Bridge No. 249, Spanning Abbotts Creek at State Route 2294
Southmont’s story
143 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 2 maps from 1962 on.
- 1883Southmont is founded
SouthmontNC
A town of 1,525, founded in 1883.
Population
1,525
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$424K
Census ACS
Household income
$91K
median
Median age
42.4
years
Jobs based here
50
A commuter town
Is Southmont a good place to live?
Southmont’s weakest subject grade is a D− for walkability. Only 1 of North Carolina’s 450 towns score lower on walkability. Southmont has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Southmont for work
Where Southmont’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
50jobs based in Southmont
0%of working residents work in town
24 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Southmont grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Southmont is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 3 of 20; 6.8% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listC−Open →Jobs & income$91K median household income; 50 jobs based hereC+Open →SchoolsAbout average among the towns comparedB−Open →HealthLexington Memorial Hospital 10.1 miles awayB−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $424K, 6.4 years of the Winston metro’s $66K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 0% conserved landDOpen →HistoryLittle recorded history by comparisonC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Southmont: who provides what
Southmont is unincorporated, so Davidson County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerEnergyUnited Elec Member11.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDavidson Water IncNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesDavidson CountyDavidson County provides services here
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.govWho runs elections hereDavidson County Board of ElectionsDavidson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2019
ZIP codes27292, 2735127292 95% · 27351 5%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 Southmont.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Compared with most of North Carolina and the rest of the country, fewer of Southmont’s working residents work locally
Half the trips to work are shorter than 24 miles. Southmont’s average commute stands at 30 minutes, above both North Carolina’s towns (24 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). The share of residents in Southmont who live below the poverty line: 15%. The top destinations are Lexington (15%), Winston-Salem (13%) and High Point (7%).
0%work in town
| Southmont | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.3% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $91,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Southmont0%
Lexington15%
Winston-Salem13%
High Point7%
Charlotte5%
24 mi
median commute distance
50
jobs based in Southmont
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 1% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB−
Public schools in Southmont beat 54% of North Carolina districts
Its one school is below. The Davidson County Schools runs its public schools. 281 students attend Southmont’s public school.
54%of NC districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southmont ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 281 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Southmont, with inland flooding at the top
The FEMA hazard score for Southmont comes to 76 of 100. FEMA puts 78% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 6% to tornadoes.
76risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Southmont
Summer afternoons peak near 89° in July, and January nights bottom out around 29°; snowfall runs to about 2 inches a winter.
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–53°
Spring47–71°
Summer66–88°
Fall48–72°
Oct 30
typical first frost
Apr 6
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB−
Southmont is less healthy than 54% of U.S. towns
Of 32 CDC measures, Southmont beats the North Carolina average on 8 and trails it on 6. Southmont: 29% of adults feel lonely, below both the North Carolina town median (33%) and the median of U.S. towns (33%). Also worth knowing: 13% of adults binge drink locally.
46%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Southmont | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 33% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 34% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
8 better18 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Southmont | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.1% | 12.2% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.7% | 7.9% |
Lexington Memorial Hospital
In Lexington · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.5%conserved
0.5%
conserved · 21 of 4,182 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Linwood Site (Central Dav. District Pk) | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade B−
A home in Southmont sells for about $337K at the median
Southmont: 93% of households live in a home they own.
$337Kmedian sale price
3
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 42 attractions →Lake Norman and 20 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Southmont. Close and well known come first.
39 mi LakeLake Norman
29 mi Zoo & aquariumNorth Carolina Zoo700K visitors a year
33 mi Stadium & arenaAllegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium
30 mi MuseumOld Salem
9 mi MuseumNorth Carolina Transportation Museum
21 mi National forestUwharrie National ForestSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Norman: Prince Grobhelm, CC BY-SA 3.0 · North Carolina Zoo: Diane Villa, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium: BobHWS, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Old Salem: David Bjorgen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · North Carolina Transportation Museum: Unknown, Public domain · Uwharrie National Forest: U.S. Forest Service, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Southmont
17pages on Southmont
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of Southmont
Pfeiffer UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Misenheimer11.5 mi$35,070 tuitionHood Theological SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Salisbury11.5 miRowan-Cabarrus Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Salisbury11.6 mi$2,064 in-state tuition
About 8 of every 100 Southmont residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
About Southmont
Census-designated place in North Carolina, United States
Southmont is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Southmont had a population of 1,563. It is located along North Carolina State Highway 8 on the northern shores of High Rock Lake. There is an organized effort underway to incorporate the community as "The Village of Southmont".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 678 ft
- ZIP code
- 27351
Questions about Southmont
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Southmont, NC expensive?
The typical home is worth about $424,000, 28% above the North Carolina typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.