Toastnc1, 2009
Toast’s story
Toast in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and a map from 1971 on.
Explore the history →
ToastNC
A town of 893.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Badagnani (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
893
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$105K
Census ACS
Household income
$35K
median
Median age
37.7
years
Jobs based here
155
A commuter town
Is Toast a good place to live?
Only 2 of the 291 North Carolina towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Toast. Toast has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
893 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Mount AiryToast
Getting set up
Moving to Toast: who provides what
Toast is unincorporated, so Surry County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSurry-Yadkin Elec Member17.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Mount Airy water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSurry CountySurry 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 hereSurry County Board of ElectionsSurry County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP code2703027030 100%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 Toast.
Schools
The schools Toast’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Surry County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 473 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
The median household income in Toast is lower than in most of North Carolina or the rest of the country
Toast’s median household income is $35,000, below both North Carolina’s towns ($69,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). 14% of Toast residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Toast fell to 155 in 2023, 99 fewer than in 2013.
1%work in town
| Toast | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $35,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.7% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 13% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Toast1%
Mount Airy28%
Winston-Salem10%
Dobson6%
Charlotte4%
13 mi
median commute distance
155
jobs based in Toast
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Toast
Toast has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Toast’s July high is 87°F, against 89°F in North Carolina’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns.
8″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–50°
Spring44–69°
Summer63–86°
Fall46–70°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A larger share of adults in Toast report frequent physical distress than in the typical North Carolina or U.S. town
19% of adults report frequent physical distress in Toast. Toast beats the North Carolina average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 23. 30% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Toast.
| Toast | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 19% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 12% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
1 better8 too close to call23 worse
| What stands out | Toast | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.6% | 76.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 13.8% | 7.1% |
Northern Regional Hospital
1.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Moderate risk in Toast, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 24 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Toast.
44risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
24
paid flood claims since 1980
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
$234Kmedian sale price
| Toast | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $847 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 67% | 73% |
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 29 attractions →Blue Ridge Parkway and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Toast. Close and well known come first.
10 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
14 mi MountainPilot Mountain
33 mi Stadium & arenaAllegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium
36 mi MuseumOld Salem
22 mi State parkHanging Rock State Park
32 mi MuseumReynolda House Museum of American ArtSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Pilot Mountain: Berean Hunter, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium: BobHWS, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Old Salem: David Bjorgen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hanging Rock State Park: Jacalyn Engler from Greensboro, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Reynolda House Museum of American Art: Zsrarticle, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Toast
16pages on Toast
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Toast
About 0 of every 100 Toast residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Toast for work
Where Toast’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
155jobs based in Toast
1%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Toast
Census-designated place in North Carolina, United States
Toast is a census-designated place (CDP) in Surry County, North Carolina, United States, just west of Mount Airy. As of the 2020 census, Toast had a population of 1,423. A post office called Toast has been in operation since 1929. The name "Toast" was supplied by the Post Office Department. E. P. McLeod, the school principal, supposedly came up with the name while buying groceries at Hutchens Store one evening in 1927.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,063 ft
- ZIP code
- 27049
Questions about Toast
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Toast, NC a good place to live?
Toast has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.