Sanford, NC
Census place 3759280 · pop 31,478
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
73.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
17.8% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
22.0% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
16.8% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
39.7% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
53.3% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
30.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$57,586 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
21.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.44 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,762/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
23 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.87% 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
$245,400 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.3% 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 +2.4% · better than most cities
+6.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
73/100 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.
Not measured for Sanford: 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 Sanford, NC a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Sanford scores 40/100 — 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 natural disaster risk 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 Sanford, NC expensive to live in?
- Sanford has a median home value of $245,400 and typical rent around $1,762/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Sanford, NC?
- Its weakest measured area is broadband access (73.5%) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Sanford, NC best at?
- Its strongest measured area is natural disaster risk (73/100) — 72/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.