Fayetteville, NC

Census place 3722920 · pop 210,815

D−44/ 100
🫤 Rough
D−
in NC
📍 North Carolina ranks #16 of 50 states →
🏆 Commute19 min · top 20%
🚽 Own47.4% · bottom 11%
💡 Did you know?

Home to Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg), one of the largest U.S. military installations and home of the 82nd Airborne.

Source ↗
Taxes
1.02% property · US 0.99%7.00% sales · US 7.00%3.99% flat income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Homeownership47.4%11

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

47.4% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Adult obesity40.4%17

U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities

40.4% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Poverty rate17.7%24

U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities

17.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Poor mental health18.8%24

U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities

18.8% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Median household income$58,40725

U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities

$58,407 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Unemployment rateCounty-level4.2%30

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

4.2% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Population growth (5yr)+0.2%31

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

+0.2% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Uninsured adults11.9%32

U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities

11.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Adult smoking14.9%34

U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities

14.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Air quality (AQI)County-level46 AQI36

U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities

46 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Income inequality0.4540

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.45 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Natural disaster riskCounty-level93/10040

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

93/100 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.

Physical inactivity25.9%45

U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities

25.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Property-tax burden1.02%47

U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities

1.02% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Bachelor's degree or higher29.0%48

U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities

29.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Broadband access91.5%49

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

91.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level1 days62

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Rent$1,421/mo74

U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities

$1,421/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Housing cost$188,00075

U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities

$188,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Commute time19 min80

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

19 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Not measured for Fayetteville: Crime, 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 Fayetteville, NC a good place to live?
By the numbers, Fayetteville scores 44/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is commute time and its weakest is homeownership. 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 Fayetteville, NC expensive to live in?
Fayetteville has a median home value of $188,000 and typical rent around $1,421/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Fayetteville, NC?
Its weakest measured area is homeownership (47.4%) — 11/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Fayetteville, NC best at?
Its strongest measured area is commute time (19 min) — 80/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home to Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg), one of the largest U.S. military installations and home of the 82nd Airborne.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.