Places › North Carolina › Statesville

Living in Statesville, NC

Small city in North Carolina

Statesville is a small city in North Carolina, home to about 29,000 people, with 596,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is Statesville a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Dog-friendly: 3 dog parks within 9 mi
  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $291k and rents for $1,810 a month
  • Low natural disaster risk: 5 federally declared disasters since 2000
  • Low taxes: about $1,615 state income tax per resident, 0.78% property tax

👎 Cons

  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Fewer graduates: 27% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Smaller job market: about 596,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Statesville ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
29,000
596,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
51°F / 86°F
Average daily highs · 5″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$291k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,810/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
97
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$1,615
State income tax per resident · 0.78% property tax
Safety
No data
Not in FBI 2019 city table
Natural disasters
5 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, tornadoes
Top-rated hospitals
3
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Average
Tests close to US average · 16 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
27%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
CLT
40 mi away

Living in Statesville: common questions

What is the cost of living in Statesville?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $291k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,810 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 97, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Statesville?

North Carolina collects about $1,615 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.78% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Statesville safe?

Statesville isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.

How are the schools in Statesville?

Public schools in Statesville test close to the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 16 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Statesville?

Statesville has cool winters: winter days average around 51°F and summer days around 86°F, with roughly 5″ of snow a year.

Does Statesville get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and tornadoes: 5 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.36 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Statesville?

The nearest major airport is CLT, about 40 mi away.

How Statesville scores

Each bar compares Statesville with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietQuiet / rural Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundCar essential Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature nearby Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCool winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingAffordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceSlow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunitySome community feel AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingApartments & houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesGood
💼Job marketBelow average
🏥HealthcareGood
🏫SchoolsAverage
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyBelow average
🐕Dog-friendlyExcellent
⛰️OutdoorsBelow average
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetyNo crime data (counted as average)
🌪️Few natural disastersExcellent
☀️SunnyAverage
🌤️Mild summersGood
✈️AirportGood

Places like Statesville

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Oak Ridge, TNSuburb59 $327k$1,860/moSafe Newnan, GASmall city56 $318k$2,180/moModerate crime Morristown, TNSmall city48 $293k$1,440/moHigher crime Carrollton, GASmall city56 $267k$2,180/moNo crime data Clayton, NCSuburb61 $329k$2,200/moVery safe Cheyenne, WYSmall city58 $371k$1,630/moSafe

Nearby

Mooresville, NCSuburb · 14 mi away61 $392k$1,810/moVery safe Cornelius, NCSuburb · 22 mi away63 $474k$2,080/moNo crime data Salisbury, NCSmall city · 23 mi away47 $297k$1,570/moHigher crime Kannapolis, NCSuburb · 25 mi away57 $293k$2,080/moSafe Hickory, NCSmall city · 25 mi away48 $290k$1,370/moModerate crime Huntersville, NCSuburb · 26 mi away72 $431k$2,080/moVery safe

See all the best places to live in North Carolina.

Is Statesville right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.