Clayton vs Rocky Mount
Clayton, North Carolina versus Rocky Mount, North Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Clayton and Rocky Mount score about the same overall (44 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Clayton | Rocky Mount |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $72k | $50k |
| Cost of Living | $54k | $48k |
| Home Value | $260k | $138k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $891 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.97% | 1.03% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.33% | 9.63% |
| Unemployment | 1.8% | 7.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 42°F | 42°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 81°F | 80°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 52.1 in | 45.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.2 in | 0.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 194 days | 228 days |
| Summer Humidity | 69°F | 71°F |
| Comfortable Days | 79 days | 74 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 48.8 | 61.9 |
| Air Quality | 47 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 31.8 | 37.2 |
| Violent Crime | 673/100k | 1593/100k |
| Property Crime | 1232/100k | 2778/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 26,837 | 54,260 |
| Median Age | 32.6 | 40.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.52 | 0.52 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.97 | 0.92 |
| Political Leaning | R+25 | Even |
| White (%) | 58.0% | 28.8% |
| Black (%) | 23.5% | 62.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 13.8% | 4.3% |
| Asian (%) | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.8% | 3.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 32 min | 21 min |
| Walkability | 6.6/20 | 10.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 24 mi | 55 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.2% | 77.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 33.54 | 12.35 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Clayton or Rocky Mount more affordable?
- Rocky Mount has the lower cost of living: its index is $48k, compared with Clayton's $54k and Rocky Mount's $48k. Median rent is $1k in Clayton versus $891 in Rocky Mount.
- Is Clayton or Rocky Mount safer?
- Clayton has the lower violent crime rate. Clayton reports 673/100k and Rocky Mount reports 1593/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Clayton or Rocky Mount?
- The median home value is $260k in Clayton and $138k in Rocky Mount, so homes are more affordable in Rocky Mount.