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Compare towns

Wallace vs Madison

160 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (+81% in Wallace) and growth since 2010 (+6.8 pts in Madison).

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Wallace, NCA regional job hubNorth Carolina · 3,457 people
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Madison, NCA regional job hubNorth Carolina · 2,242 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.

WallaceA regional job hub
Work1,926 jobsbased in Wallace, a regional job hub Health72% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$218K typical home35% below the NC typical home All about Wallace →
MadisonA regional job hub
Work1,867 jobsbased in Madison, a regional job hub Housing$226K typical home32% below the NC typical home Health68% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Madison →
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.

Street grid+81%
Wallace has the more walkable street grid
Wallace 79.3Madison 43.8
Growth since 2010+6.8 pts
Madison has grown faster since 2010
Madison -5.2%Wallace -12%
Typical home built17 yrs
Madison’s homes are older
Wallace 1977Madison 1960
★ What stands out · 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
DWallaceSafer than 8% of U.S. towns CMadisonSafer than 32% of U.S. towns
Schools
C−WallaceBetter than 24% of districts in the state C+MadisonBetter than 43% of districts in the state
Health
CWallaceHealthier than 28% of U.S. towns CMadisonHealthier than 32% of U.S. towns
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.

Wallace$1,310/mo
Typical home $218K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.91% · or rent about $881/mo · Housing →
Madison$1,350/mo
Typical home $226K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.86% · or rent about $830/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
WallaceMadison
Snow a year1″9″
January low31°F29°F
July high91°F87°F
Growing season (days)220d202d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)89th54th
Outdoors & history
WallaceMadison
Trails—2 mi
Conserved land—5.3%
National Register places33
Archive photos1812
Famous people born here76
Community
WallaceMadison
Library hours a week—53 hrs
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

160 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WallaceNCMadisonNC
Wallace ↔ Madison160 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.

WallaceMadison
People
Population 3,457Highest 2,242Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -12%Lowest NC: +9.5% -5.2%Highest NC: +9.5%
Median age 43.6±6.3Lowest 12% above NC 47.5±4.6Highest 21% above NC
Madison and Wallace are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21%±7.2Highest NC: 21.8% 13.9%±4.1Lowest NC: 21.8%
Wallace and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 15.7%±5.1Lowest NC: 17.2% 22.2%±4.3Highest NC: 17.2%
Madison and Wallace are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11.5%Lowest NC: 35.7% 15.1%Highest NC: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.4%±4.5Lowest NC: 6.4% 6.4%±4.2Highest NC: 6.4%
Madison and Wallace are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $51,250±$13kLowest 29% below NC $52,593±$9kHighest 27% below NC
Madison and Wallace are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $178,000±$46kLowest 38% below NC $184,900±$34kHighest 36% below NC
Madison and Wallace are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $881±$198Highest 28% below NC $830±$146Lowest 32% below NC
Wallace and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,617Highest 15% below NC $1,598Lowest 16% below NC
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52.5%±19.1Highest NC: 48.9% 27.3%±12Lowest NC: 48.9%
Wallace and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 30.4%Highest NC: 13% 8%Lowest NC: 13%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 57.5%Lowest NC: 66.6% 57.7%Highest NC: 66.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977Highest 14 yrs older than NC 1960Lowest 31 yrs older than NC
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 27% below NC 20 minHighest 20% below NC
Work from home 7.1%±7.1Lowest NC: 16.3% 10.1%±6Highest NC: 16.3%
Madison and Wallace are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 10.1%Highest 8.5%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 31.8 miHighest 22.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.54Lowest 1.91Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Raleigh (5%)Greensboro (19%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MadisonFew work in Wallace
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.7%Lowest 5.3%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 1.7 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.5 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 4Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 79.3Highest 43.8Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #246 of 252 in NC—
School district Duplin County SchoolsRockingham County 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.

Wallace neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wallace’s Town Square.

Madison neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Madison’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Wallace

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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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