Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Plain View

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
North Carolina›Sampson County
CompareFollow

Plain ViewNC

A town of 1,741.

Population
1,741
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$201K
Census ACS
Household income
$54K
median
Median age
47.0
years
Jobs based here
183
A commuter town

Is Plain View a good place to live?

The best of Plain View’s subject grades is a B+ for health; the weakest is a D for walkability. Plain View’s average trip to work is 35 minutes, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 24 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. On walkability, just 26 of North Carolina’s 450 towns do worse. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 80% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. On the outdoors, just 31 of North Carolina’s 451 towns do worse. Plain View has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.

WeakestDWalkabilityDHazard riskC−Jobs & incomeCCost of living
A commuter town

98% of working residents leave Plain View for work

Where Plain View’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

12% → Dunn Dunn 12% 6% → Fayetteville Fayetteville 6% 5% → Raleigh Raleigh 5% 4% → Smithfield Smithfield 4% 3% → Wilmington Wilmington 3% 2% → Clinton Clinton 2% Plain View · 2% stay
183jobs based in Plain View
2%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

How Plain View grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Plain View is from typical.

How grading works

WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.9 of 20; 4.1% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listDOpen →Jobs & income$54K median household incomeC−Open →Cost of livingCOpen →HealthBetsy Johnson Regional Hospital 2 miles awayB+Open →SchoolsC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 0% conserved landDOpen →HistoryC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 47.0; 13% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Plain View: who provides what

Plain View is unincorporated, so Sampson County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerSouth River Elec Member14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHarnett Regional WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSampson CountySampson County provides services here
SchoolsSampson County SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereSampson County Board of ElectionsSampson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP code2833428334 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Plain View.

80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
80Very high riskLowerHigher
HurricanesInland floodingStrong wind
Full pagePlain View’s hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesVery high riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters19 disaster declarations · Declared for the countyGet ready0.2 events a year, on average · Ready for hurricanes

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

SchoolsC+

On state tests, Plain View’s schools trail 56% of North Carolina districts

Its public schools are run by the Sampson County Schools. Its one school is below.

44%of NC districts it outscoresC+School Grade
SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Plain View ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5Grades K–5362B+
Full pagePlain View’s schools pageOpen the page
The districtsSampson County SchoolsEvery school1 school · Plain View ElementaryQuestions“Are Plain View’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−

Most of Plain View’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them

Most working residents leave Plain View for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Plain View fell to 183 in 2023, 28 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Dunn (12%), Fayetteville (6%) and Raleigh (5%).

2%work in town
Plain ViewNorth Carolina townsU.S. towns
Working residents who work in town2.3%6.8%8%
Below the poverty line11%13%9.6%

Where working residents work

In Plain View2%
Dunn12%
Fayetteville6%
Raleigh5%
Smithfield4%
23 mi
median commute distance
183
jobs based in Plain View
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 7% of U.S. towns
Full pagePlain View’s work & commute pageOpen the page
The jobs here183 jobs based here · A commuter townWhere people work2% work in Plain ViewCommute times35 minutes · The average commuteHow far they goHalf commute less than 23 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

HealthB+

Residents of Plain View are healthier than 67% of U.S. towns

Plain View beats the North Carolina average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 33% of Plain View adults sleep under 7 hours, against 34% in North Carolina’s towns and 36% across U.S. towns. 11% of Plain View adults have diabetes.

67%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
Plain ViewNorth Carolina townsU.S. towns
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)33%34%36%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)11%13%12%
Depression (CDC PLACES)26%25%23%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)13%13%14%
32 measures vs. North Carolina
3 better29 too close to call0 worse
What stands outPlain ViewNC
Fewer adults facing food insecurity12.3%15.2%
Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off6.6%8.1%
Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital
2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
Full pagePlain View’s health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsMore binge drinkersHospitals & doctors nearby2 miles to an ER · Betsy Johnson Regional HospitalHow adults are doingFewer adults in fair or poor healthEvery CDC estimateBetter than NC on 3 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Climate

In Plain View, expect mild winters and hot summers

Plain View has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Plain View is 91°F.

2″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter34–56°
Spring49–73°
Summer68–89°
Fall51–74°
Nov 7
typical first frost
Mar 28
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
Full pagePlain View’s climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 91°, January lows 32°Rain & snow2″ of snow a winter · 48 inches of rain and snow a yearHeating & coolingBoth heating and coolingThen and now+0.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

OutdoorsD

0.1% of Plain View is conserved land

1.3 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.

0.1%conserved
Plain ViewNorth Carolina townsU.S. towns
Conserved land0.1%3.4%4.3%
Miles of trail per square mile0.1 miles per square mile0.20.4
0.1%
conserved · 15 of 10,632 acres
1.3 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
Full pagePlain View’s outdoors pageOpen the page
Trail map1.3 miles of trail, mappedPick a walkPick a walkConserved land0.1% conserved · 15 acres protectedQuestions“Where can I hike in Plain View?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Plain View

16pages on Plain View
The big questions
SchoolsC+Behind 56% of NC districts · 1 schoolHealthB+Better than NC on 3 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingCWork & commuteC−$54K median household income · 183 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 80% of U.S. communities · hurricanes
Out and about
OutdoorsD1 mi of trails · 0% conserved landPlacesAttractions34 nearby · Harper House 13 miLibraryDunn Public LibraryColleges
The story
Climate91° summer highs · 2″ of snow
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookTown SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Plain View; the nearest are

Campbell UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Buies Creek15.2 mi$41,600 tuitionSampson Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Clinton20.9 mi$2,877 in-state tuitionFayetteville State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Fayetteville22.1 mi$4,353 in-state tuition

About 3 of every 100 Plain View residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

About Plain View

CDP in North Carolina, United States

Plain View is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sampson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,923 at the 2020 census.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
17 sq mi
Elevation
203 ft

Questions about Plain View

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Plain View, NC expensive?

The typical home is worth about $201,000. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.