Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Rockingham earns a D−, 265th of 286 graded towns in North Carolina, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $37K, and 31% of residents live below the poverty line. Residents are less healthy than 92% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. It also has a long history, with 8 places on the National Register. 31% of residents live below the poverty line in Rockingham, above both the North Carolina town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Its National Register listings include Richmond County Courthouse and Rockingham County Courthouse. Among 290 North Carolina towns, just 2 have a higher July high than Rockingham.
Where Rockingham beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Richmond County Courthouse
Cameron A. Morrison| Widest gap | Rockingham | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14.9% | 8.1% |
Census counts: 454 in 1870, 9,243 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1885 and 3 maps from 1956 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Rockingham is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rockingham, 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 Rockingham.
Rockingham draws workers from Hamlet and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
At 2.9 years of the Rockingham area’s $45K median household income, the typical home (about $130K) costs less against local pay than in 90% of North Carolina towns; that ratio is one input to its C+ for cost of living. 61% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.9% across North Carolina.
The typical home value in Rockingham is about $130,000, up 2.8% in a year, 61% below the North Carolina typical home. Among households here, 62% own their home. Homes in Rockingham sold for 92.7% of their list price on average.
| Rockingham | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $659 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 62% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Richmond County Schools. One of its 3 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. The 2 public schools in Rockingham teach 1,055 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockingham MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 606 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
5,874 jobs are based in Rockingham, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
The top destinations are Hamlet (6%), Pinehurst (4%) and Charlotte (3%). Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Rockingham rose by 550, to 5,874. For half of commuters, work is under 24 miles away.
| Rockingham | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 20% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $37,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 1,675 U.S. towns with household incomes like Rockingham’s, it is less healthy than 52%, so that grade isn’t only a matter of income.
For adults in Rockingham, the share who feel lonely is 34%. Two figures for adults here: 26% worry about having enough food, 27% say their health is fair or poor.
| Rockingham | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 12% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 19% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 38% | 35% |
| What stands out | Rockingham | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14.9% | 8.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 26.1% | 15.2% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 13.8% | 8.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 32° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The risk rating from FEMA for Rockingham comes to 65 of 100. This North Carolina town has had 11 paid flood insurance claims since 2008. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 56% come from inland flooding and 15% from tornadoes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Rockingham after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2018.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Rockingham’s violent offense rate comes in at 6.1 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 54 violent crimes were reported in 2024.
| Rockingham | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 38.4 per 1,000 residents | 24 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 6.1 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
The biggest park or preserve is Wrc Hinson Gameland, at 23 acres. Trails total 0.5 miles in 5 parks and preserves. In Rockingham, the trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Rockingham | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.9% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wrc Hinson Gameland | 0.1 mi | 23 |
| 2. Browder Park | — | 13 |
| 3. Fallen Creek Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rockingham
About 3 of every 100 Rockingham residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Where Rockingham’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
8 places in Rockingham on the National Register of Historic Places.
14 notable people were born in Rockingham.
City in North Carolina, United States
Rockingham is a city in Richmond County, North Carolina, United States, named after the Marquess of Rockingham. The population was 9,243 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Richmond County. Downtown Rockingham is currently being revitalized as a part of a ten-year plan named "Shaping Our Future: 2023". The city is currently experiencing an economic boom, with new businesses opening in the downtown area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Rockingham.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockingham | #265 | D− | C+ | — | C | D |
| East Rockingham | #278 | D− | C | — | C | D− |
Rockingham and East Rockingham report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Rockingham with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Rockingham grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #265 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades D for health and C for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
14 notable people were born here, including Cameron A. Morrison and Charles Aaron.
