Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Lake Lure’s subject grades are an A for the outdoors and civic life; the weakest is a D for cost of living. Lake Lure’s average trip to work is 39 minutes, above both the North Carolina town median (24 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). On cost of living, just 8 of North Carolina’s 450 towns do worse. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 79% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. 24% of the land in Lake Lure is conserved, above both the North Carolina town median (3.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Only 7 of North Carolina’s 331 towns score higher on civic life. Lake Lure has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Palmer Fire School and Pine Gables. Lake Lure has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Lake Lure beats most towns.
Pine Gables1,192 counted in 2010 and 1,365 in 2020; an estimated 1,391 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 Lake Lure is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 204 in 1930, 1,365 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1959 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lake Lure, 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 Lake Lure.
Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Lake Lure Classical Academy, with 481 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Lure Classical AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 481 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Lake Lure for work: only 17% work in town. Since 2013, Lake Lure has added 199 jobs, to 821 in 2023. The top destinations are Charlotte (9%), Asheville (9%) and Hendersonville (5%).
| Lake Lure | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $80,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 13% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Since 2018, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Lake Lure.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Lake Lure home is worth about $444,000, about the same as a year ago, 34% above the North Carolina typical home. 88% of Lake Lure households own their home.
| Lake Lure | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 88% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $786 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
18 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The trail density in Lake Lure is 1.3 miles per square mile. Chimney Rock State Park, at 845 acres with 3.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chimney Rock State Park | 3.2 mi | 845 |
| 2. Dittmer-Watts Nature Trail Park | 2.8 mi | 68 |
| 3. Morse Park | 0.7 mi | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Lake Lure has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 29° and about 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
26% of adults feel lonely in Lake Lure. Lake Lure beats the North Carolina average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 12% of adults report frequent mental distress in Lake Lure.
| Lake Lure | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 38% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 33% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Lake Lure | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5.8% | 12.2% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.2% | 8.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 15.3% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Lake Lure's reported crime rate is well below North Carolina's. Lake Lure’s property crime rate is 8.7 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes.
| Lake Lure | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 8.7 per 1,000 residents | 26 | 13.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.8 |
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lake Lure. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi MountainMount Mitchell
18 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
in town State parkChimney Rock State Park
34 mi National forestPisgah National Forest
38 mi LandmarkPeachoid
18 mi National Historic SiteCarl Sandburg Home National Historic Site95K visitors a yearMount Mitchell: Unknown, Public domain · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Chimney Rock State Park: Jmturner, Public domain · Pisgah National Forest: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Peachoid: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site: Victoria Stauffenberg, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lake Lure
About 4 of every 100 Lake Lure residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
2 places in Lake Lure on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Lake Lure is a town in Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. In 2020 the town population was 1,365. Lake Lure was incorporated in 1927, and acquired the lake after which it is named in 1965.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes. That is 8.6 years of the area's median household income ($51,410 across the Forest City, NC area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
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