Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
China Grove gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $297K for a typical one, or 3.6 years of the Charlotte metro’s $83K median household income. It grades C overall, ranked 171st of 286 in North Carolina. China Grove's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 92% of U.S. towns. 12% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in China Grove, below both North Carolina’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). John Stigerwalt House and China Grove Roller Mill is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where China Grove beats most towns.
3,563 counted in 2010 and 4,434 in 2020; an estimated 4,650 in 2025.
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 China Grove is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 26 in 1880, 4,434 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1982 and 3 maps from 1893 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in China Grove, 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 China Grove.
China Grove fares better on crime within North Carolina than nationally and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has many renters stretched by housing costs.
Most working residents leave China Grove for work: only 4% work in town. The average trip to work in China Grove is 29 minutes. Since 2013, China Grove has added 165 jobs, to 1,292 in 2023.
| China Grove | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.5% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Rowan-Salisbury Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Carson High, with 1,063 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| China Grove ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 592 | C |
| Carson HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,063 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Against the 7,144 U.S. towns with household incomes like China Grove’s, it is healthier than 51%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
China Grove beats the North Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 18% of adults smoke cigarettes in China Grove.
| China Grove | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 25% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | China Grove | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.8% | 13.9% |
| More smokers | 17.5% | 13.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.1% | 7.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
China Grove has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 30° and about 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 13.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 91% of North Carolina’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 residents.
China Grove’s violent crime rate is 0.4 per 1,000 residents.
| China Grove | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.4 per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.4 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
79.8% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.9% across North Carolina.
The typical China Grove home is worth about $297,000, up 0.7% in a year, 11% below the North Carolina typical home.
| China Grove | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 65% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $993 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cannon Recreation Park | — | 5 |
| 2. China Grove Community Memorial Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
5 within 15 miles of the center of China Grove
About 3 of every 100 China Grove residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Where China Grove’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 notable people were born in China Grove.
Town in North Carolina, United States
China Grove is a town in Rowan County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,434 at the 2020 census. The town is located just north of Landis and south of Salisbury. It was one of the first towns in the United States to have Rural Free Mail Delivery. The town was named for a grove of chinaberry trees planted near the town's rail depot.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with China Grove.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China Grove | #171 | C | B+ | B | C | C |
| Landis | #121 | C+ | B | B− | C | B− |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
China Grove grades C overall, better than 25% of U.S. towns and #171 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades C for health, B for safety and C for schools.
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 B+.
4 notable people were born here, including Conrad Burr and Gary Royal.
