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St. Stephens vs Trinity

71 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+59% in Trinity) and street grid (2× in St. Stephens).

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St. Stephens, NCKnown for its schoolsNorth Carolina · 9,457 people
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Trinity, NCKnown for its schoolsNorth Carolina · 7,111 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.

St. StephensKnown for its schools
Schools#63 for schools in NCof 252 towns All about St. Stephens →
TrinityKnown for its schools
Schools#70 for schools in NCof 252 towns Housing$291K typical home13% below the NC typical home All about Trinity →
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.

Property tax bill+59%
Tax bills are bigger in Trinity
Trinity $1,563St. Stephens $985
Street grid2×
St. Stephens has the more walkable street grid
St. Stephens 38.1Trinity 19.0
Growth since 2010+4.8 pts
Trinity has grown faster since 2010
Trinity +5.9%St. Stephens +1.1%
Jobs per worker+53%
Trinity is more of a job hub
Trinity 0.49St. Stephens 0.32
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $500 more a month in Trinity

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.

St. Stephens$1,200/mo
Typical home $213K (Census) · tax rate 0.46% · or rent about $958/mo · Housing →
Trinity$1,700/mo
Typical home $291K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.72% · or rent about $955/mo · Housing →

The difference: $500 a month, about $6,000 a year, between Trinity and St. Stephens.

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

St. Stephens places higher on 9 of 19 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+St. StephensBetter than 65% of districts in the state B−TrinityBetter than 53% of districts in the state
Health
B−St. StephensHealthier than 49% of U.S. towns C+TrinityHealthier than 42% of U.S. towns
9St. Stephens
8Trinity

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fewest uninsuredHealth · 296 towns #210#125 Lowest property taxCost of living · 297 towns #16#99 Highest incomeIncome · 297 towns #182#100 Most remote workersWork · 285 towns #236#160 Most educatedPeople · 297 towns #172#233 Most walkableOutdoors · 297 towns #218#276 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 297 towns #215#158 Fastest growingGrowth · 291 towns #209#160

Left end = #1 in North Carolina. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of St. Stephens’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
St. StephensTrinity
Snow a year0″2″
January low—32°F
July high—89°F
Growing season (days)—220d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)22nd38th
Outdoors & history
St. StephensTrinity
Trails0 mi1 mi
Conserved land0.1%0.7%
National Register places—1
Archive photos—4
Community
St. StephensTrinity
Library hours a week50 hrs—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

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

71 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

St. StephensNCTrinityNC
St. Stephens ↔ Trinity71 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.

St. StephensTrinity
People
Population 9,457Highest 7,111Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.1%Lowest NC: +9.5% +5.9%Highest NC: +9.5%
Median age 43.2±2.3Highest 10% above NC 42±6.3Lowest 7% above NC
St. Stephens and Trinity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 22.9%±3.7Lowest NC: 21.8% 24.2%±5.2Highest NC: 21.8%
Trinity and St. Stephens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 20.3%±3 NC: 17.2% 20.3%±4.9 NC: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 25.7%Highest NC: 35.7% 20.1%Lowest NC: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.6%±1.9Highest NC: 6.4% 3.2%±1.7Lowest NC: 6.4%
St. Stephens and Trinity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $60,394±$7kLowest 17% below NC $82,664±$21kHighest 14% above NC
Trinity and St. Stephens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $213,300±$15kLowest 26% below NC $216,600±$20kHighest 25% below NC
Trinity and St. Stephens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $958±$94Highest 22% below NC $955±$48Lowest 22% below NC
St. Stephens and Trinity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $985Lowest 48% below NC $1,563Highest 18% below NC
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 60.6%±20.3Highest NC: 48.9% 32.3%±12.4Lowest NC: 48.9%
St. Stephens and Trinity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 16.2%Highest NC: 13% 11.6%Lowest NC: 13%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 83.6%Highest NC: 66.6% 80.1%Lowest NC: 66.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977Lowest 14 yrs older than NC 1979Highest 12 yrs older than NC
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minLowest 11% below NC 24 minHighest 6% below NC
Work from home 5.5%±3.1Lowest NC: 16.3% 10%±4.7Highest NC: 16.3%
Trinity and St. Stephens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1.9%Lowest 2.6%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 7.8 miLowest 13.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.32Lowest 0.49Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Hickory (30%)High Point (22%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in TrinityFew work in St. Stephens
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.1%Lowest 0.7%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 1.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 38.1Highest 19.0Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #63 of 252 in NC#70 of 252 in NC
School district Catawba County SchoolsRandolph County School System
High school in town Saint Stephens HighTrinity High School
Students per teacherat that high school 22.1Highest 17.4Lowest
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.

St. Stephens neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to St. Stephens’s Town Square.

Trinity neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 5d

Trinity Memories

1 neighbor in Trinity can answer.

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Bordering St. Stephens

+ Compare
Hickory44,258 people · $278K homes
+ Compare
Conover8,580 people · $271K homes
B
+ Compare
Bethlehem4,101 people · $327K homes

Towns like St. Stephens

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Archdale12,087 people · $198K homes
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Boiling Spring Lakes6,347 people · $292K homes
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Butner8,065 people · $231K homes
U
+ Compare
Unionville6,954 people · $336K 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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