Franklin ranks #2 in North Carolina for graduation rate
Franklin is ranked on 33 lists against the 297 North Carolina towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 1 and the top quarter on 6.
A podium finish, and more
Each list ranks every NC town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Franklin marked.
Colder winters than 98% of North Carolina
Not better or worse, just Franklin’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Franklin lands in the top half on 10 of 20 lists
Each dot is Franklin’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in NC, the right end is last. Areas where Franklin does best come first.
Where Franklin lands in every NC ranking
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
#69
Cheapest rent#1 Edenton · $388/mo
#17
E
Lowest property tax#1 Emma · $518/yr
#38
Rent easiest to afford#1 Morrisville · 24.8%
Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Spring Lake · 81.9%
#151
Most trails#1 Carrboro · 4.5 mi / sq mi
Most walkable#1 Carolina Beach · 134 / sq mi
#33 Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Jamestown · 13.4 min
#120 
Health
Healthiest#1 Morrisville · 100 / 100
#201
Lowest obesity#1 Morrisville · 22%
#145
Fewest smokers#1 Morrisville · 7%
#189
Most active#1 Wrightsville Beach · 13%
#202
S
Fewest uninsured#1 St. James · 4%
#240
Lowest depression#1 Morrisville · 19%
#258
Closest to a top hospital#1 Charlotte · 0.0 mi
#280 People
B Most educated#1 Briar Chapel · 81.6% #174
Youngest#1 Cullowhee · 21.0
#258
Oldest#1 Sunset Beach · 69.1
#40
S
Most residents 65+#1 St. James · 62.8%
#26
Most kids#1 Whispering Pines · 34.6%
#269 
The number on the right is Franklin’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.