Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Flat Rock grades B overall, 69th among North Carolina's 286 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns and natural-hazard risk is low. It also does better than most on schools: its public schools beat 66% of North Carolina towns on state tests and graduation. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $451K, 6.3 years of the Asheville metro’s $72K median household income. 66% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Flat Rock, against 29% in North Carolina’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Flat Rock has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site and Flat Rock Historic District. Only 2 of the 290 North Carolina towns we compare have a higher median age than Flat Rock.
Where Flat Rock beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Flat Rock | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 4.2% | 12.2% |
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site3,114 counted in 2010 and 3,486 in 2020; an estimated 3,643 in 2025.
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 Flat Rock is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 1,808 in 1960, 3,486 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1980 and 5 maps from 1935 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Flat Rock, 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 Flat Rock.
Flat Rock is a second-home town and has added a third more jobs in ten years, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of North Carolina.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake House Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 6–10 | Grades 6–10 | 27 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
7.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The trail density in Flat Rock is 0.9 miles per square mile. The Park at Flat Rock, at 63 acres with 2.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Park at Flat Rock | 2.8 mi | 63 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
10% of adults report frequent mental distress in Flat Rock. Among 289 North Carolina towns, just 1 have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Flat Rock. 17% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Flat Rock.
| Flat Rock | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 17% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 9.2% | 15% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 33% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 88% | 80% | 79% |
| What stands out | Flat Rock | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 4.2% | 12.2% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 2.9% | 8.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 17.2% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 81% of U.S. communities. Since 2020, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Flat Rock.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 6.3 years of the Asheville metro’s $72K median household income, the typical home (about $451K) costs more against local pay than in 88% of North Carolina towns; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $2,853, against $1,896 across North Carolina, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
95% of Flat Rock households own their home. The typical Flat Rock home is worth about $451,000, down 2% in a year, 36% above the North Carolina typical home.
| Flat Rock | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 95% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,074 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Jobs based here grew from 406 in 2013 to 589. 34.3% of workers work from home, against 16.3% across North Carolina.
Most working residents leave Flat Rock for work: only 3% work in town. Jobs based in Flat Rock grew to 589 in 2023, 183 more than in 2013. Flat Rock’s median household income is $95,000.
| Flat Rock | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $95,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.6% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.3% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Flat Rock has mild winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Among 290 North Carolina towns, just 7 have a lower July high than Flat Rock.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Flat Rock. Close and well known come first.
Big draw36 mi MountainMount Mitchell
16 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
20 mi National forestPisgah National Forest
in town National Historic SiteCarl Sandburg Home National Historic Site95K visitors a year
34 mi LakeLake Jocassee
9 mi Park & preserveDuPont State ForestMount Mitchell: Unknown, Public domain · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Pisgah National Forest: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site: Victoria Stauffenberg, Public domain · Lake Jocassee: Clemson3564, Public domain · DuPont State Forest: Ccalvin, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Flat Rock
About 3 of every 100 Flat Rock residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Where Flat Rock’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Flat Rock on the National Register of Historic Places.
Village in North Carolina, United States
Flat Rock is a village in Henderson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,114 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Flat Rock.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Rock | #69 | B | C | — | B+ | A− |
| East Flat Rock | #55 | B | B+ | — | B+ | C |
| Hendersonville | #182 | C− | C− | C− | B+ | B− |
Flat Rock and East Flat Rock report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Flat Rock with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Flat Rock grades B overall, better than 57% of U.S. towns and #69 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades A− for health and B+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
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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