Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Tryon’s best subject grades are an A for the outdoors and history; its weakest is a D for incomes. 13% of the land in Tryon is conserved, above both North Carolina’s towns (3.4%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Its National Register listings include Blockhouse Site and Blackberry Hill. On the outdoors, just 10 of North Carolina’s 451 towns do better. Tryon has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Tryon beats most towns.
Census counts: 324 in 1900, a peak of 2,223 in 1960, 1,562 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 2 maps from 1968 on.
16 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Tryon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Tryon, 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 Tryon.
Its one school is below. Enrollment at Tryon’s public school: 367 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tryon Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 367 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
In Tryon, the peak summer temperature is 89°F, against 89°F in North Carolina’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Count the trails in 3 parks and preserves and they come to 1.6 miles. The biggest park or preserve is Harmon Field, at 41 acres. Tryon’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Harmon Field | 0.7 mi | 41 |
| 2. Woodland Park | — | 17 |
| 3. Rogers Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The median commute is under 25 miles. Tryon: 22% of residents live below the poverty line. For most workers, Tryon is a place to come home to: only 9% work in town. Its middle household income is $58,000.
| Tryon | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.2% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The share of adults in Tryon who feel lonely: 28%. The town beats the North Carolina average on 14 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. In Tryon, 46% of adults have high blood pressure, and 28% sleep under 7 hours.
| Tryon | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 38% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 34% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 85% | 80% | 79% |
| What stands out | Tryon | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.6% | 12.2% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.3% | 8.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 14.1% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The violent crime rate for Tryon comes to 1.2 per 1,000 residents. The property crime rate for Tryon comes to 9.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Tryon | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9.2 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The median rent in Tryon is $1,288 a month. In the year to September 2026, typical home values slipped 2.8%. 56% of households live in a home they own in the town.
| Tryon | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,288 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Compared with 50% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Tryon is higher. Federal aid has come to Tryon households in 4 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024. FEMA puts 56% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 12% to tornadoes. Also worth knowing: 6 flood insurance claims have been paid locally since 2014.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Tryon. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi MountainMount Mitchell
27 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
33 mi National forestPisgah National Forest
16 mi State parkChimney Rock State Park
32 mi LandmarkPeachoid
26 mi Stadium & arenaBon Secours Wellness ArenaMount Mitchell: Unknown, Public domain · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Pisgah National Forest: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Chimney Rock State Park: Jmturner, Public domain · Peachoid: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Bon Secours Wellness Arena: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Tryon
About 5 of every 100 Tryon residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina.
16 places in Tryon on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Tryon.
Town in Polk County, North Carolina, United States
Tryon is a town in Polk County, on the southwestern border of North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,562. Located in the escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, today the area is affluent and a center for outdoor pursuits, equestrian activity, and fine arts. Tryon Peak and the Town of Tryon are named for William Tryon, Governor of North Carolina from 1765 to 1771. He was honored for his negotiation with the Cherokee for a treaty during a period of conflict following the French and Indian War.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes. That is 4.9 years of the area's median household income ($67,758 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
4 notable people were born here, including Nina Simone and Crystal R. Fox.
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