Lenoir, NC vs Waynesville, NC

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

MetricLenoir, NCWaynesville, NC
Population18,29910,502
Median Household Income$49,910$54,923
Median Rent$664/mo$1,070/mo
Median Home Value$179,400$281,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)89—
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income33%49.7%
Poverty Rate14.6%15.9%
Unemployment Rate3.9% (county)3.9% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k345425
Property Crime Rate /100k3,0063,084
Median AQI3643
Good AQI Days /yr——
Summer Highs86°F80°F
Winter Lows29°F25°F
Snowfall4 in/yr11 in/yr
Avg Commute24.8 min19.7 min
Hospitals1—
Avg Hospital Rating3.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher1413.6
College Degree Rate21.2%32.9%
Foreign-Born %7.1%5.8%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+0.1%+8.6%

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