Burke County, North Carolina
Among the top 23% of US counties for lifestyle & connectivity.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade B, better than 67% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade B, better than 68% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 17% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B, better than 56% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B+, better than 77% of US counties
- top 13% for amenities nearby
- top 19% for park & nature access
- bottom 11% for school quality
Burke County is a county in North Carolina with about 88,000 residents. It grades B+ for lifestyle & connectivity and D for safety & wellbeing. Standout strengths include amenities nearby, park & nature access, and monthly owner costs. It rates lower on property crime and school quality.
Official websiteburkenc.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot summers · Cool winters · Wet · Light snow
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65%55%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.7 in4.0 in
muggy 78%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$54k30th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$45kbetter than 50% of US counties
Home Value$156k48th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$768better than 63% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 77% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.72%better than 62% of US counties
Income Tax4.50%better than 62% of US counties
Sales Tax7.00%better than 61% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden8.89%better than 63% of US counties
Unemployment6.0%better than 27% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)40°F67th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)78°F54th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation51.5 in77th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall4.5 inbetter than 64% of US counties
Sunny Days221 daysbetter than 33% of US counties
Summer Humidity66°Fbetter than 48% of US counties
Comfortable Days88 daysbetter than 73% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk70.2better than 29% of US counties
School Quality37.1better than 11% of US counties
Violent Crime718/100kbetter than 54% of US counties
Property Crime1623/100kbetter than 22% of US counties
Community
Population87,79979th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age45.178th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.3054th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0155th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+4152nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)80.9%50th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)5.9%68th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)6.7%61st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)3.4%91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.1%43rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time24 minbetter than 54% of US counties
Walkability5.5/20better than 32% of US counties
Airport Distance57 mibetter than 76% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access79.7%better than 30% of US counties
Amenities Nearby10.71better than 87% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 81% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Burke County an affordable place to live?
- Burke County is about average in cost. Its cost-of-living index is $45k, better than 50% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Burke County?
- The median home value in Burke County is $156k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Burke County?
- Median household income in Burke County is $54k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Burke County?
- Median gross rent in Burke County is $768 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Burke County safe?
- Burke County is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 718/100k (better than 54%). Property crime is 1623/100k.
- What is the weather like in Burke County?
- Burke County averages 78°F in July and 40°F in January, with 51.5 in of annual precipitation and about 221 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Burke County?
- Public-school quality in Burke County is below average, scoring better than 11% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Burke County?
- The average one-way commute in Burke County is 24 min.
Other counties in North Carolina
Explore North Carolina
Data sources
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)