Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Mars Hill’s subject grades are an A for health and an A− for schools. Mars Hill’s median age is 27.6 years, below both the North Carolina town median (40.1 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 5 of the 291 North Carolina towns we compare have a lower January low than Mars Hill. Mars Hill is home to Mars Hill University. Mars Hill has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Mars Hill beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Mars Hill is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 289 in 1900, 2,007 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1856 and 5 maps from 1936 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mars Hill, 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 Mars Hill.
Mars Hill beats the North Carolina average on 18 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 28% of adults have high blood pressure in Mars Hill, against 38% in North Carolina’s towns and 35% across U.S. towns. 7.4% of Mars Hill adults have diabetes.
| Mars Hill | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 38% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.4% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Mars Hill | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 7.4% | 12% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5% | 8.1% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 71.3% | 76.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Madison County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mars Hill ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 445 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
The typical Mars Hill home is worth about $413,000, down 2.1% in a year, 24% above the North Carolina typical home.
| Mars Hill | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 65% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,043 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Mars Hill has chilly winters and warm summers. Mars Hill’s July high is 85°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Mars Hill for work: only 5% work in town. 3.3% of residents live below the poverty line in Mars Hill. Jobs based in Mars Hill fell to 759 in 2023, 145 fewer than in 2013.
| Mars Hill | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.8% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mars Hill. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi MountainMount Mitchell
12 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
Big draw28 mi National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park11.5M visitors a year37 mi Theme parkGhost Town in the Sky
35 mi National forestPisgah National Forest9 mi Ski areaHatley Pointe21 runs · 642 ft verticalMount Mitchell: Unknown, Public domain · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Scott Basford, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pisgah National Forest: Ken Thomas, Public domain
2 within 15 miles of the center of Mars Hill
College town 24 of every 100 Mars Hill residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
4 places in Mars Hill on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Mars Hill.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Mars Hill is a town in Madison County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,007 at the 2020 census, up from 1,869 in 2010. It is the home of Mars Hill University. The town is in western North Carolina, north of Asheville, and is served by Interstate 26. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 5.7 years of the area's median household income ($71,838 across the Asheville, 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−.
3 notable people were born here, including Graham Martin and Bascom Lamar Lunsford.
