Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Andrews’ subject grades are an A− for cost of living, history, and civic life; the weakest is a D− for incomes. On incomes, just 9 of North Carolina’s 448 towns do worse. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 88% of the country. Only 44 of North Carolina’s 450 towns score higher on cost of living. Only 22 of North Carolina’s 331 towns score higher on civic life. Andrews has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Franklin Pierce Cover House and Glen Choga Lodge. Andrews has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Andrews beats most towns.
Walker's InnEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Andrews is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 936 in 1910, a peak of 2,551 in 1990, 1,667 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1979.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Andrews, 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 Andrews.
29% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Andrews, above both North Carolina’s towns (25%) and U.S. towns (23%). 14% of Andrews adults have diabetes. Andrews beats the North Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18.
| Andrews | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 25% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Andrews | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 27.4% | 13.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.7% | 7.1% |
| More smokers | 20.2% | 13.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Cherokee County Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrews ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 330 | C− |
| Andrews HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 229 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
The typical Andrews home is worth about $215,000, about the same as a year ago, 35% below the North Carolina typical home. Andrews’ median rent is $712 a month, below both the North Carolina town median ($1,085 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 58% of households own their home in Andrews.
| Andrews | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $712 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 58% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Andrews has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 27° and about 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Andrews for work: only 15% work in town. Andrews’ average trip to work is 18 minutes. Since 2013, Andrews has lost 345 jobs, to 784 in 2023.
| Andrews | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $37,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Andrews's reported crime rate is close to North Carolina's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 6 violent crimes were reported in 2022.
| Andrews | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 18.2 per 1,000 residents | 24.7 | 14.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 1.9 |
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Andrews.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Andrews | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Valley River Park | — | 9 |
| 2. Ferebee Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Andrews. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park11.5M visitors a year
Big draw31 mi MountainKuwohi
37 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
23 mi MountainBrasstown Bald
15 mi National forestNantahala National Forest
38 mi MountainMount Le ConteGreat Smoky Mountains National Park: Scott Basford, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kuwohi: C. Kenneth Dodd, Jr., Public domain · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Brasstown Bald: Unknown, Public domain · Nantahala National Forest: Sdrtm at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Le Conte: No machine-readable author provided. Blinutne assumed (based on copyright claims, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Andrews
About 2 of every 100 Andrews residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
3 places in Andrews on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Andrews is a town in Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,667 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
