Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Kenly’s best subject grade is an A for cost of living; its weakest is a C− for incomes. Only 35 of North Carolina’s 450 towns score higher on cost of living. Kenly is more walkable than 76% of U.S. towns. Only 4 of the 291 North Carolina towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Kenly. Kenly's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 92% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is KAPARC, at 21 acres. Kenly has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Kenly beats most towns.
1,339 counted in 2010 and 1,491 in 2020; an estimated 1,722 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 Kenly is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 137 in 1890, 1,491 in 2020. The archive holds 13 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and a map from 1902 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Kenly, 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 Kenly.
Most working residents leave Kenly for work: only 7% work in town. Kenly’s median household income is $57,000, below both North Carolina’s towns ($69,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Jobs based in Kenly grew to 1,070 in 2023, 96 more than in 2013.
| Kenly | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 13% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 77% of U.S. communities. Since 2016, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Kenly.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Kenly home is worth about $254,000, up 2% in a year, 24% below the North Carolina typical home. 54% of households own their home in Kenly, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 67% and U.S. towns at 73%. Kenly’s median rent is $787 a month.
| Kenly | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 54% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $787 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Kenly has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Kenly is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Kenly beats the North Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 13% of Kenly adults binge drink.
| Kenly | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Kenly | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.4% | 13.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 10% | 8.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 18.6% | 15.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Kenly | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. KAPARC | — | 21 |
| 2. Grady Park | — | 2 |
| 3. Lincoln Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Kenly
About 3 of every 100 Kenly residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Where Kenly’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in North Carolina, United States
Kenly is a town in Johnston and Wilson counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It was named for John R. Kenly, Northern Division Superintendent of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, who later became president of the railroad in 1913. As of the 2020 census, Kenly had a population of 1,491.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.