Earl-post-office-nc, 2021
Earl’s story
131 years in pictures
Census counts: 206 in 1980, 198 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1909 on.
- 1895Earl is settled
EarlNC
A town of 211, settled in 1895.
Photo: Brian Stansberry (photographer) · CC BY 4.0
Population
211
2025 Census estimate · +3.9% since 2020
Median home value
$163K
Census ACS
Household income
$44K
median
Median age
59.0
years
Jobs based here
5
A commuter town
Is Earl a good place to live?
Earl’s median age is 59 years, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 40.1 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Among 291 North Carolina towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Earl. Earl has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
211 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Earl: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Earl, and how to reach them.
PowerBroad River Electric Coop16.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCleveland County WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Earl’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCleveland County Board of ElectionsCleveland County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2019
ZIP codes28073, 2815228073 90% · 28152 10%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Earl.
Work & commute
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Earl’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Earl for work: only 0% work in town. 19% of Earl residents live below the poverty line, above both North Carolina’s towns (13%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Earl’s median household income is $44,000.
0%work in town
| Earl | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Earl0%
Shelby22%
Charlotte10%
Gastonia5%
Kings Mountain3%
18 mi
median commute distance
5
jobs based in Earl
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Earl has mild winters and hot summers
Earl has mild winters and warm summers. The July high in Earl is 90°F.
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–54°
Spring47–72°
Summer66–88°
Fall49–73°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 12
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Earl is
Earl beats the North Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 43% of adults have high blood pressure in Earl.
| Earl | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 19% | 19% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
0 better20 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Earl | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.6% | 13.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.4% | 7.1% |
| More smokers | 18.6% | 13.5% |
Atrium Health Cleveland
7.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Earl
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities.
52risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesEarthquakes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 44 attractions →Bank of America Stadium and 18 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Earl. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaBank of America Stadium
34 mi Theme parkCarowinds
39 mi LakeLake Norman34 mi MuseumSullenberger Aviation Museum70K visitors a year
11 mi LandmarkPeachoid
7 mi National Military ParkKings Mountain National Military Park176K visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Bank of America Stadium: HangingCurve, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carowinds: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Norman: Prince Grobhelm, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Peachoid: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Kings Mountain National Military Park: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Earl
16pages on Earl
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Earl
Cleveland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Shelby6.3 mi$2,602 in-state tuitionGardner-Webb UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Boiling Springs8.4 mi$34,760 tuitionLimestone UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Gaffney, SC11.6 mi
About 0 of every 100 Earl residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Earl for work
Where Earl’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
5jobs based in Earl
0%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Earl
Town in North Carolina, United States
Earl is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Earl had a population of 198.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 840 ft
- ZIP code
- 28038
- Area code
- 704
Questions about Earl
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Earl, NC a good place to live?
Earl has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.