Johnston County, North Carolina
AffordabilityAffordability: grade C, better than 35% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade C, better than 26% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 21% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade C, better than 42% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 56% of US counties
- top 10% for airport distance
- bottom 3% for school quality
Johnston County is a county in North Carolina with about 219,000 residents. It grades B for lifestyle & connectivity and D for safety & wellbeing. Standout strengths include airport distance, annual snowfall, and unemployment. It rates lower on commute time and school quality.
Official websitejohnstonnc.com (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Cool winters · Moderate rain
cold
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warm
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67%57%clearovercast
Precipitation 5.0 in3.4 in
muggy 68%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$75k82nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$54kbetter than 13% of US counties
Home Value$240k78th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$970better than 26% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 28% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.73%better than 61% of US counties
Income Tax4.50%better than 62% of US counties
Sales Tax7.00%better than 61% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden9.14%better than 57% of US counties
Unemployment3.7%better than 70% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)43°F74th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)81°F73rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation49.4 in71st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall2.0 inbetter than 72% of US counties
Sunny Days215 daysbetter than 28% of US counties
Summer Humidity70°Fbetter than 21% of US counties
Comfortable Days80 daysbetter than 52% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk85.6better than 14% of US counties
Air Quality44 AQIbetter than 41% of US counties
School Quality31.4better than 3% of US counties
Violent Crime567/100kbetter than 65% of US counties
Property Crime1241/100kbetter than 35% of US counties
Community
Population219,04290th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age38.424th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.4876th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9832nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+2535th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)64.8%29th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)16.4%83rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)14.5%80th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.7%56th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.6%55th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time33 minbetter than 8% of US counties
Walkability5.8/20better than 41% of US counties
Airport Distance33 mibetter than 90% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access83.4%better than 50% of US counties
Amenities Nearby3.74better than 60% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 55% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Johnston County an affordable place to live?
- Johnston County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $54k, better than 13% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Johnston County?
- The median home value in Johnston County is $240k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Johnston County?
- Median household income in Johnston County is $75k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Johnston County?
- Median gross rent in Johnston County is $970 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Johnston County safe?
- Johnston County is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 567/100k (better than 65%). Property crime is 1241/100k.
- What is the weather like in Johnston County?
- Johnston County averages 81°F in July and 43°F in January, with 49.4 in of annual precipitation and about 215 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Johnston County?
- Public-school quality in Johnston County is below average, scoring better than 3% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Johnston County?
- The average one-way commute in Johnston County is 33 min.
Other counties in North Carolina
Explore North Carolina
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- 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)