Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Salisbury earns a D, ranked 248th of 286 in North Carolina, mostly because of safety and incomes. Its police reported 217 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 97% of U.S. towns. The median household income is $54K, and 26% of residents live below the poverty line. One bright spot: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 78% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 95% of U.S. towns, with 39 places on the National Register. 26% of residents live below the poverty line in Salisbury, above both the North Carolina town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Its National Register listings include Griffith-Sowers House and John Steele House.
Where Salisbury beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Community Building| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Rowan-Cabarrus Community College | 3,353 |
| Catawba College | 1,054 |
| Livingstone College | 814 |
Its 38 National Register listings are more than in 96% of North Carolina towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,086 in 1850, 35,540 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1801 and 3 maps from 1962 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Salisbury is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Salisbury, 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 Salisbury.
Salisbury draws workers from Charlotte and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has poverty well above the North Carolina rate.
Reported crimes fell from 1,828 to 1,523 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Salisbury is 35.4 per 1,000 residents. Salisbury reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 97% report less. The violent crime rate in Salisbury is 5.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Salisbury | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 35.4 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.9 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Rowan-Salisbury Schools. Three of its 12 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isenberg ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 509 | D |
| Salisbury HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 930 | C+ |
| Rowan Co Early CollegeTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 235 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
15 miles of trail in 14 parks and preserves. Catawba College Ecological Preserve, at 109 acres with 2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Salisbury’s trail density is 0.7 miles per square mile.
| Salisbury | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.8% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Catawba College Ecological Preserve | 2 mi | 109 |
| 2. Elizabeth Holmes Hurley Mem. Park | 0.7 mi | 17 |
| 3. Jaycee-Optimists Sports Complex | 0.6 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
27,622 jobs are based in Salisbury, 2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 4 of Salisbury’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Salisbury grew to 27,622 in 2023, 4,060 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Charlotte (14%), Concord (4%) and Mooresville (3%).
| Salisbury | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 25% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 8.7% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 7,024 U.S. towns with household incomes like Salisbury’s, it is less healthy than 53%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
Salisbury beats the North Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 23% of Salisbury adults worry about having enough food.
| Salisbury | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 19% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 24% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Salisbury | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 12.3% | 8.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.5% | 15.2% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 12.2% | 8.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Salisbury has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 29° and about 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Salisbury home is worth about $281,000, about the same as a year ago, 16% below the North Carolina typical home. 52% of households own their home in Salisbury.
| Salisbury | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,071 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 25 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Salisbury.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
26.3% of residents live below the poverty line, against 13% across North Carolina, which weighs on its C− for jobs and income.
Salisbury has grown 4.1% since 2020, to 36,879 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across North Carolina.
| Salisbury | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.5 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 18% | 18% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.5 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 40.2, men 34.6.
| Salisbury | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.3% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.6% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.5% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.3% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.5% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.8% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.8% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.1% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.9% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.8% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.7% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.7% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.8% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.1% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
4 within 15 miles of the center of Salisbury
About 9 of every 100 Salisbury residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
4 colleges in town.
38 places in Salisbury on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in North Carolina, United States
Salisbury ( SAWLZ-ber-ee) is a city in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, United States; it has been the county seat of Rowan County since 1753 when its territory extended to the Mississippi River. Located 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Charlotte and within its metropolitan area, the town has attracted a growing population. The 2020 census shows 35,580 residents. Salisbury is the oldest continually populated colonial town in the western region of North Carolina. It is noted for its historic preservation, with five Local Historic Districts and ten National Register Historic Districts. Soft drink producer Cheerwine and regional supermarket Food Lion are located in Salisbury and Rack Room S…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Salisbury.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salisbury | #248 | D | B− | D− | C | C− |
| Spencer | #162 | C | A | C | C | C− |
| East Spencer | — | — | A | — | C | D |
| Granite Quarry | #134 | C+ | A− | B− | C | B− |
East Spencer has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. East Spencer reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Salisbury with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Salisbury grades D overall, better than 7% of U.S. towns and #248 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades C− for health, D− for safety and C for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 3.4 years of the area's median household income ($83,304 across the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 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−.
