Is East Rockingham a good place to live?
A tough set of grades. Health is its weak spot: on CDC estimates, its residents' health ranks in the bottom 2% nationally. East Rockingham grades D− overall and ranks 278th of 286 in North Carolina. That leaves it behind almost every U.S. town. It lags on walkability as well. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 88% of U.S. towns. At about $112K, a typical home costs 2.5 years of the Rockingham area’s $45K median household income. 31% of residents live below the poverty line in the town, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 9.6%.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24.
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 TownRatings grades towns →
99% of working residents leave East Rockingham for work
Where East Rockingham’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
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.
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%.
| East Rockingham | North Carolina towns | U.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% |
| What stands out | East Rockingham | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 33.4% | 13.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 18.6% | 8.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 34.4% | 15.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
On state tests, East Rockingham’s schools trail 70% of North Carolina districts
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple Christian School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 140 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
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.
The top destinations are Rockingham (20%), Hamlet (7%) and Charlotte (3%). 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.
| East Rockingham | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 31% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $34,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 6.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Mild winters and hot summers in East Rockingham
The typical July afternoon high in East Rockingham is 91°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
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.
| East Rockingham | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.4% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. East Rockingham Park Development | — | 21 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
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%.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
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.
| East Rockingham | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $781 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about East Rockingham
Moving to East Rockingham: who provides what
East Rockingham is unincorporated, so Richmond 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.
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.
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.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Rockingham | #278 | D− | C | — | C | D− |
| Rockingham | #265 | D− | C+ | — | C | D |
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.
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