Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,023, established in 1888.
The best of Stem’s subject grades is an A− for incomes; the weakest is a D− for walkability. Stem's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 95% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Ledge Creek Forest Conservation Area, at 32 acres. Stem has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Stem beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Stem is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 245 in 1920, 960 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1939 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Stem, 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 Stem.
The top destinations are Durham (25%), Raleigh (14%) and Butner (3%). In Stem, the typical journey to work is 31 minutes, above both North Carolina’s towns (24 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Its typical household income comes in at $96,000. Half the trips to work are shorter than 20 miles.
| Stem | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Stem, the midpoint age is 32.1 years. Children under 18 are 32% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 9% of residents (17% statewide). North Carolina has 36% of adults 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more; here it is 29%. This North Carolina town has grown 2.6% since 2020, to 1,023 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Stem | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 8.6% | 18% | 18% |
| Median age | 32.1 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.5 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women. Among residents 55 to 64, 72% are women (NC 52%).
| Stem | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.8% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.4% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.4% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 18% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 5.9% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.2% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.4% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.7% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.4% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.6% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.9% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.7% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.7% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
Summer afternoons peak near 89° in July, and January nights bottom out around 28°; snowfall runs to about 2 inches a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Stem, 33% of adults have high blood pressure, and 19% report frequent mental distress. Among adults in the town, 9.6% have diabetes, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 12%. Just over a quarter of Stem adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Stem | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.6% | 13% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 25% | 23% |
| What stands out | Stem | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.9% | 6.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.2% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 71.5% | 76.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Count the trails in 2 parks and preserves and they come to 0.3 miles.
| Stem | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.7% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ledge Creek Forest Conservation Area | 0.3 mi | 32 |
| 2. Picture Branch Nature Preserve | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes in Stem are typically worth about $317,000, about the same as a year ago, close to the North Carolina typical home. The town’s typical rent stands at $925 a month.
| Stem | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 98% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $925 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
53% of Stem’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by hurricanes at 19%. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 51% of U.S. communities. One declared disaster, in 2003, has brought federal aid to Stem households.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Stem. Close and well known come first.
27 mi Stadium & arenaLenovo Center
27 mi Stadium & arenaCarter–Finley Stadium
27 mi Stadium & arenaKenan Memorial Stadium
18 mi LandmarkBennett Place State Historic Site
28 mi Stadium & arenaWakeMed Soccer Park
27 mi Stadium & arenaDean Smith CenterLenovo Center: Edward T. Funkhouser, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Carter–Finley Stadium: SMaloney, CC BY 3.0 · Kenan Memorial Stadium: Yeungb, CC BY 3.0 · Bennett Place State Historic Site: Ildar Sagdejev (Specious), CC BY-SA 4.0 · WakeMed Soccer Park: Hameltion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dean Smith Center: No machine-readable author provided. Snargle~commonswiki assumed (based on copyr, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Stem; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Stem residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Where Stem’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in North Carolina, United States
Stem is a town in Granville County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 960 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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 B+.
