Boone, NC vs Waynesville, NC

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricBoone, NCWaynesville, NC
Population20,03210,502
Median Household Income$30,065$54,923
Median Rent$1,111/mo$1,070/mo
Median Home Value$411,100$281,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)——
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income74.2%49.7%
Poverty Rate51.2%15.9%
Unemployment Rate3.5% (county)3.9% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k158425
Property Crime Rate /100k9403,084
Median AQI—43
Good AQI Days /yr——
Summer Highs78°F80°F
Winter Lows23°F25°F
Snowfall26 in/yr11 in/yr
Avg Commute15.8 min19.7 min
Hospitals1—
Avg Hospital Rating3.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher11.813.6
College Degree Rate56.8%32.9%
Foreign-Born %4.5%5.8%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+4.2%+8.6%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.