Waynesville, NC vs Morganton, NC

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

MetricWaynesville, NCMorganton, NC
Population10,50217,646
Median Household Income$54,923$51,355
Median Rent$1,070/mo$944/mo
Median Home Value$281,700$221,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)—89
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income49.7%44.1%
Poverty Rate15.9%25.7%
Unemployment Rate3.9% (county)3.9% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k425268
Property Crime Rate /100k3,0842,284
Median AQI43—
Good AQI Days /yr——
Summer Highs80°F86°F
Winter Lows25°F30°F
Snowfall11 in/yr5 in/yr
Avg Commute19.7 min17.7 min
Hospitals—2
Avg Hospital Rating—4.0 / 5
Students per Teacher13.615.5
College Degree Rate32.9%26.1%
Foreign-Born %5.8%10.6%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+8.6%+2.3%

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