Save town Compare Needs More Love
Town guide

Murphy

A town of 1,604 people in North Carolina
Be the first to joinEarn karma for joining →
1

Now in Murphy

What’s happening this week

All posts →
From your neighbors

What’s happening

A preview of what neighbors share. Be the first to post in Murphy.

Weather

Forecast →
Coming up

Upcoming events

Nothing on the calendar yet

Put the next local happening — a market, a meeting, a concert — on the map.

Add an event →
Around town

Local news

All news →

Headlines via Google News · Articles belong to their publishers.

2

Around town

The places and views that make it Murphy

Explore places →

Outdoors in Murphy

Parks & trails →
Map of Murphy: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Conserved land5.4%92 of 1,706 acres
Trails2.7 mi1 mi per sq mi
Parks & preserves457 conserved acres per 1,000 residents

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Landmark of the day

All 3 historic places →
Harshaw Chapel and Cemetery

Harshaw Chapel and Cemetery

Built 1869 · on the Register since 1984

Harshaw Chapel and Cemetery is a historic Methodist chapel and cemetery at Church and Central Streets in Murphy, Cherokee County, North Carolina.

3 on the National Register · #138 in NCHistoric places →
3

Know Murphy

The town at a glance, and the guide to how things work

Open the full guide →

About Murphy

Town in North Carolina, United States
1835Established
1,608Population
2.6 sq miArea
1,604 ftElevation

Murphy is a town in and the county seat of Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States. It is situated at the confluence of the Hiwassee and Valley rivers. It is the westernmost county seat in the state of North Carolina, approximately 360 miles (580 km) from the state capital in Raleigh. The population of Murphy was 1,608 at the 2020 census.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Town numbers

ZIP code28906
Area code828
Living in Murphy

Housing in Murphy

$278K≈ same as a year ago Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Murphy home is worth about $278,000, about the same as a year ago, 17% below the North Carolina typical home.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Murphy

—

Not graded

A grade needs all of the FBI's latest years (2023–2025). Murphy's police department reported only 2023, so we don't grade it yet. The figures below are still real.

Violent crime per 1,000
Murphy 9.1
North Carolina 4
U.S. 3.9
Property crime per 1,000
Murphy 51.4
North Carolina 21.1
U.S. 19.5
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Murphy

Full picture →

About one in 5 of Murphy’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Cherokee (4%), Asheville (4%) and Andrews (3%). Half commute less than 13 miles.

Cherokee
4%
Asheville
4%
Andrews
3%
Charlotte
2%
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Murphy →

Health in Murphy

B−

Health Grade B−

Healthier than 50% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 96% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with North Carolina

1worse than NC

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 31 are too close to call.

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

Care nearby

Erlanger Murphy Medical CenterMurphy · 3.7 mi · ER · rural critical access
Appalachian Mountain Health at MurphyMurphy · 3.8 mi · sliding-scale fees
Primary careShortage · county-wide
DentalShortage · county-wide
Mental healthShortage · county-wide
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Murphy · CMS · HRSAHealth in Murphy →

Natural hazards in Murphy

43
Moderate

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 43% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes🏚️ Earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Murphy →

Climate in Murphy

Full climate →

Murphy has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

52° / 29°Winter
70° / 44°Spring
85° / 62°Summer
71° / 45°Fall
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Murphy →

Schools in Murphy

All Murphy schools →
C+

School Grade C+

The public schools Murphy’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 65% of North Carolina’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

DistrictCherokee County SchoolsSchools1

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within NC. Ratings are from neighbors.

Murphy’s library

Library details →
Murphy Public Library9 Blumenthal St. · part of Nantahala Regional Library
Fine-freeE-books47 hrs a week
IMLS Public Libraries Survey · FY2024Murphy Public Library →
Famous people from MurphyWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Murphy.Meet them →

How things work in Murphy

All explainers →
The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Murphy, NCView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

Murphy is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01