Morganton, NC vs Waynesville, NC

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

MetricMorganton, NCWaynesville, NC
Population17,64610,502
Median Household Income$51,355$54,923
Median Rent$944/mo$1,070/mo
Median Home Value$221,700$281,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)89—
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income44.1%49.7%
Poverty Rate25.7%15.9%
Unemployment Rate3.9% (county)3.9% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k268425
Property Crime Rate /100k2,2843,084
Median AQI—43
Good AQI Days /yr——
Summer Highs86°F80°F
Winter Lows30°F25°F
Snowfall5 in/yr11 in/yr
Avg Commute17.7 min19.7 min
Hospitals2—
Avg Hospital Rating4.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher15.513.6
College Degree Rate26.1%32.9%
Foreign-Born %10.6%5.8%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+2.3%+8.6%

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