Rocky Mount, NC
Census place 3757500 · pop 54,297
Spans two counties along the Tar River and was a major tobacco and cotton market town in eastern North Carolina.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
80.7% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
42.4% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
49.0% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.7% 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 26.5% · worse than most cities
32.4% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
17.1% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
19.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$55,534 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
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 +2.4% · worse than most cities
-0.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
12.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
22.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.0% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.88% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
81/100 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
21 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$165,700 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
37 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 $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,260/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 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.
Not measured for Rocky Mount: 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 Rocky Mount, NC a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Rocky Mount 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 unhealthy air days and its weakest is broadband access. 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 Rocky Mount, NC expensive to live in?
- Rocky Mount has a median home value of $165,700 and typical rent around $1,260/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Rocky Mount, NC?
- Its weakest measured area is broadband access (80.7%) — 4/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Rocky Mount, NC best at?
- Its strongest measured area is unhealthy air days (0 days) — 85/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Spans two counties along the Tar River and was a major tobacco and cotton market town in eastern North Carolina.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.