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%

Stanley$2,190/mo

Typical home $364K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.94% · or rent about $1,122/mo · Housing →

Canton$1,680/mo

Typical home $292K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $790/mo · Housing →

The difference: $510 a month, about $6,100 a year, between Stanley and Canton.

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

Canton places higher on 11 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−StanleyBetter than 49% of districts in the state B+CantonBetter than 69% of districts in the state

Health

BStanleyHealthier than 57% of U.S. towns BCantonHealthier than 65% of U.S. towns

7Stanley

11Canton

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

Most remote workersWork · 285 towns #144#275 Lowest property taxCost of living · 297 towns #228#94 Cheapest rentCost of living · 284 towns #157#41 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 297 towns #131#218 Best schoolsSchools · 252 towns #149#81 Lowest depressionHealth · 296 towns #214#286 Most conserved landOutdoors · 276 towns #169#227 Most walkableOutdoors · 297 towns #63#4

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

StanleyCanton

Snow a year1″10″

January low31°F 25°F

July high91°F 83°F

Growing season (days)228d 185d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)5th 65th

Outdoors & history

StanleyCanton

Trails1 mi 0 mi

Conserved land2.4%1%

Settled1879 1889

National Register places1 3

Archive photos—6

Famous people born here2 8

Community

StanleyCanton

Library hours a week40 hrs 43 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

99 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

StanleyNC CantonNC

Stanley ↔ Canton99 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

StanleyCanton

People

Population 4,069Lowest 4,419Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +11.4%Highest NC: +9.5% +4.6%Lowest NC: +9.5%

Median age 36.9±5.7Highest 6% below NC 36.7±4.8Lowest 6% below NC

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

Kids under 18 20.7%±5.1Highest NC: 21.8% 18.6%±4.8Lowest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 16.6%±3.4Lowest NC: 17.2% 18.3%±5.4Highest NC: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.1%Highest NC: 35.7% 17.7%Lowest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.1%±2.7Highest NC: 6.4% 3.3%±2Lowest NC: 6.4%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $75,461±$20kHighest 4% above NC $69,924±$13kLowest 3% below NC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $270,200±$51kHighest 6% below NC $246,700±$31kLowest 15% below NC

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,122±$84Highest 9% below NC $790±$274Lowest 36% below NC

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,533Highest 34% above NC $1,545Lowest 19% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43.2%±16.9Lowest NC: 48.9% 45.6%±24.6Highest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 8.1%Lowest NC: 13% 15%Highest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 70.7%Highest NC: 66.6% 70.6%Lowest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1979Highest 12 yrs older than NC 1960Lowest 31 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 4% above NC 24 minLowest about the NC average

Work from home 11.1%±5.9Highest NC: 16.3% 2.2%±1.9Lowest NC: 16.3%

Work in townworking residents 3.1%Lowest 12.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 mi 16.3 mi

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.61Lowest 1.37Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Charlotte (34%)Asheville (23%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CantonFew work in Stanley

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.4%Highest 1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 3Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 65.8Lowest 112Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #149 of 252 in NC #81 of 252 in NC

School district Gaston County SchoolsHaywood County Schools

High school in town None in townPisgah High

Students per teacherat that high school — 21.4

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.

Stanley neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Stanley’s Town Square.

Canton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Canton’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Stanley

+ Compare

Cherryville6,226 people · $232K homes

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Rockwell2,782 people · $237K homes

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Lillington4,709 people · $247K homes

+ Compare

Creedmoor4,997 people · $281K 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.

Stanley vs Canton

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $510 more a month in Stanley

Canton places higher on 11 of 19 NC lists

What daily life feels like in each

99 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Stanley and Canton

Towns like Stanley

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