Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
24% of residents live below the poverty line in Marshall, above both the North Carolina town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Marshall has 7 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Jeff White House and Madison County Courthouse. Marshall has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Marshall beats most towns.
Census counts: 175 in 1880, a peak of 1,160 in 1940, 777 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 5 maps from 1936 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Marshall, 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 Marshall.
Most working residents leave Marshall for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Marshall has added 110 jobs, to 619 in 2023. Marshall’s median household income is $57,000, below both North Carolina’s towns ($69,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000).
| Marshall | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 35 to 64 are 51% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 13% of residents (23% statewide). 43% of Marshall adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Marshall has grown 2.6% since 2020, to 802 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Marshall | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.7 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 43% | 29% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.5 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Marshall | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.8% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.1% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.5% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.1% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 21.7% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.2% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.7% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 14.5% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 19% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.2% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.5% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 29.5% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.3% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
Marshall has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 27° and about 26 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Marshall beats the North Carolina average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 31% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Marshall.
| Marshall | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 34% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 25% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Marshall | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.9% | 12.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Marshall home is worth about $373,000, up 0.5% in a year, 12% above the North Carolina typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 53 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Marshall.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.8 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Marshall Nature Sanctuary, at 29 acres.
| Marshall | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Marshall Nature Sanctuary | 0.3 mi | 29 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Marshall. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi MountainMount Mitchell
Big draw21 mi National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park11.5M visitors a year
14 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year31 mi Theme parkGhost Town in the Sky
31 mi National forestPisgah National Forest
35 mi State parkChimney Rock State ParkMount Mitchell: Unknown, Public domain · Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Scott Basford, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Pisgah National Forest: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Chimney Rock State Park: Jmturner, Public domain
3 within 15 miles of the center of Marshall
About 3 of every 100 Marshall residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
7 places in Marshall on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Marshall.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Marshall has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
5 notable people were born here, including Zachary D. Massey and Liston B. Ramsey.
