Morganton, NC
Census place 3744400 · pop 17,646
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
25.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
16.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$51,355 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
17.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
30.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
54.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
38.4% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
26.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
90.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.8% 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 $214,900 · better than most cities
$221,700 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.76% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+7.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,376/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
65/100 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 24 min · better than most cities
18 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
Not measured for Morganton: 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 Morganton, NC a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Morganton scores 45/100 — 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 commute time and its weakest is poverty rate. 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 Morganton, NC expensive to live in?
- Morganton has a median home value of $221,700 and typical rent around $1,376/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Morganton, NC?
- Its weakest measured area is poverty rate (25.7%) — 7/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Morganton, NC best at?
- Its strongest measured area is commute time (18 min) — 87/100, 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.