Tarboro receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lumberton
Tarboro
Opportunity
22 · Bottom 2%
vs24 · Bottom 3%
Growth
62 · Top 29%
vs48 · Bottom 45%
Climate
74 · Top 32%
vs75 · Top 28%
Physical resilience
27 · Bottom 22%
vs36 · Bottom 28%
Housing affordability
79 · Bottom 48%
vs87 · Top 39%
Schools
9 · Bottom 1%
vs14 · Bottom 4%
Access
63 · Bottom 8%
vs76 · Bottom 17%
Economic stability
19 · Bottom 1%
vs30 · Bottom 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Lumberton | Tarboro | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,859 | 10,770 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $42,877 | $49,796 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,340 | $35,098 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,035/sq mi | 955/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $152,600 | $185,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $866 | $843 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 43.9% | 57.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.6% | -2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.2% | 26.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 30.8% | 18.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 123 | 25 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.5 | 2.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 105.0% | 31.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.6" | 44.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 66 mi | 40 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.4 min | 22.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.6 | 51.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.22 | 15.56 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 21.4% | 18.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 27.2% | 30.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 97.1% | 98.4% | 2024-25 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Lumberton
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Tarboro
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Full profiles: Lumberton, NC · Tarboro, NC · How this is calculated: methodology