest 35% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46.8%±16.3Highest NC: 48.9% 35.6%±15.1Lowest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 22.5%Highest NC: 13% 12.7%Lowest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 64.4%Highest NC: 66.6% 58.2%Lowest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1968Lowest 23 yrs older than NC 1981Highest 10 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minLowest 14% below NC 23 minHighest 8% below NC

Work from home 3.9%±4.3Lowest NC: 16.3% 5%±3.1Highest NC: 16.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 16.3%Lowest 30.7%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.8 miLowest 14.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.14Lowest 3.31Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Bakersville (4%)Asheville (6%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in FranklinFew work in Spruce Pine

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.5%Lowest 3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 1.5 miHighest 0.9 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 3Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 39.6Lowest 80.3Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#40 of 252 in NC

School district —Macon County Schools

High school in town —Franklin High

Students per teacherat that high school — 21.2

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.

Spruce Pine neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Spruce Pine’s Town Square.

Franklin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Franklin’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Spruce Pine and Franklin

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

Towns like Spruce Pine

+ Compare

Sparta1,928 people · $210K homes

+ Compare

Drexel2,146 people · $214K homes

+ Compare

Madison2,242 people · $185K homes

+ Compare

Clyde1,359 people · $200K 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.

Spruce Pine vs Franklin

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $240 more a month in Franklin

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

89 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Spruce Pine and Franklin

Towns like Spruce Pine

Post to Spruce Pine

Check your email