Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Greensboro grades D overall, 215th of 286 graded towns in North Carolina, mostly because of safety. Its crime rate is higher than 96% of U.S. towns, with 2,811 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2024. One bright spot: it has 73 miles of trail. 49% of working residents work locally in Greensboro, above both North Carolina’s towns (6.8%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Blandwood and F. W. Woolworth Company Building. On walkability, just 40 of North Carolina’s 450 towns do better.
Where Greensboro beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Blandwood| College | Students |
|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 13,442 |
| North Carolina A & T State University | 12,375 |
| Guilford College | 1,208 |
Blandwood is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its 63 National Register listings are more than in 98% of North Carolina towns with a listing.
Census counts: 497 in 1870, 299,035 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1892 and 4 maps from 1951 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Greensboro is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Greensboro, 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 Greensboro.
Greensboro draws workers from High Point and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it reports violent crime at about twice the North Carolina rate.
Violent crime runs at 9.2 per 1,000 residents, about twice the North Carolina rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D−. At 66.3 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 84% of North Carolina’s graded towns.
The violent crime rate in Greensboro is 9.2 per 1,000 residents. Greensboro reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 96% report less. The property crime rate in Greensboro is 33.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Greensboro | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 9.2 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.7 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 33.8 per 1,000 residents | 24 | 11.5 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Guilford County Schools. Three of its 89 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiser MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,074 | B− |
| Grimsley HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,967 | A− |
| Early College at GuilfordTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 193 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
185,104 jobs are based in Greensboro, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
17% of residents live below the poverty line in Greensboro. Since 2013, Greensboro has added 13,975 jobs, to 185,104 in 2023. Greensboro’s average trip to work is 22 minutes.
| Greensboro | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 14% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The biggest place to walk is Bryan Park, 790 acres with 1.9 miles of trail.
| Greensboro | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 13% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Brandt Open Space & Hiking Trai | 6 mi | 232 |
| 2. Country Park | 3.8 mi | 224 |
| 3. Bur-Mill Park | 2 mi | 250 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical Greensboro home is worth about $261,000, about the same as a year ago, 22% below the North Carolina typical home. 51% of Greensboro households own their home.
| Greensboro | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 51% | 67% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 55% | 49% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Greensboro has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 29° and about 7 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Greensboro has grown 3.2% since 2020, to 308,667 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 41% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across North Carolina.
| Greensboro | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.3 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 29% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 18% | 18% |
53.7% women, 46.3% men
About 86 men for every 100 women. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 35.3, men 32.7.
| Greensboro | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 14% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.4% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.5% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.4% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.5% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.4% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.4% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.6% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.4% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.6% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.6% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.3% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
363 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 43 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 363 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Greensboro.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 9,298 U.S. towns with household incomes like Greensboro’s, it is healthier than 74%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Greensboro beats the North Carolina average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
| Greensboro | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 33% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 36% | 35% |
| What stands out | Greensboro | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.4% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.8% | 6.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 12% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Greensboro. Close and well known come first.
24 mi Stadium & arenaAllegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium
23 mi MuseumOld Salem
in town National Military ParkGuilford Courthouse National Military Park450K visitors a year
32 mi Zoo & aquariumNorth Carolina Zoo700K visitors a year
in town Zoo & aquariumGreensboro Science Center320K visitors a year
40 mi MountainPilot MountainAllegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium: BobHWS, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Old Salem: David Bjorgen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Guilford Courthouse National Military Park: National Park Service Digital Image Archives, Public domain · North Carolina Zoo: Diane Villa, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Greensboro Science Center: EmCnNC, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pilot Mountain: Berean Hunter, CC BY-SA 2.5
9 within 15 miles of the center of Greensboro
About 13 of every 100 Greensboro residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
6 colleges in town.
63 places in Greensboro on the National Register of Historic Places.
41 notable people were born in Greensboro.
City in North Carolina, United States
Greensboro ( ; locally ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. The Greensboro–High Point metropolitan area has an estimated 801,000 residents, with the metropolitan area also encompassing the overall center of North Carolina. The city of Greensboro is the most populous city in Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, home to about 1.7 million residents. The population of the city of Greensboro was 299,035 in the 2020 census and estimated at 308,667 in 2025, making it the third-most populous city in North Carolina and the 67th-most populous city in the U.S. In 1808, Greensboro was planned around a central courthouse square to succeed Guilford Court…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Greensboro.
All 6 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Kernersville (C−) is closest.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greensboro | #215 | D | C− | D− | B− | B− |
| Summerfield | #54 | B | C− | — | B− | A |
| McLeansville | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jamestown | #37 | B+ | C+ | — | B− | A |
| High Point | #206 | C− | C | D | B− | B− |
| Forest Oaks | #41 | B+ | B− | — | B− | A |
| Kernersville | #207 | C− | C− | D | C+ | B |
| Oak Ridge | #38 | B+ | C− | — | B− | A |
Summerfield, Jamestown, Forest Oaks and Oak Ridge report no FBI crime data of their own. McLeansville isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Greensboro with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Greensboro grades D overall, better than 14% of U.S. towns and #215 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades B− for health, D− for safety and B− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. That is 4 years of the area's median household income ($65,565 across the Greensboro-High Point, 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−.
41 notable people were born here, including John Isner and Loretta Lynch.
