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%

Williamston$850/mo

Typical home $134K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.35% · or rent about $684/mo · Housing →

Long View$1,100/mo

Typical home $187K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.80% · or rent about $794/mo · Housing →

The difference: $250 a month, about $3,000 a year, between Long View and Williamston.

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

Williamston places higher on 10 of 18 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

C−WilliamstonBetter than 17% of districts in the state B−Long ViewBetter than 50% of districts in the state

Health

DWilliamstonHealthier than 6% of U.S. towns CLong ViewHealthier than 30% of U.S. towns

10Williamston

8Long View

Lists won, of 18 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 296 towns #28#214 Highest graduation rateSchools · 284 towns #284#133 Shortest commuteGetting around · 297 towns #48#142 Fastest growingGrowth · 291 towns #255#174 Most activeHealth · 296 towns #284#202 HealthiestHealth · 296 towns #277#208 Lowest obesityHealth · 296 towns #275#213 Fewest smokersHealth · 296 towns #259#216

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

WilliamstonLong View

Snow a year1″0″

January low33°F —

July high89°F —

Growing season (days)239d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)82nd 7th

Outdoors & history

WilliamstonLong View

Trails0 mi 0 mi

Conserved land1.9%1.4%

Settled1779 —

National Register places7 1

Community

WilliamstonLong View

Library hours a week49 hrs —

Colleges in town1 —

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

242 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WilliamstonNC Long ViewNC

Williamston ↔ Long View242 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

WilliamstonLong View

People

Population 5,112Highest 5,011Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.8%Lowest NC: +9.5% +4.5%Highest NC: +9.5%

Median age 45.4±6.7Highest 16% above NC 43.5±7.6Lowest 11% above NC

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

Kids under 18 20.1%±4.5Highest NC: 21.8% 15.9%±4.7Lowest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 22%±4.6Highest NC: 17.2% 17.6%±5Lowest NC: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 14.3%Highest NC: 35.7% 7.9%Lowest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.2%±1.3Highest NC: 6.4% 1%±0.9Lowest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $38,738±$9kLowest 46% below NC $46,739±$2kHighest 35% below NC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $107,100±$22kLowest 63% below NC $157,300±$21kHighest 46% below NC

Rentmedian gross, monthly $684±$47Lowest 44% below NC $794±$158Highest 35% below NC

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,448Highest 24% below NC $1,259Lowest 34% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50.9%±16.1Highest NC: 48.9% 37.7%±16.2Lowest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 36.3%Highest NC: 13% 11.3%Lowest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 50.5%Lowest NC: 66.6% 53.1%Highest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1962Lowest 29 yrs older than NC 1970Highest 21 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 20% below NC 24 minHighest 5% below NC

Work from home 6.7%±4.9Highest NC: 16.3% 3.4%±3.7Lowest NC: 16.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 21.9%Highest 3.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 22.8 miHighest 10.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.61Highest 1.39Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Greenville (10%)Hickory (31%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Long ViewFew work in Williamston

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.9%Highest 1.4%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 83.4Highest 68.6Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #214 of 252 in NC—

School district Martin County SchoolsHickory City 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.

Williamston neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Williamston’s Town Square.

Long View neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Long View’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Williamston

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Roxboro8,182 people · $158K homes

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Spindale4,131 people · $167K homes

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Hamlet5,961 people · $113K homes

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Plymouth3,250 people · $87K 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.

Williamston vs Long View

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $250 more a month in Long View

Williamston places higher on 10 of 18 NC lists

What daily life feels like in each

242 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Williamston and Long View

Towns like Williamston

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