Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 7,973, settled in 1877.
Cullowhee grades C+ overall, better than 40% of U.S. towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Residents are healthier than 83% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and it is more walkable than 87% of U.S. towns. On the other side, the median household income is $36K, and 46% of residents live below the poverty line. Cullowhee is a college campus (most residents are students), so it isn’t ranked among North Carolina’s towns. 46% of residents live below the poverty line in Cullowhee, above both the North Carolina town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). No town among the 290 in North Carolina we compare has a lower median age than Cullowhee. Cullowhee is home to Western Carolina University.
Where Cullowhee beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Cullowhee | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 2.1% | 7.9% |
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Western Carolina University | 8,805 |
6,228 counted in 2010 and 7,682 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Cullowhee is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1899 and 5 maps from 1935 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cullowhee. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi Theme parkDollywood3.1M visitors a year
Big draw15 mi National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park11.5M visitors a year
9 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
Big draw25 mi MountainKuwohi16 mi Theme parkGhost Town in the Sky
22 mi National forestPisgah National ForestDollywood: Brian Stansberry (photographer), CC BY 2.5 · Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Scott Basford, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Kuwohi: C. Kenneth Dodd, Jr., Public domain · Pisgah National Forest: Ken Thomas, Public domain
Cullowhee is unincorporated, so Jackson County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Cullowhee.
Cullowhee is shaped by its college students and has less cancer than most of North Carolina, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of North Carolina (mostly inland flooding).
72.5% of residents are enrolled in college, against 6.4% statewide, which pulls the median age down. The median household earns $35,929, against $72,388 across North Carolina, one input to its D for jobs and income.
Adults 18 to 34 are 84% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 9% of residents (38% statewide). 38% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Cullowhee.
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.5 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women. Among residents 45 to 54, 100% are men (NC 49%). Median age: women 20.8, men 21.2.
| Cullowhee | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 1% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.3% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 76.6% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 3.4% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 1.3% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 4.3% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 1% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 2% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.9% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.2% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 2.6% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.9% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.3% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Its public schools are run by the Jackson County Public Schools. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cullowhee Valley SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 570 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
6.6 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Cullowhee’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Cullowhee Rec Center, at 24 acres.
| Cullowhee | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.7 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 8% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cullowhee Rec Center | 0.8 mi | 24 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with North Carolina is cancer: 2.1% of its 7,330 adults have had cancer, against 7.9% statewide. Against the 1,423 U.S. towns with household incomes like Cullowhee’s, it is healthier than 100%, so its A− isn’t only a matter of income.
3.6% of Cullowhee adults have diabetes. Of the 289 North Carolina towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Cullowhee. 16% of Cullowhee adults have high blood pressure.
| Cullowhee | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 3.6% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 17% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 25% | 23% |
| What stands out | Cullowhee | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 2.1% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 3.6% | 12% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 13.4% | 8.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 77% of North Carolina towns; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
The FEMA risk score in Cullowhee is 76 of 100.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 7.4 years of the county’s $56K median household income, the typical home (about $413K) costs more against local pay than in 93% of North Carolina towns; that ratio is one input to its C+ for cost of living.
No town among the 290 in North Carolina we compare has a lower share of households owning their home than Cullowhee. The typical Cullowhee home is worth about $413,000, down 0.8% in a year, 24% above the North Carolina typical home.
| Cullowhee | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 11% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $869 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
January nights average 25.9°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 95% of North Carolina places with climate records; July afternoons average 85.4°.
Cullowhee has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Only 4 of the 290 North Carolina towns we compare have a lower January low than Cullowhee.
| Cullowhee | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 26°F | 31°F | 22°F |
| July high | 85°F | 89°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here grew from 1,733 in 2013 to 2,290.
Jobs based in Cullowhee grew to 2,290 in 2023, 557 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Sylva (14%), Charlotte (5%) and Asheville (4%). Half commute less than 15 miles.
| Cullowhee | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $36,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
2 within 15 miles of the center of Cullowhee
College town 73 of every 100 Cullowhee residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Census-designated place in North Carolina, United States
Cullowhee () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. It is located on the Tuckasegee River, and the permanent population was 7,682 at the 2020 census up from 6,228 at the 2010 census. The community is the home of Western Carolina University, part of the University of North Carolina System. Developing from a high school and normal school, it has 12,000 students and has become a strong influence in community life. The Jackson County Airport is located just outside the CDP limits. The present community developed at the site of a historic Cherokee town, which was centered around the earthwork Cullowhee Mound. The name was long thought to mean "Valley…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Cullowhee.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cullowhee | – | C+ | C+ | — | B− | A− |
| Forest Hills | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Cullowhee reports no FBI crime data of its own. Forest Hills isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Cullowhee with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cullowhee grades C+ overall, better than 40% of U.S. towns. Cullowhee is a college campus (most residents are students), so it isn’t ranked among North Carolina’s towns. It grades A− for health and B− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
