Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
The best of Princeville’s subject grades is a B for walkability; the weakest is a D− for health. 36% of residents live below the poverty line in Princeville, above both North Carolina’s towns (13%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On health, just 10 of North Carolina’s 450 towns do worse. The median household income is $46K, and 36% of residents live below the poverty line. No town in North Carolina scores lower than Princeville on civic life. Its National Register listings include Eastern Star Baptist Church and Howell Homeplace. Princeville has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Princeville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Princeville | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 20.6% | 8.1% |
2,082 counted in 2010 and 1,254 in 2020; an estimated 1,286 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 Princeville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1999.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Princeville, 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 Princeville.
The typical Princeville home is worth about $113,000, down 2% in a year, 66% below the North Carolina typical home.
| Princeville | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 66% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,103 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Edgecombe County Public Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princeville ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 205 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
34% of Princeville adults say their health is fair or poor, against 19% in North Carolina’s towns and 19% across U.S. towns. 18% of Princeville adults report frequent physical distress. Among 290 North Carolina towns, just 8 have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Princeville.
| Princeville | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 19% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 36% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 13% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | Princeville | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 8.8% | 14.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.9% | 7.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 20.6% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Princeville for work: only 1% work in town. Since 2013, Princeville has lost 66 jobs, to 116 in 2023. The top destinations are Tarboro (27%), Rocky Mount (13%) and Greenville (9%).
| Princeville | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities. Since 1999, 123 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Princeville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Princeville has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Princeville’s July high is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Princeville | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.5% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mutual Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Princeville
About 7 of every 100 Princeville residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Princeville is a town in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, United States established by freed slaves after the Civil War. It was established in 1865 and known as Freedom Hill. It was incorporated in 1885 as Princeville, the first independently governed African American community chartered in the United States. Princeville is part of the Rocky Mount, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 1,254 residents. The town is on the opposite bank of the Tar River from Tarboro. The city of Rocky Mount is 16 miles (26 km) to the west.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
That is 1.9 years of the area's median household income ($59,636 across the Rocky Mount, 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−.