What it's like to live in Burlington
Burlington is a smaller city in North Carolina with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, a growing population, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Burlington deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Burlington compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Burlington
Based on Burlington's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,102
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $42,040 a year
- 44% of Burlington renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$39,840
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $19,920
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 26% below US
$1,051/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,051 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $199,200. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $199,200 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.2%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 94% above US
640 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 2657/100k · Burlington Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 88°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 32°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 18% below US
30% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 30%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
13 public schools inside the boundary
There are 13 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (21 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Burlington's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,051/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget.
See all the data for Burlington →·All North Carolina cities →
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