Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Fayetteville earns a D, 245th of 286 graded towns in North Carolina, mostly because of safety and incomes. Its police reported 1,252 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 93% of U.S. towns. The median household income is $58K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 75% of U.S. towns. 43% of working residents work locally in Fayetteville, above both North Carolina’s towns (6.8%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Market House and Market House Square District. Fayetteville's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 86% of U.S. towns.
Where Fayetteville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Market House| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Fayetteville Technical Community College | 5,904 |
| Fayetteville State University | 3,649 |
| Methodist University | 1,561 |
Market House is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its 56 National Register listings are more than in 97% of North Carolina towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,536 in 1790, 208,501 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1785 and 5 maps from 1948 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Fayetteville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fayetteville, 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 Fayetteville.
Fayetteville keeps more of its land conserved than most of North Carolina and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
Its 37,887 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 97% of North Carolina towns.
145 miles of trail in 55 parks and preserves. The trail density in Fayetteville is 1.0 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Mazarick Park, at 133 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. J. Bayard Clark Park & Nature Center | 1.5 mi | 59 |
| 2. Tokay Park | 0.9 mi | 28 |
| 3. North Carolina Veterans Park | 0.9 mi | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Cumberland County Schools. Three of its 73 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Byrd MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 855 | D |
| Seventy-First HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,332 | B− |
| Cumberland PolytechnicTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 319 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 8,246 to 6,982 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Fayetteville’s violent crime rate is 6 per 1,000 residents. Fayetteville reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 93% report less. Fayetteville’s property crime rate is 27.4 per 1,000 residents.
| Fayetteville | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 27.4 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Fayetteville home is worth about $222,000, about the same as a year ago, 33% below the North Carolina typical home. 47% of Fayetteville households own their home.
| Fayetteville | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 47% | 67% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 53% | 49% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,250 a month | $1,084 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Adults 18 to 34 are 33% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 30% of residents (38% statewide). 13% of residents are 65 or older in Fayetteville. 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across North Carolina.
| Fayetteville | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.6 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 18% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 24% | 22% | 22% |
49.3% women, 50.7% men
About 103 men for every 100 women. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 62% are men (NC 51%). Median age: women 33.4, men 28.4.
| Fayetteville | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.3% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 14.4% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 19% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.9% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.8% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.3% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.5% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.4% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.5% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.7% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.8% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.7% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.3% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Fayetteville has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 33° and about 1 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 62,096 working residents takes 19.1 minutes, against 25.1 across North Carolina.
Jobs based in Fayetteville grew to 81,318 in 2023, 6,410 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Raleigh (5%), Charlotte (3%) and Hope Mills (2%). Half commute less than 10 miles.
| Fayetteville | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 7.7% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 8,492 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fayetteville’s, it is healthier than 63%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Among 289 North Carolina towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Fayetteville. Fayetteville beats the North Carolina average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. Among 289 North Carolina towns, just 8 have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Fayetteville.
| Fayetteville | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 34% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 35% |
| What stands out | Fayetteville | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.7% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.8% | 6.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 12.4% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
400 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 45 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 400 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Fayetteville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fayetteville. Close and well known come first.
in town MuseumAirborne & Special Operations Museum
in town Museum82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum
in town GardenCape Fear Botanical Garden
23 mi MuseumWeymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve
39 mi MuseumHarper HouseAirborne & Special Operations Museum: US Army, Public domain · 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum: Dragases (talk), Public domain · Cape Fear Botanical Garden: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve: Wyatt Greene, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Harper House: Bentonvilleshs, CC BY-SA 4.0
5 within 15 miles of the center of Fayetteville
About 9 of every 100 Fayetteville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
5 colleges in town.
56 places in Fayetteville on the National Register of Historic Places.
36 notable people were born in Fayetteville.
City in North Carolina, US
Fayetteville ( FAY-ət-vil, locally FED-vəl) is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. Fort Bragg, the world's largest military installation, is located on the outskirts of the city. Fayetteville has received the All-America City Award from the National Civic League four times. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 208,501. It is the 6th-most populous city in North Carolina. Fayetteville is in the Sandhills in the western part of the Coastal Plain region, on the Cape Fear River. With an estimated population of 392,336 in 2023, the Fayetteville metropolitan area is the second- most populous city in southeastern North Carolina and the 142nd-m…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Fayetteville.
All 4 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Hope Mills (D) is closest.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville | #245 | D | C | D | C+ | C+ |
| Spring Lake | #224 | D | C | D | C+ | C+ |
| Rockfish | #202 | C− | C | — | C+ | B+ |
| Hope Mills | #227 | D | C | — | C+ | C+ |
| Vander | — | — | B− | — | C+ | C+ |
| Eastover | #198 | C− | C+ | — | C+ | C+ |
Vander has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Rockfish, Hope Mills, Vander and Eastover report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Fayetteville with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fayetteville grades D overall, better than 7% of U.S. towns and #245 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades C+ for health, D for safety and C+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Within North Carolina, it does better than 27% of towns.
Yes. That is 3.6 years of the area's median household income ($61,763 across the Fayetteville, NC metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
36 notable people were born here, including Brian Tyree Henry and Ellen S. Baker.
