© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
North Carolina
Morganton
Population 17,646
© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
North Carolina
Shelby
Population 22,100
Morganton, NC vs Shelby, NC
Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.
| Metric | Morganton, NC | Shelby, NC |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,646 | 22,100 |
| Median Household Income | $51,355 | $48,376 |
| Median Rent | $944/mo | $945/mo |
| Median Home Value | $221,700 | $197,200 |
| Cost of Living (US = 100) | 89 | — |
| Renters Paying 30%+ of Income | 44.1% | 47.2% |
| Poverty Rate | 25.7% | 17.6% |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.9% (county) | 4.4% (county) |
| Violent Crime Rate /100k | 268 | 879 |
| Property Crime Rate /100k | 2,284 | 2,462 |
| Median AQI | — | — |
| Good AQI Days /yr | — | — |
| Summer Highs | 86°F | 89°F |
| Winter Lows | 30°F | 29°F |
| Snowfall | 5 in/yr | 4 in/yr |
| Avg Commute | 17.7 min | 20.2 min |
| Hospitals | 2 | 1 |
| Avg Hospital Rating | 4.0 / 5 | 3.0 / 5 |
| Students per Teacher | 15.5 | 16.8 |
| College Degree Rate | 26.1% | 26.6% |
| Foreign-Born % | 10.6% | 2.3% |
| Population Growth (2020–2025) | +2.3% | +6.5% |
Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.