Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Pembroke earns a D−, 283rd of 286 graded towns in North Carolina, mostly because of safety and health. It reports more crime per resident than 99% of U.S. towns, including 22 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 98% of the country. 39% of residents live below the poverty line in Pembroke, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Pembroke is home to University of North Carolina at Pembroke. The median household income is $26K, and 39% of residents live below the poverty line.
Where Pembroke beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Pembroke | 3,856 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Pembroke is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 258 in 1910, a low of 258 in 1910, 2,823 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 1923 and 3 maps from 1972 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pembroke, 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 Pembroke.
Pembroke draws workers from Lumberton and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it reports violent crime at about twice the North Carolina rate.
Violent crime runs at 7.6 per 1,000 residents, about twice the North Carolina rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D−. Property crime runs at 66.4 per 1,000 residents, 4 times the North Carolina rate.
The property crime rate in Pembroke is 66.4 per 1,000 residents. Pembroke reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 99% report less. The violent crime rate in Pembroke is 7.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Pembroke | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.6 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 66.4 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by Public Schools of Robeson County. One of its 3 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pembroke ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 703 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Against the 263 U.S. towns with household incomes like Pembroke’s, it is less healthy than 57%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
31% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Pembroke. Among 289 North Carolina towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Pembroke. 18% of adults report frequent physical distress in Pembroke.
| Pembroke | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 19% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 36% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Pembroke | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.8% | 7.9% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.1% | 14.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 35.2% | 13.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2,371 jobs are based in Pembroke, 3.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Pembroke’s average trip to work is 20 minutes. Only 1 of the 290 North Carolina towns we compare have a lower median household income than Pembroke. Since 2013, Pembroke has added 119 jobs, to 2,371 in 2023.
| Pembroke | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $26,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Pembroke home is worth about $147,000, up 2.6% in a year, 56% below the North Carolina typical home. 31% of Pembroke households own their home.
| Pembroke | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 31% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $707 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Pembroke has mild winters and warm summers. Among 290 North Carolina towns, just 4 have a higher July high than Pembroke.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 2018, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Pembroke.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.3 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Tribal Recreation Center, at 32 acres.
| Pembroke | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.2% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tribal Recreation Center | — | 32 |
| 2. Pembroke Community Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Pembroke
College town 19 of every 100 Pembroke residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Where Pembroke’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 notable people were born in Pembroke.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Pembroke is a town in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. It is about 90 miles inland and northwest from the Atlantic Coast. The population was 2,823 at the 2020 census. The town is the seat of the federally recognized Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, as well as the home of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Pembroke grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #283 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades D− for health, D− for safety and C− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 3.5 years of the area's median household income ($41,978 across the Lumberton, 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 C.
5 notable people were born here, including Tatanka and Lee McRae.
