Among the newest of U.S. towns · #284 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
Most of Boiling Spring Lakes was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1998. Below: maps from 1943 on and the census since 1970.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Boiling Spring Lakes is among the newest of U.S. towns, #284 of 290 in North Carolina. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Boiling Spring Lakes’ overall grade.
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 Boiling Spring Lakes’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (19% of North Carolina towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be D−. The pre-1940 share (±0.6 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1961.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 →
What stands out about Boiling Spring Lakes’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The town derives its name from the nearly 50 springs and lakes in the area. The main spring, Boiling Spring, discharges approximately 43 million gallons of water per day.
In 2018 Hurricane Florence damaged roads in Boiling Spring Lakes and destroyed the dam holding back the main lake in the area. FEMA money has been allotted to repair this. As of June 2024, construction is under way to make these repairs.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Boiling Spring Lakes. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1943Funston sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Boiling Spring Lakes.
People over time
Boiling Spring Lakes, census by census
Grew from 245 people in 1970 to 5,943 in 2020, more than tenfold.
6 censuses, 1970–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Boiling Spring Lakes’ Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Boiling Spring Lakes
Nobody well known was born in Boiling Spring Lakes itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
In 1961, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1970 counted 245 people here.
How does Boiling Spring Lakes rank for history?
Boiling Spring Lakes is among the newest of U.S. towns, #284 of 290 in North Carolina. 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.
How old are the homes in Boiling Spring Lakes?
0.0% of Boiling Spring Lakes’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 4.1% for a North Carolina town; the median home was built in 1998.
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 (4), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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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