Oak Ridge, NC
Census place 3748480 · pop 7,744
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$529,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.47 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
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 42 AQI · worse than most cities
44 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
86/100 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 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.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
32.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
21 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
95.2% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.62% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
9.6% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+12.2% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
57.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
5.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
13.5% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
16.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
3.6% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$155,385 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
92.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
Not measured for Oak Ridge: Crime, Property crime, Rent. 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 Oak Ridge, NC a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Oak Ridge scores 67/100 — a C (Solid) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 19 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is homeownership and its weakest is housing cost. 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 Oak Ridge, NC expensive to live in?
- Oak Ridge has a median home value of $529,300 — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Oak Ridge, NC?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($529,300) — 18/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Oak Ridge, NC best at?
- Its strongest measured area is homeownership (92.2%) — 97/100, 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.