Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Erwin grades D overall, 232nd among North Carolina's 286 graded towns, mostly because of safety. It reports more crime per resident than 84% of U.S. towns, including 16 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. In its favor, homes are within reach, about $198K for a typical one, or 2.8 years of the Anderson Creek area’s $71K median household income. Erwin’s average trip to work is 32 minutes, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 24 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Erwin Commercial Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Erwin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,344 in 1950, 4,542 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1973 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Erwin, 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 Erwin.
Erwin is healthier than towns with similar incomes, has homes that are cheap against local pay and trades workers with Raleigh and other neighbors.
Erwin’s property crime rate is 22.2 per 1,000 residents. Erwin reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 84% report less. Erwin’s violent crime rate is 3.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Erwin | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 22.2 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.2 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Harnett County Schools. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Triton High, with 1,274 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erwin ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 637 | D |
| Triton HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,274 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
At 2.8 years of the Anderson Creek area’s $71K median household income, the typical home (about $199K) costs less against local pay than in 91% of North Carolina towns; that ratio is one input to its B− for cost of living.
The typical Erwin home is worth about $199,000, about the same as a year ago, 40% below the North Carolina typical home.
| Erwin | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 71% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,112 a month | $1,084 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 6,040 U.S. towns with household incomes like Erwin’s, it is healthier than 56%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Erwin beats the North Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 43% of Erwin adults have high blood pressure.
| Erwin | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 19% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 24% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Erwin | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.5% | 7.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.2% | 13.9% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.6% | 3.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Erwin has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Erwin is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Erwin has about as many jobs (1,632) as working residents, but only 86 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 32.4 minutes, against 25.1 across North Carolina.
Most working residents leave Erwin for work: only 5% work in town. Since 2013, Erwin has added 462 jobs, to 1,632 in 2023. The top destinations are Raleigh (11%), Dunn (9%) and Fayetteville (7%).
| Erwin | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.6% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 13% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The biggest park or preserve is Erwin Municipal Park, at 29 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Erwin Municipal Park | — | 29 |
| 2. Rotary Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 2016, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Erwin.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Erwin
About 4 of every 100 Erwin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
3 notable people were born in Erwin.
Town in North Carolina, United States. Mayor of Erwin is Kayleigh Hensley
Erwin is a town that is located in the eastern part of Harnett County, North Carolina, United States, located approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) from Dunn and approximately 20 miles (32 km) from Fayetteville. The city is a part of the Dunn, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is additionally a part of the greater Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC CSA, according to the United States Census Bureau. Currently, the city has a population of 5,270 as of the 2020 census. Its current mayor is Randy Baker, who has been the mayor since being elected on May 17, 2022.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Erwin.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Erwin grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #232 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades C for health, C− for safety and C+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within North Carolina, it does better than 45% of towns.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
3 notable people were born here, including Tony Johnson and Al Woodall.