Stanley is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C+ overall, 130th among North Carolina's 286 graded towns, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is incomes: the median household earns $75K. A typical home there costs about $362K, 4.3 years of the Charlotte metro’s $83K median household income. Only 40 of North Carolina’s 451 towns score higher on hazard risk. Stanley's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 93% of U.S. towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 83% of U.S. towns.

StrongestA⁻Hazard riskWeakestC⁻Walkability

What makes Stanley stand out

Where Stanley beats most towns.

Natural hazardsA⁻

Lower risk than 95% of U.S. communities

Very low risk of storm and flood damage

FEMA National Risk Index.

A growing town

Stanley has grown 19% since 2010

3,556 counted in 2010 and 3,963 in 2020; an estimated 4,237 in 2025.

Growth hasn’t slowed: 7% since 2020, after 11.4% in the decade before.

3,5562010

3,9632020

4,2372025 est.

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025

How Stanley grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Stanley is from typical.

How grading works

WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.4 of 20; 2.3% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC⁻Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listA⁻Open →Jobs & incomeBOpen →HealthAtrium Health Lincoln 11.1 miles awayBOpen →SafetyC⁺Open →SchoolsB⁻Open →Cost of livingB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors1 mile of trail; 2% conserved landC⁺Open →History1 place on the National Register; 2 notable people born hereB⁻Open →Civic life2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.9; 23% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Bank of America Stadium and 21 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Stanley. Close and well known come first.

All 30 attractions →

Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaBank of America Stadium

19 mi Theme parkCarowinds

13 mi LakeLake Norman 13 mi MuseumSullenberger Aviation Museum70K visitors a year

20 mi Stadium & arenaBojangles Coliseum

38 mi LandmarkPeachoid

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Bank of America Stadium: HangingCurve, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carowinds: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Norman: Prince Grobhelm, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bojangles Coliseum: James Willamor, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Peachoid: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain

Getting set up

Moving to Stanley: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Stanley, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerEnergyUnited Elec Member11.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterTown of Stanley water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet4 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpBy addressTown’s hauler · day by addressTown site

SchoolsGaston County SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereGaston County Board of ElectionsGaston County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2019

ZIP codes28164, 2812028164 93% · 28120 7%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 Stanley.

Stanley carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of North Carolina (mostly inland flooding) and has seen reported crime fall by about half.

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A⁻

Compared with most of North Carolina and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Stanley is lower

FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 100% of North Carolina towns; that rating is what its A− for hazard risk is built on.

At 5 of 100, Stanley’s FEMA risk score is against 47 of 100 in North Carolina’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns.

5risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingTornadoesEarthquakes

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageStanley’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery low risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters1 federal disaster · Paid out in Stanley Get ready0.9 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

SchoolsB⁻

Stanley’s public schools trail 55% of North Carolina districts

Its public schools are run by the Gaston County Schools. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

45%of NC districts it outscoresB⁻School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Stanley MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8	Grades 6–8	602	B
Community Charter SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–10	Grades K–10	858	B⁻

Full pageStanley’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsGaston County Schools Every school6 schools · Community Charter School Questions“Are Stanley’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation

Work & commuteJobs & income grade B

About one in three of Stanley’s working residents commute to Charlotte

Most working residents leave Stanley for work: only 3% work in town. Jobs based in Stanley grew to 1,396 in 2023, 306 more than in 2013. 8.1% of Stanley residents live below the poverty line, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 9.6%.

3%work in town

	Stanley	North Carolina towns	U.S. towns
Below the poverty line	8.1%	13%	9.6%
Working residents who work in town	3.1%	6.8%	8%
Average trip to work	26 minutes	24 minutes	25 minutes

Where working residents work

In Stanley3%

Charlotte34%

Gastonia12%

Mount Holly3%

Huntersville2%

16 mi

median commute distance

1,396

jobs based in Stanley

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

C−

Walkability grade: more walkable than 17% of U.S. towns

Full pageStanley’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here1,396 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work3% work in Stanley Commute times26 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 16 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Mild winters and hot summers in Stanley

Stanley has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 30° and about 1 inches of snow falls in a winter.

1″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter32–54°

Spring48–72°

Summer67–88°

Fall49–72°

Nov 9

typical first frost

Mar 27

typical last frost

+1.2°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageStanley’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 89°, January lows 30°Rain & snow1″ of snow a winter · 45 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingBoth heating and cooling Then and now+1.2° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HousingCost of living grade B⁻

Stanley’s grade for cost of living is a B−

The typical Stanley home is worth about $362,000, up 1.1% in a year, 9% above the North Carolina typical home.

$362KZillow home value

	Stanley	North Carolina towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	71%	67%	73%
Median rent	$1,122 a month	$1,084 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Stanley$362K

North Carolina$332K

+1.1%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in May

Full pageStanley’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 1.1% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 4.8 years of income Rents$1,122 a month · Median rent

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

HealthB

On CDC estimates, Stanley is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns

Stanley beats the North Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 26% of Stanley adults have been diagnosed with depression.

57%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade

	Stanley	North Carolina towns	U.S. towns
Depression (CDC PLACES)	26%	25%	23%
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)	16%	14%	16%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)	37%	38%	35%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)	35%	34%	36%

32 measures vs. North Carolina

0 better31 too close to call1 worse

What stands out	Stanley	NC
More adults who have had cancer	9.3%	7.9%

Atrium Health Lincoln

11.1 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

51st

percentile among NC towns

Full pageStanley’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby11.1 miles to an ER · Atrium Health Lincoln How adults are doingMore adults in frequent physical distress Every CDC estimateBetter than NC on 0 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

SafetyC⁺

More crime per resident in Stanley than in 56% of U.S. towns

Reported crimes fell from 89 to 47 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.

The violent crime rate in Stanley is 0.7 per 1,000 residents. Within North Carolina, it does better than 77% of towns. The property crime rate in Stanley is 10.5 per 1,000 residents.

44%of U.S. towns report more crimeC⁺Safety Grade

	Stanley	North Carolina towns	U.S. towns
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	0.7 per 1,000 residents	3.2	1.6
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	10.5 per 1,000 residents	21.8	9.9

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Stanley0.7

North Carolina3.3

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Stanley10.5

North Carolina18.2

U.S.15.5

44th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

77th

percentile among NC towns

violent crimes reported in 2025

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageStanley’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type0.7 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Questions“Is Stanley, NC safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

OutdoorsC⁺

Conserved land covers 2.4% of Stanley

0.6 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.

2.4%conserved

	Stanley	North Carolina towns	U.S. towns
Miles of trail per square mile	0.2 miles per square mile	0.2	0.4
Conserved land	2.4%	3.4%	4.3%

2.4%

conserved · 47 of 1,956 acres

0.6 mi

of trails · 0.2 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Harper Park	0.6 mi	17
2. R.M. Thompson Park	—	7

Full pageStanley’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map0.6 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk0.6 miles of trail · Harper Park Conserved land2.4% conserved · 47 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Stanley?”

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Stanley

20pages on Stanley

After high school

Colleges nearby

2 within 15 miles of the center of Stanley

Gaston CollegeCommunity college · Public · Dallas6.2 mi$3,186 in-state tuition Belmont Abbey CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Belmont7.1 mi$19,500 tuition

About 8 of every 100 Stanley residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

97% of working residents leave Stanley for work

Where Stanley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

1,396jobs based in Stanley

3%of working residents work in town

16 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Stanley

Town in North Carolina, United States

Official town website ↗

Stanley is a town in Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Stanley had a population of 3,963.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1879
Area: 2.7 sq mi
Elevation: 863 ft
ZIP code: 28164
Area code: 704

Questions about Stanley

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Stanley, NC a good place to live?

Stanley grades C+ overall, better than 40% of U.S. towns and #130 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades B for health, C+ for safety and B− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.

Is Stanley, NC safe?

Within North Carolina, it does better than 77% of towns.

Is Stanley, NC expensive?

Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.

What is Stanley, NC known for?

2 notable people were born here, including Ted Abernathy and Doyt Morris.

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