North Carolina
#16 of 50 states · 👍 Solid
City heat map
Every ranked city — bubble size = population, color = how it ranks within North Carolina. Tap a bubble for its card.
Color is each city's rank within North Carolina — not its national score. Hover or open a bubble for that, or see every city on one scale on the national map.
The breakdown — worst first
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
Population-weighted average across 72 North Carolina cities
Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air.
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more.
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
Share of adults who currently smoke.
Population-weighted average across 99 North Carolina cities
Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
Share of the labor force out of work.
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
Population-weighted average across 72 North Carolina cities
Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100).
Population-weighted average across 142 North Carolina cities
Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
🏆 Best cities
North Carolina's headline score is the population-weighted average of its cities' scores, placed on a curve relative to the other states — a bird's-eye, states-vs-states ranking. The breakdown bars above are the absolute, per-metric rollup across its cities of 5,000+ residents. The heat map colors each city by its rank within North Carolina(greenest = best here); the city lists below show each city's national score.