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North Carolina›Richmond County

East RockinghamNC

A town of 2,779.

Is East Rockingham a good place to live?

East Rockingham grades D− overall, 278th of 286 graded towns in North Carolina, mostly because of health and incomes. On CDC health estimates it is near the bottom nationally. The median household income is $34K, and 31% of residents live below the poverty line. 31% of residents live below the poverty line in East Rockingham, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 88% of U.S. towns. Among 290 North Carolina towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than East Rockingham.

A commuter town

99% of working residents leave East Rockingham for work

Where East Rockingham’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

20% → Rockingham Rockingham 20% 7% → Hamlet Hamlet 7% 3% → Charlotte Charlotte 3% 3% → Fayetteville Fayetteville 3% 2% → Laurinburg Laurinburg 2% 2% → Raleigh Raleigh 2% East Rockingham · 1% stay
186jobs based in East Rockingham
1%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

How East Rockingham grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far East Rockingham is from typical.

How grading works
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to East Rockingham: who provides what

East Rockingham is unincorporated, so Richmond County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerPee Dee Electric Member15.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRichmond County Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesRichmond CountyRichmond County provides services here
SchoolsRichmond County SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereRichmond County Board of ElectionsRichmond County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2019
ZIP code2837928379 100%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 East Rockingham.

East Rockingham has homes that are cheap against local pay and sends most of its workers to Rockingham and beyond, but it has poverty well above the North Carolina rate.

HealthD−

East Rockingham stands out in North Carolina and nationally, with more of its adults who worry about having enough food

Only 5 of the 289 North Carolina towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than East Rockingham. For adults locally, the share who have diabetes is 19%.

1%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
East RockinghamNorth Carolina townsU.S. towns
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)35%19%19%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)26%14%14%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)19%13%12%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)20%13%14%
32 measures vs. North Carolina
0 better8 too close to call24 worse
What stands outEast RockinghamNC
More older adults who have lost all their teeth33.4%13.9%
More adults facing a utility shut-off18.6%8.1%
More adults facing food insecurity34.4%15.2%
Mcleod Health Cheraw
17.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

30%of NC districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Temple Christian School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12Grades PK–12140–

NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−

In East Rockingham, the median household income runs lower than in the typical North Carolina or U.S. town

East Rockingham has 186 jobs for its 1,265 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here fell from 385 in 2013 to 186.

Employers in East Rockingham shed 199 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 186. The average trip to work for East Rockingham comes to 36 minutes. For most workers, East Rockingham is a place to come home to: only 1% work in town. The top destinations are Rockingham (20%), Hamlet (7%) and Charlotte (3%).

1%work in town
East RockinghamNorth Carolina townsU.S. towns
Average trip to work36 minutes24 minutes25 minutes
Median household income$34,000$69,000$80,000
Working residents who work in town0.9%6.8%8%

Where working residents work

In East Rockingham1%
Rockingham20%
Hamlet7%
Charlotte3%
Fayetteville3%
22 mi
median commute distance
186
jobs based in East Rockingham
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 12% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Mild winters and hot summers in East Rockingham

The typical July afternoon high in East Rockingham is 91°F.

91°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter34–56°
Spring49–74°
Summer68–90°
Fall51–74°
Nov 4
typical first frost
Mar 30
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

OutdoorsC

East Rockingham has set aside 1.4% of its land for conservation

0.7 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is East Rockingham Park Development, at 21 acres. For East Rockingham, the density of trails is 0.2 miles per square mile.

1.4%conserved
East RockinghamNorth Carolina townsU.S. towns
Conserved land1.4%3.4%4.3%
Miles of trail per square mile0.2 miles per square mile0.20.4
1.4%
conserved · 31 of 2,193 acres
0.7 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. East Rockingham Park Development—21

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−

Natural hazards: moderate risk in East Rockingham, mostly inland flooding

The national flood insurance program has paid one claim in East Rockingham since 2011. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in just over half of U.S. communities. 44% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 22%.

51risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
51Moderate riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingTornadoesHurricanes
1
paid flood claims since 2011

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

HousingCost of living grade C

Homes in East Rockingham sell for about $135K

At 2.5 years of the Rockingham area’s $45K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 95% of North Carolina towns; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living.

East Rockingham’s midpoint rent is $781 a month. Among households locally, 55% live in a home they own.

$135Kmedian sale price
East RockinghamNorth Carolina townsU.S. towns
Households that own their home55%67%73%
Median rent$781 a month$1,086 a month$1,185 a month
1
homes sold in May

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Keep exploring

Everything we know about East Rockingham

17pages on East Rockingham
After high school

Colleges nearby

1 within 15 miles of the center of East Rockingham

About 1 of every 100 East Rockingham residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

About East Rockingham

CDP in North Carolina, United States

East Rockingham is a census-designated place (CDP) in Richmond County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, East Rockingham had a population of 3,471.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
3.4 sq mi
Elevation
256 ft

East Rockingham’s neighbors

One town shares a border with East Rockingham.

Explore the map →
How the neighbors grade
TownNC rankOverallCostSafetySchoolsHealth
East Rockingham#278D−C—CD−
Rockingham#265D−C+—CD

East Rockingham and Rockingham report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare East Rockingham with a neighbor →

Questions about East Rockingham

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is East Rockingham, NC a good place to live?

East Rockingham grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #278 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades D− for health and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.

Is East Rockingham, NC expensive?

The typical home is worth about $112,000, 66% below the North Carolina typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.