Swain County, North Carolina
AffordabilityAffordability: grade B+, better than 73% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade F, better than 4% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 20% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade C, better than 46% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade D, better than 25% of US counties
- top 11% for property tax rate
- top 15% for park & nature access
- bottom 1% for violent crime
Swain County is a county in North Carolina with about 14,000 residents. It grades B+ for affordability and F for weather. Standout strengths include property tax rate, park & nature access, and monthly rent. It rates lower on property crime and violent crime.
Official websiteswaincountync.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Cool winters · Wet · Snowy
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warm
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67%51%clearovercast
Precipitation 6.0 in4.6 in
muggy 85%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$53k28th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$46kbetter than 47% of US counties
Home Value$179k60th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$690better than 81% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 61% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.47%better than 89% of US counties
Income Tax4.50%better than 62% of US counties
Sales Tax7.00%better than 61% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden8.42%better than 73% of US counties
Unemployment7.5%better than 12% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)38°F62nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)76°F47th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation65.3 in99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall36.9 inbetter than 23% of US counties
Sunny Days211 daysbetter than 23% of US counties
Summer Humidity68°Fbetter than 34% of US counties
Comfortable Days81 daysbetter than 54% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk49.1better than 50% of US counties
Air Quality41 AQIbetter than 61% of US counties
School Quality49.9better than 39% of US counties
Violent Crime3381/100kbetter than 1% of US counties
Property Crime3254/100kbetter than 3% of US counties
Community
Population14,13031st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age41.651st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5284th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9620th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+2031st percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)59.5%23rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)1.2%41st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)6.9%62nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.5%45th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)31.8%98th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time21 minbetter than 77% of US counties
Walkability5.7/20better than 38% of US counties
Airport Distance137 mibetter than 30% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access74.2%better than 13% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.00better than 12% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 85% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Swain County an affordable place to live?
- Swain County is about average in cost. Its cost-of-living index is $46k, better than 47% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Swain County?
- The median home value in Swain County is $179k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Swain County?
- Median household income in Swain County is $53k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Swain County?
- Median gross rent in Swain County is $690 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Swain County safe?
- Swain County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 3381/100k (better than 1%). Property crime is 3254/100k.
- What is the weather like in Swain County?
- Swain County averages 76°F in July and 38°F in January, with 65.3 in of annual precipitation and about 211 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Swain County?
- Public-school quality in Swain County is below average, scoring better than 39% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Swain County?
- The average one-way commute in Swain County is 21 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)