Rocky Mount vs Wake Forest
Rocky Mount, North Carolina versus Wake Forest, North Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Rocky Mount and Wake Forest score about the same overall (43 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Rocky Mount | Wake Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $50k | $115k |
| Cost of Living | $48k | $64k |
| Home Value | $138k | $397k |
| Monthly Rent | $891 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.03% | 0.89% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.63% | 9.87% |
| Unemployment | 7.8% | 4.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 42°F | 41°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 80°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 45.8 in | 49.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.7 in | 3.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 228 days | 194 days |
| Summer Humidity | 71°F | 69°F |
| Comfortable Days | 74 days | 80 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 61.9 | 43.5 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 49 AQI |
| School Quality | 37.2 | 45.4 |
| Violent Crime | 1593/100k | 646/100k |
| Property Crime | 2778/100k | 1047/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 54,260 | 48,047 |
| Median Age | 40.4 | 39.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.52 | 0.48 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.92 | 0.93 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+27 |
| White (%) | 28.8% | 67.4% |
| Black (%) | 62.0% | 17.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.3% | 7.9% |
| Asian (%) | 1.3% | 2.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.6% | 4.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 21 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 10.5/20 | 8.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 55 mi | 17 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 77.2% | 97.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 12.35 | 35.17 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Moderate |
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 Rocky Mount or Wake Forest more affordable?
- Rocky Mount has the lower cost of living: its index is $48k, compared with Rocky Mount's $48k and Wake Forest's $64k. Median rent is $891 in Rocky Mount versus $1k in Wake Forest.
- Is Rocky Mount or Wake Forest safer?
- Wake Forest has the lower violent crime rate. Rocky Mount reports 1593/100k and Wake Forest reports 646/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Rocky Mount or Wake Forest?
- The median home value is $138k in Rocky Mount and $397k in Wake Forest, so homes are more affordable in Rocky Mount.