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North Carolina›Haywood County
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West CantonNC

Home to 1,412 people, this town lies in North Carolina.

Population
1,412
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$197K
Census ACS
Household income
$34K
median
Median age
42.9
years
Jobs based here
48
A commuter town

Is West Canton a good place to live?

West Canton’s best subject grade is an A− for schools; its weakest is a D for walkability. Among 291 North Carolina towns, just 3 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than West Canton. West Canton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.

StrongestA−SchoolsWeakestDWalkabilityC−Hazard risk
Small town

1,412 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Canton · 1 miClyde · 3 miWaynesville · 8 miMaggie Valley · 11 miWoodfin · 17 miAsheville · 18 mi
CantonCantonWest Canton

How West Canton grades

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

How grading works

WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.6 of 20; 4.3% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listC−Open →SchoolsBeat 78% of North Carolina districts on tests and graduationA−Open →Jobs & income$34K median household income; 48 jobs based hereCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $197K, 3.2 years of the Waynesville area’s $62K median household incomeCOpen →HealthHaywood Regional Medical Center 4.4 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →HistoryBased on listed places, the town’s age and notable peopleCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Who lives hereMedian age 42.9; 15% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to West Canton: who provides what

West Canton is unincorporated, so Haywood County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerHaywood Electric Member16.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Canton water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesHaywood CountyHaywood County provides services here
SchoolsHaywood 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 hereHaywood County Board of ElectionsHaywood County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2019
ZIP codes28716, 2872128716 78% · 28721 22%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 West Canton.

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C

With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of West Canton’s workers commute out

Among residents in West Canton, 7.9% live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Asheville (20%), Canton (12%) and Waynesville (11%). Half the trips to work are shorter than 17 miles.

0%work in town
West CantonNorth Carolina townsU.S. towns
Below the poverty line7.9%13%9.6%
Average trip to work24 minutes24 minutes25 minutes

Where working residents work

In West Canton0%
Asheville20%
Canton12%
Waynesville11%
Hendersonville3%
17 mi
median commute distance
48
jobs based in West Canton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 11% of U.S. towns
Full pageWest Canton’s work & commute pageOpen the page
The jobs here48 jobs based here · A commuter townWhere people work0% work in West CantonCommute times24 minutes · The average commuteHow far they goHalf commute less than 17 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−

West Canton has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding

In West Canton, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 76 of 100, above both North Carolina’s towns (47 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100). FEMA puts 63% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 22% to cold waves.

76risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
76High riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingCold waves
Full pageWest Canton’s hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesHigh riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters18 disaster declarations · Declared for the countyGet ready1.1 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

In West Canton, a typical July afternoon runs cooler than in the typical North Carolina or U.S. town

Summers in West Canton are pleasant, and winters chilly. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 25° and about 10 inches of snow falls in a winter.

10″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter27–48°
Spring41–66°
Summer59–81°
Fall43–67°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
Full pageWest Canton’s climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 82°, January lows 25°Rain & snow10″ of snow a winter · 47 inches of rain and snow a yearHeating & coolingMostly a heating billThen and now+0.8° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HealthB−

West Canton ranks healthier than 54% of the country’s towns

For adults in West Canton, the share who have been diagnosed with depression is 28%. This North Carolina town beats the North Carolina average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. In West Canton, 16% of adults binge drink, above the North Carolina town median (15%) but below the median of U.S. towns (16%).

54%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
West CantonNorth Carolina townsU.S. towns
Depression (CDC PLACES)28%25%23%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)39%38%35%
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)16%15%16%
Food insecurity (CDC PLACES)12%15%14%
32 measures vs. North Carolina
4 better25 too close to call3 worse
What stands outWest CantonNC
Fewer adults facing housing insecurity9.8%12.2%
Fewer adults facing food insecurity12.3%15.2%
More adults who have had cancer9.8%7.9%
Haywood Regional Medical Center
4.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
Full pageWest Canton’s health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsMore smokersHospitals & doctors nearby4.4 miles to an ER · Haywood Regional Medical CenterHow adults are doingMore adults in frequent physical distressEvery CDC estimateBetter than NC on 4 of 32

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

HousingCost of living grade C

The median home in West Canton sells for about $348K

For West Canton, the median rent is $1,223 a month. In West Canton, 71% of households are owner-occupiers.

$348Kmedian sale price
West CantonNorth Carolina townsU.S. towns
Median rent$1,223 a month$1,085 a month$1,185 a month
Households that own their home71%67%73%
3
homes sold in September
Full pageWest Canton’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page
Prices over the yearsPrices over the yearsYears of income to buyA typical home costs 10.1 years of incomeRents$1,223 a month · Median rentVs. the neighborsBehind its graded neighbor

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Nearby attractions

Great Smoky Mountains National Park and 23 more within 40 miles

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

All 54 attractions →
Big draw11 mi National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park11.5M visitors a year10 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a yearBig draw37 mi MountainMount MitchellBig draw36 mi MountainKuwohi13 mi Theme parkGhost Town in the Sky13 mi National forestPisgah National Forest
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Scott Basford, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Mount Mitchell: Unknown, Public domain · Kuwohi: C. Kenneth Dodd, Jr., Public domain · Pisgah National Forest: Ken Thomas, Public domain

Keep exploring

Everything we know about West Canton

15pages on West Canton
The big questions
SchoolsA−Beat 78% of NC districtsHealthB−Better than NC on 4 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingCWork & commuteC$34K median household income · 48 jobs hereNatural hazardsC−FEMA risk higher than 76% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
PlacesAttractions54 nearby · Blue Ridge Parkway 10 miLibraryCanton Branch LibraryCollegesHaywood Community College is 3.7 mi away
The story
Climate82° summer highs · 10″ of snow
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookTown SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

1 within 15 miles of the center of West Canton

Haywood Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Clyde3.7 mi$2,580 in-state tuition

About 6 of every 100 West Canton residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

100% of working residents leave West Canton for work

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

20% → Asheville Asheville 20% 12% → Canton Canton 12% 11% → Waynesville Waynesville 11% 3% → Hendersonville Hendersonville 3% 2% → Charlotte Charlotte 2% 2% → Maggie Valley Maggie Valley 2% West Canton · 0% stay
48jobs based in West Canton
0%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About West Canton

Census-designated place in North Carolina, United States

West Canton is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Haywood County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, West Canton had a population of 1,265. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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

Area
1.4 sq mi
Elevation
2,746 ft

Questions about West Canton

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is West Canton, NC expensive?

The typical home is worth about $197,000, 41% below the North Carolina typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.