Erwin ranks #38 in North Carolina for affordability
Erwin is ranked on 33 lists against the 297 North Carolina towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 0 and the top quarter on 1.
Hotter summers than 96% of North Carolina
Not better or worse, just Erwin’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Erwin out-ranks every neighbor it can be compared with
Head to head on the lists where both towns are ranked: a point for each list where one town places higher. Tap a town for its own rankings.
Erwin lands in the top half on 3 of 20 lists
Each dot is Erwin’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in NC, the right end is last. Areas where Erwin does best come first.
The lists Erwin does best on
Each list ranks every NC town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Erwin marked.
Every NC list, and where Erwin lands
38 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Cost of living
Most affordable#1 La Grange · 1.2 yrs
#38
Cheapest rent#1 Edenton · $388/mo
#153
E
Lowest property tax#1 Emma · $518/yr
#107
Rent easiest to afford#1 Morrisville · 24.8%
Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Spring Lake · 81.9%
#139
Most trails#1 Carrboro · 4.5 mi / sq mi
Most walkable#1 Carolina Beach · 134 / sq mi
#116 Health
Healthiest#1 Morrisville · 100 / 100
#220
Lowest obesity#1 Morrisville · 22%
#167
Fewest smokers#1 Morrisville · 7%
#216
Most active#1 Wrightsville Beach · 13%
#222
S
Fewest uninsured#1 St. James · 4%
#210
Lowest depression#1 Morrisville · 19%
#214
Closest to a top hospital#1 Winston-Salem · 0.0 mi
#219 
People
B Most educated#1 Briar Chapel · 81.6% #251
Youngest#1 Cullowhee · 21.0
#253
Oldest#1 Sunset Beach · 69.1
#46
S
Most residents 65+#1 St. James · 62.8%
#77
Most kids#1 Whispering Pines · 34.6%
#228 Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Jamestown · 13.4 min
#272 
The number on the right is Erwin’s spot. All of North Carolina’s rankings, with the map → · National lists and other states: all rankings.
Do the numbers ring true?
The lists count what can be counted. Neighbors know the rest.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
- 2,500+ residents. Census estimates for smaller towns carry margins of error too wide to rank fairly, so they sit out every NC list.
- One town, one row. A city that is both a city and a town in Census data, or a village inside a town, is counted once.
- Ties share a rank. Towns on one weather station, one school district or one CDC estimate share a figure, so they share a spot (T).
- No “worst” lists. Lists rank toward the good end, and share cards are made only for the top half. Age, snow and the like are character, not grades.
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, 2010 and 2020 censuses, Building Permits Survey), U.S. Department of Education, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, CDC PLACES, Medicare Care Compare, IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FHFA House Price Index, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. Each list explains its own method.