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NCNorth Carolina rankings

Most walkable towns in North Carolina

Ranked by street connectivity: intersections per square mile, the standard walkability measure the EPA uses. 17 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

1 Briar Chapel 106 / sq mi Dead ends 11.2% Franklinton 2 Franklinton 91.9 / sq mi Dead ends 16% Waynesville 3 Waynesville 80.1 / sq mi Dead ends 27%
#TownIntersections per sq miDead endsStreet miles
1 Briar Chapel6,049 people 106 / sq mi 11.2% 27.3 mi
2 Franklinton Franklinton2,645 people 91.9 / sq mi 16% 24.3 mi
3 Waynesville Waynesville10,502 people 80.1 / sq mi 27% 117.3 mi
4 Elizabeth City Elizabeth City18,871 people 74.4 / sq mi 17.1% 132.2 mi
5 Durham Durham291,467 people 70.8 / sq mi 25.4% 1,314.3 mi
6 Swepsonville Swepsonville2,517 people 65.5 / sq mi 29.3% 16.2 mi
7 Black Mountain Black Mountain8,513 people 64.3 / sq mi 26.1% 80.2 mi
8 Map of Murfreesboro Murfreesboro3,170 people 52.8 / sq mi 13.5% 24.3 mi
9 Map of Youngsville Youngsville3,011 people 41.9 / sq mi 22.9% 16.8 mi
10 Map of Jacksonville Jacksonville71,279 people 41.0 / sq mi 19.8% 443.3 mi
11 Map of Reidsville Reidsville14,585 people 39.0 / sq mi 18.8% 140.2 mi
12 Map of Kings Mountain Kings Mountain12,039 people 38.6 / sq mi 25.6% 107.5 mi
13 Map of Whispering Pines Whispering Pines5,211 people 35.9 / sq mi 22.5% 42.0 mi
14 Boiling Spring Lakes Boiling Spring Lakes6,347 people 19.8 / sq mi 18.1% 126.4 mi
15 Spring Lake Spring Lake11,573 people 19.6 / sq mi 19.7% 108.2 mi
16 Barbecue5,910 people 19.5 / sq mi 45.4% 31.5 mi
17 Lake Norman of Catawba9,906 people 16.6 / sq mi 40.6% 149.1 mi

How this ranking works

We rank every town by street connectivity: intersections per square mile, the standard walkability measure the EPA uses. More intersections mean shorter, more direct walks, while cul-de-sac layouts with long dead ends rank lower. Sidewalks are not mapped consistently enough to rank, so this measures the street grid itself. The town with the highest figure ranks #1.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Trails, streets and parks: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Conserved land: USGS PAD-US. Measured within each town's Census boundary. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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