Bessemer City, NC
Census place 3705220 · pop 5,580
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
20.6% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
83.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
20.0% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
16.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
31.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
39.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
13.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
28 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$60,300 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
16.4% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+2.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
66.0% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
82/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.41 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.75% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$206,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,375/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
Not measured for Bessemer City: Crime, Air, Bad air, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Bessemer City, NC a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Bessemer City scores 42/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 18 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is rent and its weakest is adult smoking. North Carolina overall ranks #16 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Bessemer City, NC expensive to live in?
- Bessemer City has a median home value of $206,100 and typical rent around $1,375/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Bessemer City, NC?
- Its weakest measured area is adult smoking (20.6%) — 5/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Bessemer City, NC best at?
- Its strongest measured area is rent ($1,375/mo) — 77/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.