Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Siler City gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $256K for a typical one, or 3.1 years of the Durham metro’s $84K median household income. It grades C overall, 163rd among North Carolina's 286 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 97% of the country, and the median household income is $47K, and 34% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 79% of U.S. towns. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in Siler City, above both the North Carolina town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Siler City has 11 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Bowen-Jordan Farm and Gregson-Hadley House. Siler City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 90% of U.S. towns.
Where Siler City beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Siler City | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 28.7% | 10.4% |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Siler City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 254 in 1890, 7,702 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1939 and 2 maps from 1969 on.
11 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Siler City, 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 Siler City.
Siler City trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, but it has poverty well above the North Carolina rate.
36% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Siler City. Among 289 North Carolina towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Siler City. 20% of adults report frequent mental distress in Siler City.
| Siler City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 19% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | Siler City | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.3% | 7.9% |
| More uninsured adults | 28.7% | 10.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Chatham County Schools. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Jordan-Matthews High, with 848 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan-Matthews HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 848 | B |
| Chatham Early CollegeTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 113 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
The violent crime rate in Siler City is 4 per 1,000 residents. Within North Carolina, it does better than 47% of towns. The property crime rate in Siler City is 21.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Siler City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 21.8 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Homes are within reach (about $256K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 25 miles.
56% of Siler City households own their home. The typical Siler City home is worth about $256,000, up 3% in a year, 23% below the North Carolina typical home.
| Siler City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,000 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Siler City has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 30° and about 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Siler City for work: only 17% work in town. Jobs based in Siler City grew to 3,608 in 2023, 530 more than in 2013. Siler City’s average trip to work is 21 minutes.
| Siler City | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
0.4 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Bray Park, at 25 acres.
| Siler City | 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. Bray Park | — | 25 |
| 2. Washington Avenue Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 51% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Siler City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Siler City; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Siler City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
5 notable people were born in Siler City.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Siler City is a town in western Chatham County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 7,702.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Siler City grades C overall, better than 27% of U.S. towns and #163 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades D− for health, C− for safety and B+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within North Carolina, it does better than 47% of towns.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
5 notable people were born here, including Lowell Bailey and Charles Orville Whitley.
