Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 81% of U.S. towns. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 354 buildings between them. Below: 1 old photo or paper from 1880 on and the census since 1950.
The Badin post office opened in 1916, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 81% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Badin is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
North Carolina towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical North Carolina town has 12.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Badin’s 1,621 sits above most of its state (100% of North Carolina towns have fewer) while its 354 historic buildings outnumber those of 96% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Badin’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Badin.
The Badin Historic District, Doerschuk Site, Hardaway Site, Narrows Dam and Power Plant Complex, and West Badin Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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.
In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - North Carolina - Stanly County - Badin - ED 84-17…
Born hereLou Donaldson is born here
Born hereArlie Franklin Culp Jr. is born here
Born hereStar Jones is born hereOne decade in the archive so far: the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Badin’s page.
Retake this view · +15Between 1,154 and 2,126 people in every census since 1950.
8 censuses, 1950–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Badin’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
The Badin post office opened in 1916, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Badin is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns. 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.
Three places: the Narrows Dam and Power Plant Complex (listed 1983), the Badin Historic District (1983) and the West Badin Historic District (1983).
65% of Badin’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.8 points), against a typical 4.1% for a North Carolina town; the median home was built in 1938.
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 (6), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
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