Waynesville, NC vs Shelby, NC

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

MetricWaynesville, NCShelby, NC
Population10,50222,100
Median Household Income$54,923$48,376
Median Rent$1,070/mo$945/mo
Median Home Value$281,700$197,200
Cost of Living (US = 100)——
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income49.7%47.2%
Poverty Rate15.9%17.6%
Unemployment Rate3.9% (county)4.4% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k425879
Property Crime Rate /100k3,0842,462
Median AQI43—
Good AQI Days /yr——
Summer Highs80°F89°F
Winter Lows25°F29°F
Snowfall11 in/yr4 in/yr
Avg Commute19.7 min20.2 min
Hospitals—1
Avg Hospital Rating—3.0 / 5
Students per Teacher13.616.8
College Degree Rate32.9%26.6%
Foreign-Born %5.8%2.3%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+8.6%+6.5%

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