Valdese Elementary School · National Register of Historic Places
Valdese’s story
Valdese in pictures
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →
ValdeseNC
A town of 4,704. Public schools that outperform most of North Carolina.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Population
4,704
+4.4% since 2010
Typical home
$249K
+1.3% in a year
Household income
$51K
median
Median age
52.6
years
Jobs based here
2,364
Balanced
What makes Valdese stand out
The 3 things Valdese does most differently from other towns.
BSchool Grade
Schools
#73 for schools in NC
of 252 towns
School Grade B.
Outdoors
#37 most trails in NC
6.2 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
7.4% of the town is conserved land.
100 U.S. towns● Valdese
Health
Healthier than 53%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than NC on 5 measures, worse on 5.
Valdese’s report card
SchoolsBBeats 57% of NC districtsOutdoors6 mi#37 for trails in NCHealthB−Healthier than 53% of U.S. townsHousing$249K26% below the NC typical homeHazards19/100Very low risk of storm & flood damageSafetyCLess crime than 33% of U.S. townsClimate89°/29°Summer high · winter low · 0″ snowCommute13 miHalf of commuters travel less
Now in Valdese
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Valdese is #12 of 284 in NC for “Cheapest rent”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Valdese’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →75°
Cloudy
H 78° · L 59°
Local news
All →- First United Methodist Church Valdese presents 'A Month of Sundays' in Octobermorganton.com · Sep 26
- Valdese Man Charged In Pedestrian Hit-And-RunWHKY · Sep 14
- Cafe Sabai to have a soft-opening during Waldensian Festival in Valdesethepaper.media · Aug 6
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Valdese. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Valdese’s public schools outperform 57% of North Carolina districts
The public schools Valdese’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 57% of North Carolina’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
BSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valdese Elementary | PK–5 | 530 | B |
| Heritage Middle | 6–8 | 475 | B+ |
| Draughn High School | 9–12 | 661 | A− |
| Burke Virtual Academy | K–12 | — | Not graded |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduationAll 4 schools →
Outdoors
7.4% of Valdese is conserved land
6.2 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves.
#37for trails in NC
7.4%
conserved · 372 of 5,017 acres
6.2 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
#68
most conserved land in NC
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Valdese Lakeside Park | 1.6 mi | 325 |
| 2. McGalliard Falls Park | 0.2 mi | 24 |
| 3. Wildcat Trail System | — | 24 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 53% of U.S. towns
Valdese beats the North Carolina average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
B−Health Grade
32 measures vs. North Carolina
5 better22 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Valdese | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.2% | 12.2% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.3% | 8.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.7% | 7.9% |
Blue Ridge Healthcare Hospitals
5.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
54th
percentile among NC towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Housing
A typical Valdese home is worth about $249K
The typical Valdese home is worth about $249,000, up 1.3% in a year, 26% below the North Carolina typical home.
$249KZillow home value
Typical home value
Valdese$249K
North Carolina$335K
+1.3%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Natural hazards
Very low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 19% of U.S. communities.
19risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesEarthquakes
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 33% of U.S. towns
Valdese reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 67% report less. Within North Carolina, it does better than 69% of towns.
CSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Valdese1.9
North Carolina3.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Valdese19.7
North Carolina18.1
U.S.15.5
33rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
69th
percentile among NC towns
9
violent crimes reported in 2025
93
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Mild winters, hot summers
Valdese has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 29°, and snow is almost unheard of.
89°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter30–53°
Spring45–71°
Summer65–87°
Fall47–72°
Oct 28
typical first frost
Apr 7
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
89°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Valdese
Most working residents leave Valdese for work: only 9% work in town. The top destinations are Morganton (18%), Hickory (13%) and Charlotte (5%). Half commute less than 13 miles.
9%work in town
Where working residents work
In Valdese9%
Morganton18%
Hickory13%
Charlotte5%
Lenoir3%
13 mi
median commute distance
2,364
jobs based in Valdese
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Landmarks
5 places in Valdese on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Valdese
Town in North Carolina, United States
Valdese ( VAL-dees) is a town in Burke County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,689 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area. One of the largest Waldensian congregations in the United States was founded in the town in the late nineteenth century, now known as the Waldensian Presbyterian Church. The town was settled by immigrants from the Cottian Alps in the Piedmont region of Italy.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 4,689
- Area
- 7.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,217 ft
- ZIP code
- 28690
- Area code
- 828
Valdese’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Valdese.
Rutherford CollegeDrexelValdese
More about Valdese
Still missing for Valdese:archive photosupcoming events