Holly Springs vs Five Forks

Which is the better fit for you?

Holly Springs, NC
74
Area Score
Top 6% nationally
Five Forks, SC
72
Area Score
Top 8% nationally

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Holly Springs receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Holly Springs to Five Forks

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Everyday prices
5% lower
Regional price level 93.1 against 98.4 (US = 100)
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$681 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,339 in Five Forks against $2,020 in Holly Springs.
The median home
16% less
$452,200 in Five Forks against $535,800 in Holly Springs.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 32°F in Five Forks against 32°F in Holly Springs; July highs are 90°F against 91°F (summers 1°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

31 occupations have a published median wage in both places. Start typing, or choose from the list.

Median wages are the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ metro figures for that occupation, not a job offer, and the price level is the regional index; neither includes taxes, benefits or how senior you are.

Signals

Holly Springs
Five Forks
Opportunity: Five Forks is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
83 · Top 4%
vs
92 · Top 1%
Growth: Five Forks is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
65 · Top 22%
vs
71 · Top 14%
Climate: Five Forks is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
72 · Top 43%
vs
76 · Top 25%
Physical resilience: Holly Springs is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
67 · Top 41%
vs
63 · Top 44%
Housing affordability: Holly Springs is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
67 · Top 49%
vs
44 · Bottom 14%
Schools: Holly Springs is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
77 · Top 15%
vs
67 · Top 28%
Access: Five Forks is the more favorable of the two.
Access
93 · Top 47%
vs
98 · Top 21%
Economic stability: Holly Springs is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
74 · Top 14%
vs
69 · Top 26%

Measured values

MetricHolly SpringsFive ForksSource period
Population45,24818,6562024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income — the two are too close to separate$135,578 ±$6,882$141,786 ±$10,8072024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income — the two are too close to separate$53,656 ±$2,441$57,624 ±$4,4092024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,327/sq mi2,464/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$535,800$452,2002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent — the two are too close to separate$2,021 ±$111$2,178 ±$1472024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$2,020$1,339 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index98.493.1 — more favorable2023
Homeownership rate80.6%86.6%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate3.0% — more favorable3.5%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−1.1%+4.5% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher — the two are too close to separate67.3% ±4%65.6% ±12%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate4.6%2.6% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)3754,87312 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents8.38.9 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−38.2%−10.1% — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Average July high91°F90°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low32°F32°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation46.1"49.7"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport16 mi9 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute30.9 min26.3 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age36.540.42024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools9152024-25 school year
Students per teacher16.2 — more favorable16.92024-25 school year
Math proficiency59.2%61.1%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency66.2%64.3%2018-19 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

4 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison.

North Carolina and South Carolina do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.

Physical risk tradeoff

Holly Springs

No hazard reaches elevated exposure.

Five Forks

Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, earthquake.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Holly Springs
—
Holly Springs: Your Score
74
Area Score
Five Forks
—
Five Forks: Your Score
72
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Holly Springs, NC · Five Forks, SC · How this is calculated: methodology