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Saluda Historic District

SaludaNC

A town of 683. Public schools that outperform most of North Carolina.

Photo: Bigskybill · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
683
−11.5% since 2010
Typical home
$367K
−0.9% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
65.4
years
Jobs based here
232
Balanced

What makes Saluda stand out

The 2 things Saluda does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
Small town

683 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

Saluda’s report card

See the data ↓

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The data

Ordered by what stands out in Saluda. Another town gets a different order.

Schools

Saluda’s public schools outperform 74% of North Carolina districts

The public schools Saluda’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 74% of North Carolina’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

B+School Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Saluda Elementary SchoolPK–5142A
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduationAll 1 schools →
Climate

Mild winters, pleasant summers

Saluda has mild winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

5″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter32–50°
Spring47–67°
Summer64–82°
Fall50–68°
Nov 12
typical first frost
Mar 27
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute

Most working residents commute out of Saluda

Most working residents leave Saluda for work: only 6% work in town. The top destinations are Hendersonville (13%), Asheville (8%) and Charlotte (8%). Half commute less than 20 miles.

6%work in town

Where working residents work

In Saluda6%
Hendersonville13%
Asheville8%
Charlotte8%
Columbus4%
20 mi
median commute distance
232
jobs based in Saluda
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety

Crime reported in Saluda

11 crimes were reported in Saluda in 2024: 9 property and 2 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.

Saluda is small, so we show counts rather than rates.

2
violent crimes reported in 2024
9
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Health

How healthy Saluda is

Saluda beats the North Carolina average on 17 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5.

32 measures vs. North Carolina
17 better10 too close to call5 worse
What stands outSaludaNC
Fewer adults facing food insecurity6.7%15.2%
Fewer adults facing housing insecurity5.4%12.2%
More adults who have had cancer13.8%7.9%
Advent Health Polk
7.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Housing

A typical Saluda home is worth about $367K

The typical Saluda home is worth about $367,000, down 0.9% in a year, 10% above the North Carolina typical home.

$367KZillow home value

Typical home value

Saluda$367K
North Carolina$335K
−0.9%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Natural hazards

Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities.

56risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
56Moderate riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Outdoors

1.9% of Saluda is conserved land

0.6 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.

1.9%conserved
1.9%
conserved · 19 of 994 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. McCreery Park—1
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Woman sitting on cabin porch
1939 · Woman sitting on cabin porch · Wikimedia Commons
Saluda’s story

Saluda in pictures

6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 5 places on the National Register.

SOU 4501 (saluda)(postcard)NCMap-doton-SaludaCharlton Leland
Explore the history →

Landmarks

5 places in Saluda on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

About Saluda

City in North Carolina, United States

Official town website ↗

Saluda is a city in Polk and Henderson counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 631 at the 2020 census. Saluda is famous for sitting at the top of the Norfolk Southern Railway's Saluda Grade, which was the steepest main line standard-gauge railway line in the United States until Norfolk Southern ceased operations on the line in 2001. Saluda is close to the South Carolina state line, between Asheville, North Carolina, and Spartanburg, South Carolina.

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

Population
631
Area
1.6 sq mi
Elevation
2,103 ft
ZIP code
28773
Area code
828

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Photo of Saluda

Saluda, NC · Photo: Bigskybill · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗