Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 40% of U.S. towns · #139 of 263 in Georgia. What drives it
Most of Norcross was built recently: 0.8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1990. 1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 194 buildings. Below: maps from 1956 on and the census since 1880.
Norcross dates its founding to 1870 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1880.
More historic than 40% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Norcross is more historic than 40% of U.S. towns, #139 of 263 in Georgia. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
Georgia towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Georgia town has 10.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Norcross’ 108 sits above most of its state (72% of Georgia towns have fewer) while its 194 historic buildings outnumber those of 93% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Norcross’s history is told.
Norcross’s post office has been open since 1871. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikipedia’s history of Norcross.
Norcross was chartered as a town on October 26, 1870. The community was named for Jonathan Norcross, a former Atlanta Mayor and railroad official.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
Born hereBrandon Goodwin is born here
Born hereDarius Slayton is born here
2017Norcross Depot, March 2017
2017Lilian Webb Park, Norcross, Georgia March 2017
2017Fountains in Lilian Webb Park, Norcross, GA March 2017
2017Downtown Norcross, March 2017
2017College Street, Norcross March 2017
2017Betty Mauldin Park, Norcross, GA Mar 2017
2017Amanita crenulata 820627
2017Amanita crenulata 820625
2016Norcross High School, Georgia
2016Blue Devils Stadium
2013Downtown
2012Cousin John
2011Promoting Disaster Preparedness in Georgia
2011Promoting Disaster Preparedness in Georgia (cropped)
2011Paisaje de Otoño Atlanta
2009Parking lot - panoramio - atomic ant
2007Chattahoochee
2005GAMap-doton-NorcrossEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Norcross. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Norcross.
Grew from 500 people in 1880 to 17,209 in 2020, more than tenfold.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Norcross’ Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1870, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Norcross’ post office opened in 1828, and the census of 1880 counted 500 people here.
Norcross is more historic than 40% of U.S. towns, #139 of 263 in Georgia. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
One place: the Norcross Historic District (listed 1980).
0.8% of Norcross’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.8% for a Georgia town; the median home was built in 1990.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (18), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
