Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Aberdeen grades B− overall, 92nd of 286 graded towns in North Carolina, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Residents are healthier than 76% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the other side, it reports more crime per resident than 85% of U.S. towns, including 28 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Aberdeen has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Bethesda Presbyterian Church and Malcolm Blue Farm. 27% of residents are under 18 in Aberdeen, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 22% and U.S. towns at 22%. The biggest park or preserve is Aberdeen Lake Park, at 44 acres.
Where Aberdeen beats most towns.
6,350 counted in 2010 and 8,516 in 2020; an estimated 10,066 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 18.1% since 2020, after 34.1% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Aberdeen is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 227 in 1890, 8,516 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1914 and 4 maps from 1948 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Aberdeen, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen draws workers from Pinehurst and beyond and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more.
5,168 jobs are based in Aberdeen, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Most working residents leave Aberdeen for work: only 10% work in town. Since 2013, Aberdeen has added 742 jobs, to 5,168 in 2023. Aberdeen’s average trip to work is 27 minutes.
| Aberdeen | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 7.5% | 12% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.8% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 13% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Moore County Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 675 | C− |
| The Academy of Moore CountyTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 479 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 412 to 242 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Aberdeen is 21.8 per 1,000 residents. Aberdeen reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 85% report less. Within North Carolina, it does better than 43% of towns.
| Aberdeen | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 21.8 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.8 per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
12% of adults report frequent physical distress in Aberdeen. Aberdeen beats the North Carolina average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 10% of adults have diabetes in Aberdeen.
| Aberdeen | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 24% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Aberdeen | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with COPD | 6.1% | 7.1% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.7% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities. Since 2016, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Aberdeen.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Aberdeen has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 90°, January nights drop to 32° and about 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Aberdeen has grown 18% since 2020, to 10,066 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 14% of Aberdeen residents are 65 or older. 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across North Carolina.
| Aberdeen | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.8 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 29% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.6 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women. Among residents 45 to 54, 71% are men (NC 49%). Median age: women 34.2, men 36.4.
| Aberdeen | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.7% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.6% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 19.7% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 19.5% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 5.7% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.3% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.5% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.3% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.4% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.8% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.1% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.8% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.6% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.2% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.4 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Aberdeen Lake Park | — | 44 |
| 2. Berkley Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Aberdeen
About 5 of every 100 Aberdeen residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina.
Where Aberdeen’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Aberdeen on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Aberdeen is a town in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,516 at the 2020 census, and an estimated 9,305 in 2022.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Aberdeen.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | #92 | B− | B | C− | B+ | A− |
| Southern Pines | #128 | C+ | C− | C− | B+ | A |
| Pinehurst | #23 | A− | C− | A | B+ | A |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Aberdeen grades B− overall, better than 51% of U.S. towns and #92 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades A− for health, C− for safety and B+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within North Carolina, it does better than 43% of towns.
That is 4 years of the area's median household income ($86,080 across the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
2 notable people were born here, including Bennie McRae and James L. Boles, Jr..
