Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Lillington is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C− overall, ranked 197th of 286 in North Carolina, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is incomes: the median household earns $82K. Its lowest everyday mark is in safety: its crime rate is higher than 81% of U.S. towns, with 16 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. A typical home there costs about $286K, 4 years of the Anderson Creek area’s $71K median household income. 4.9% of residents live below the poverty line in Lillington, against 13% in North Carolina’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Summer Villa and the McKay-Salmon House and Summerville Presbyterian Church and Cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places. Lillington's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 82% of U.S. towns.
Where Lillington beats most towns.
Summerville Presbyterian Church and Cemetery3,194 counted in 2010 and 4,735 in 2020; an estimated 5,040 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 Lillington is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 98 in 1880, a low of 65 in 1900, 4,735 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1950 and 3 maps from 1978 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lillington, 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 Lillington.
4,494 jobs are based in Lillington, 1.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Jobs based in Lillington grew to 4,494 in 2023, 868 more than in 2013. For half of commuters, work is under 25 miles away. The top destinations are Raleigh (14%), Fayetteville (6%) and Cary (5%).
| Lillington | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $82,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.2% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Harnett County Schools runs its public schools. One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. The 2 public schools in Lillington teach 131 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| STAR AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 31 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Lillington’s level of violent crime comes in at 3.3 per 1,000 residents. Within North Carolina, it does better than 50% of towns.
| Lillington | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 21.2 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.3 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Walkers can cover 2.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Parks and preserves in Lillington: one, of 11 acres. The density of trails in the town is 0.3 miles per square mile.
| Lillington | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lillington Recreation Park | 0.5 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among adults in Lillington, 18% report frequent mental distress. Against the North Carolina average, Lillington comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 10. 41% of adults in the town have high blood pressure; 20% worry about having enough food.
| Lillington | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 34% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 36% | 35% |
| What stands out | Lillington | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.8% | 7.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 10.9% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
A home in Lillington typically sold within 83 days of listing. Zillow values the typical Lillington home at about $286,000, up 0.6% in a year, 14% below the North Carolina typical home. Lillington: 63% of households own their home.
| Lillington | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $997 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Lillington has had one paid flood insurance claim since 2018. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage locally than in 61% of U.S. communities. 47% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by hurricanes at 21%. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2018.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lillington
About 5 of every 100 Lillington residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina.
Where Lillington’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 notable people were born in Lillington.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Lillington is a town in and the county seat of Harnett County, North Carolina, United States. Its population was 3,194 at the 2010 census, and was 4,735 in the 2020 census. Lillington is a part of the Dunn micropolitan area, which is also a part of the greater Raleigh–Durham–Cary combined statistical area as defined by the United States Census Bureau.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lillington grades C− overall, better than 19% of U.S. towns and #197 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades C+ for health, C− for safety and C+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within North Carolina, it does better than 50% of towns.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
4 notable people were born here, including Paul Green and Paul S. Atkins.
