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%

Zebulon$2,010/mo

Typical home $341K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.78% · or rent about $1,109/mo · Housing →

Conover$1,600/mo

Typical home $278K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $898/mo · Housing →

The difference: $400 a month, about $4,900 a year, between Zebulon and Conover.

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

Zebulon places higher on 12 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.

Safety

C−ZebulonSafer than 17% of U.S. towns –ConoverNot graded

Schools

B+ZebulonBetter than 74% of districts in the state B+ConoverBetter than 65% of districts in the state

Health

B−ZebulonHealthier than 46% of U.S. towns C+ConoverHealthier than 40% of U.S. towns

12Zebulon

5Conover

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

Shortest commuteGetting around · 297 towns #279#23 Most remote workersWork · 285 towns #48#252 Fastest growingGrowth · 291 towns #23#190 Lowest depressionHealth · 296 towns #63#214 Most walkableOutdoors · 297 towns #83#219 Lowest property taxCost of living · 297 towns #226#135 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 297 towns #156#239 Most conserved landOutdoors · 276 towns #168#245

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

ZebulonConover

Snow a year3″4″

January low—29°F

July high—87°F

Growing season (days)—217d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)27th 12th

Outdoors & history

ZebulonConover

Trails1 mi 2 mi

Conserved land2.4%0.6%

Settled1906 1876

National Register places4 2

Archive photos—4

Famous people born here—2

Community

ZebulonConover

Library hours a week68 hrs 39 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

163 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ZebulonNC ConoverNC

Zebulon ↔ Conover163 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

ZebulonConover

People

Population 8,711Highest 8,580Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +55.7%Highest NC: +9.5% +3.1%Lowest NC: +9.5%

Median age 38.3±5.5Highest about the NC average 36.8±9Lowest 6% below NC

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

Kids under 18 23.9%±5.9Lowest NC: 21.8% 30.5%±5.5Highest NC: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 12.9%±3.4Lowest NC: 17.2% 18%±4.4Highest NC: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 30.9%Highest NC: 35.7% 23.8%Lowest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1%±0.7Lowest NC: 6.4% 2.1%±1.2Highest NC: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $79,112±$14kHighest 9% above NC $65,972±$10kLowest 9% below NC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $320,700±$22kHighest 11% above NC $271,300±$30kLowest 6% below NC

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,109±$170Highest 10% below NC $898±$100Lowest 27% below NC

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,505Highest 32% above NC $1,723Lowest 9% below NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 82.4%±30.1Highest NC: 48.9% 55.5%±16.3Lowest NC: 48.9%

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

Below poverty line 9%Lowest NC: 13% 15.7%Highest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 62.7%Lowest NC: 66.6% 69%Highest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 2000Highest 9 yrs newer than NC 1991Lowest same as NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 33 minHighest 33% above NC 19 minLowest 25% below NC

Work from home 22.2%±7.8Highest NC: 16.3% 4.1%±2.4Lowest NC: 16.3%

Work in townworking residents 5.9%Lowest 11.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.8 miHighest 8.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.32Lowest 2.76Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Raleigh (35%)Hickory (22%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ConoverFew work in Zebulon

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.4%Highest 0.6%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.7 miLowest 1.8 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Lowest 7Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 62.8Highest 38.1Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #175 of 252 in NC #132 of 252 in NC

School district Wake County SchoolsCatawba County Schools · Newton Conover 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.

Zebulon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Zebulon’s Town Square.

Conover neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Conover’s Town Square.

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Bordering Zebulon

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Wendell13,064 people · $331K homes

Towns like Zebulon

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Aberdeen9,228 people · $315K homes

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Angier6,241 people · $268K homes

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Cherryville6,226 people · $232K homes

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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.

Zebulon vs Conover

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $400 more a month in Zebulon

Zebulon places higher on 12 of 18 NC lists

What daily life feels like in each

163 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Zebulon and Conover

Bordering Zebulon

Towns like Zebulon

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