Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Wadesboro grades D− overall, 257th of 286 graded towns in North Carolina, mostly because of safety and incomes. Its police reported 102 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 100% of U.S. towns. The median household income is $43K, and 27% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: a typical home costs about $130K, 1.6 years of the Charlotte metro’s $83K median household income. 27% of residents live below the poverty line in Wadesboro, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 15 of North Carolina’s 451 towns score higher on hazard risk. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 95% of the country.
Where Wadesboro beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 460 in 1850, 5,008 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1783 and 3 maps from 1956 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Wadesboro is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wadesboro, 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 Wadesboro.
Wadesboro trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it reports violent crime at 6 times the North Carolina rate.
Violent crime runs at 20.6 per 1,000 residents, 6 times the North Carolina rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D−. Property crime runs at 55.5 per 1,000 residents, 3 times the North Carolina rate.
Wadesboro’s violent crime rate is 20.6 per 1,000 residents. Only 5 of the 153 North Carolina towns we compare have a higher property crime rate than Wadesboro. Wadesboro reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 100% report less.
| Wadesboro | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 20.6 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 55.5 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Anson County Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Anson High School, with 705 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wadesboro PrimaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–3 | Grades K–3 | 295 | D− |
| Anson High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 705 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Homes are within reach (about $130K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 28 miles. At 1.6 years of the Charlotte metro’s $83K median household income, the typical home (about $130K) costs less against local pay than in 99% of North Carolina towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living.
The typical Wadesboro home is worth about $130,000, down 2.8% in a year, 61% below the North Carolina typical home. The median rent in Wadesboro is $906 a month.
| Wadesboro | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $906 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 63% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 3,245 U.S. towns with household incomes like Wadesboro’s, it is less healthy than 76%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
50% of Wadesboro adults have high blood pressure. Wadesboro beats the North Carolina average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 21. 19% of Wadesboro adults have diabetes.
| Wadesboro | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 38% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Wadesboro | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.5% | 14.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.6% | 76.7% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 16.6% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 80% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Wadesboro since 2010.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Wadesboro has mild winters and warm summers. Only 8 of the 290 North Carolina towns we compare have a higher July high than Wadesboro.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Wadesboro for work: only 18% work in town. Jobs based in Wadesboro fell to 2,697 in 2023, 352 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Charlotte (13%), Monroe (11%) and Polkton (2%).
| Wadesboro | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $43,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1 within 15 miles of the center of Wadesboro
About 1 of every 100 Wadesboro residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
5,813 counted in 2010 and 5,008 in 2020; an estimated 5,035 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
4 places in Wadesboro on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Wadesboro.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Wadesboro is a town in and the county seat of Anson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,008 at the 2020 census. The town was originally found in 1783 as New Town but changed by the North Carolina General Assembly to Wadesboro in 1787 to honor Colonel Thomas Wade, a native son, state legislator, and Revolutionary War commander of the Anson County Regiment.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Wadesboro grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #257 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades D for health, D− for safety and C− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
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 A−.
13 notable people were born here, including Blind Boy Fuller and Junkyard Dog.
