Granite Mill · National Register of Historic Places
Haw River’s story
281 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1895.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1745Haw River is settled
Granite Mill · Photo: Bureau of Labor Statistics, State of North Carolina (1897) & State Library of North Carolina · CC BY 2.0
Population
2,425
2025 Census estimate · +7.4% since 2020
Typical home
$286K
−0.8% in a year
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
32.4
years
Jobs based here
598
A commuter town
Is Haw River a good place to live?
Haw River’s best subject grade is an A for history; its weakest is a D for health. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Haw River, above both the North Carolina town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 72% of U.S. towns. On history, just 20 of North Carolina’s 451 towns do better. Haw River's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 94% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Haw River Community Park, at 26 acres. Haw River has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Haw River stand out
Where Haw River beats most towns.
How Haw River grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Haw River is from typical.
HealthAlamance Regional Medical Center 6.2 miles awayDOpen →SafetyC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.3 of 20; 4.6% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 32% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →SchoolsCOpen →Jobs & income$61K median household incomeB−Open →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 3% conserved landBOpen →History3 places on the National Register; 4 notable people born hereAOpen →Civic life1.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 32.4; 24% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Haw River: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Haw River, and how to reach them.
PowerDuke Energy13.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Haw River water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTuesdayTrash dayTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAlamance County Board of ElectionsAlamance County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes27258, 27217, 27302, 2725327258 73% · 27217 13% · 27302 8% · 27253 6%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Haw River.
HealthD
Health in Haw River trails 86% of U.S. towns
That puts Haw River against 10% in North Carolina’s towns and 8.1% across U.S. towns. Haw River beats the North Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 19% of adults smoke cigarettes in Haw River.
14%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Haw River | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 10% | 8.1% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 19% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
0 better16 too close to call16 worse
| What stands out | Haw River | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.5% | 13.9% |
| More uninsured adults | 16.2% | 10.4% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.5% | 15.2% |
Alamance Regional Medical Center
In Burlington · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC
Public schools in Haw River fall behind 66% of North Carolina districts
Its public schools are run by the Alamance-Burlington Schools. Its one school is below.
34%of NC districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haw River ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 490 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
SafetyC−
Haw River reports more crime per resident than 84% of U.S. towns
The property crime rate in Haw River is 23.1 per 1,000 residents.
16%of U.S. towns report more crimeC−Safety Grade
| Haw River | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 23.1 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.6 per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Haw River1.6
North Carolina3.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Haw River23.1
North Carolina18.2
U.S.15.5
16th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
4
violent crimes reported in 2025
56
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
With 0.6 jobs for every working resident, most of Haw River’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Haw River for work: only 2% work in town. Haw River’s average trip to work is 33 minutes. Since 2013, Haw River has lost 95 jobs, to 598 in 2023.
2%work in town
| Haw River | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 6.2% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Haw River2%
Burlington20%
Durham9%
Greensboro8%
Mebane7%
21 mi
median commute distance
598
jobs based in Haw River
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 28% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Low risk in Haw River, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Haw River.
32risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHurricanes
3
paid flood claims since 1996
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Haw River
Haw River has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 29° and about 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–53°
Spring46–71°
Summer66–87°
Fall48–71°
Nov 3
typical first frost
Apr 4
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B−
A typical Haw River home is worth about $286K
The typical Haw River home is worth about $286,000, down 0.8% in a year, 14% below the North Carolina typical home.
$286KZillow home value
Typical home value
Haw River$286K
North Carolina$332K
−0.8%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsB
Haw River has set aside 2.9% of its land for conservation
2.5 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
2.9%conserved
| Haw River | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
2.9%
conserved · 58 of 2,004 acres
2.5 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Haw River Community Park | 0.4 mi | 26 |
| 2. Red Slide Park | 0.1 mi | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Haw River
20pages on Haw River
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 66% of NC districts · 1 schoolSafetyC−1.6 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than NC on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB−$286K typical home · down 0.8% in a yearWork & commuteB−$61K median household income · 598 jobs hereNatural hazardsB+FEMA risk higher than 32% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Haw River
Alamance Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Graham1.7 mi$2,592 in-state tuitionElon UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Elon8.1 mi$46,958 tuition
About 9 of every 100 Haw River residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Haw River for work
Where Haw River’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
598jobs based in Haw River
2%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Haw River
4 notable people were born in Haw River.
About Haw River
Town in North Carolina, United States
Haw River is a town in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2020 census, the population was 2,252.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1745
- Area
- 3.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 564 ft
- ZIP code
- 27258
- Area code
- 336
Haw River’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Haw River.
GrahamBurlingtonGreen LevelHaw River
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haw River | — | — | B− | C− | C | D |
| Graham | #222 | D | C+ | C | C | C+ |
| Burlington | #249 | D | B− | D | C | C |
| Green Level | #239 | D | B | — | C | D |
Haw River has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Green Level reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Haw River with a neighbor →
Questions about Haw River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Haw River, NC a good place to live?
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Haw River, NC expensive?
That is 4.4 years of the area's median household income ($65,651 across the Burlington, 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 B−.
What is Haw River, NC known for?
4 notable people were born here, including W. Kerr Scott and Robert W. Scott.