Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Elon grades B overall, 49th of 286 graded towns in North Carolina. It is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns and it reports less crime per resident than 86% of U.S. towns. The trade-off is money: the typical home is worth about $344K, 5.2 years of the Burlington metro’s $66K median household income. 11% of residents are under 18 in Elon, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 22% and U.S. towns at 22%. Only 23 of North Carolina’s 450 towns score higher on walkability. Elon is home to Elon University.
Where Elon beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Elon | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 6.6% | 12% |
9,419 counted in 2010 and 11,336 in 2020; an estimated 11,366 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 20.4% in the decade before.
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 Elon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 638 in 1900, a low of 200 in 1910, 11,336 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1923 and 3 maps from 1970 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elon, 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 Elon.
Elon is shaped by its college students, trades workers with Burlington and other neighbors and has less diabetes than most of North Carolina.
Its public schools are run by the Alamance-Burlington Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elon ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 689 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with North Carolina is diabetes: 6.6% of its 10,257 adults have diabetes, against 12% statewide. Its A for health tops all 3 graded neighbors; Gibsonville (B+) comes closest.
24% of Elon adults have high blood pressure. Only 3 of the 289 North Carolina towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have diabetes than Elon. 28% of Elon adults have obesity.
| Elon | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 38% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 6.6% | 13% | 12% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 33% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.9% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Elon | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 6.6% | 12% |
| Fewer smokers | 7.9% | 13.5% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 20.1% | 16.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Violent crime is rare: 6 reported in 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
The violent crime rate in Elon is 0.5 per 1,000 residents. Only 7 of the 153 North Carolina towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Elon.
| Elon | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.2 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Elon 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
Elon has about as many jobs (3,763) as working residents, but only 277 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Elon for work: only 7% work in town. 20% of residents live below the poverty line in Elon. Jobs based in Elon grew to 3,763 in 2023, 789 more than in 2013.
| Elon | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $85,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 2003, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Elon.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Elon’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Elon | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.4% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Beth Schmidt Park | 0.1 mi | 19 |
| 2. Lawrence Slade Park | 0.1 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
74.8% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.9% across North Carolina.
Among 277 North Carolina towns, just 6 have a higher median rent than Elon. The typical Elon home is worth about $344,000, up 0.9% in a year, close to the North Carolina typical home.
| Elon | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,080 a month | $1,084 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Elon. Close and well known come first.
29 mi Stadium & arenaKenan Memorial Stadium
36 mi Zoo & aquariumNorth Carolina Zoo700K visitors a year
30 mi Stadium & arenaDean Smith Center
30 mi LandmarkBennett Place State Historic Site7 mi MuseumPalmer Memorial Institute
18 mi National Military ParkGuilford Courthouse National Military Park450K visitors a yearKenan Memorial Stadium: Yeungb, CC BY 3.0 · North Carolina Zoo: Diane Villa, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dean Smith Center: No machine-readable author provided. Snargle~commonswiki assumed (based on copyr, Public domain · Bennett Place State Historic Site: Ildar Sagdejev (Specious), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Guilford Courthouse National Military Park: National Park Service Digital Image Archives, Public domain
3 within 15 miles of the center of Elon
College town 48 of every 100 Elon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
2 places in Elon on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Elon () is a town in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Burlington metropolitan statistical area. The population as of the 2020 census was 11,324. The town of Elon is home to Elon University.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Elon.
It grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Gibsonville (B) comes closest.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elon | #49 | B | D | A | C | A |
| Burlington | #249 | D | B− | D | C | C |
| Glen Raven | #168 | C | B+ | — | C | C− |
| Gibsonville | #63 | B | C+ | B | B− | B+ |
Glen Raven reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Elon with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Elon grades B overall, better than 65% of U.S. towns and #49 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades A for health, A for safety and C for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
