What it's like to live in Hope Mills
Hope Mills is a small city in North Carolina with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, 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. Hope Mills deals with household incomes below the national average, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Hope Mills compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Hope Mills
Based on Hope Mills's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,282
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,640 a year
- 44% of Hope Mills renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$38,120
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $19,060
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 19% below US
$1,141/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,141 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $190,600. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $190,600 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Cumberland County is 4.8%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Cumberland County (county-wide)
SafetyNear US average
420 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 3599/100k · Hope Mills Police Department · 2023 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 90°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 36°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 35% below US
23% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 23%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 Moores Creek National Battlefield (60 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Hope Mills'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 fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city. A year of median rent ($1,141/mo) equals 21% 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 Hope Mills →·All North Carolina cities →
Other places near Hope Mills
All North Carolina guides →Moving to Fayetteville →
8 mi away · pop. 210,815
Rent $1,250/mo · Income $58,407
Compare with Hope Mills →Moving to Spring Lake →
15 mi away · pop. 11,573
Rent $1,351/mo · Income $51,958
Compare with Hope Mills →Moving to Spout Springs →
21 mi away · pop. 11,242
Rent $2,010/mo · Income $92,402
Compare with Hope Mills →Not sure Hope Mills is the one?
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