Signals
Laurinburg
Murray
Growth
58 · Top 38%
vs51 · Top 47%
Climate
68 · Top 47%
vs74 · Top 22%
Physical resilience
46 · Bottom 36%
vs42 · Bottom 31%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 50%
vs91 · Bottom 38%
Access
53 · Bottom 15%
vs47 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
15 · Bottom 5%
vs27 · Bottom 18%
Measured values
| Metric | Laurinburg | Murray | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,590 | 38,224 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $45,730 | $52,706 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,395 | $29,867 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 105/sq mi | 99/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $114,900 | $183,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $778 | $870 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.8% | 63.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.6% | 31.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 25.8% | 17.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 70 | 26 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 48.9% | 44.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 27°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.2" | 58.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 82 mi | 88 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.3 min | 18.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.7 | 35.9 | 2024 ACS 5-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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Laurinburg
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Murray
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Your best match
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Laurinburg
56
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Murray
55
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Area Score
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Full profiles: Laurinburg, NC Micro Area · Murray, KY Micro Area · How this is calculated: methodology