Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Wilkesboro grades C− overall, ranked 209th of 286 in North Carolina, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It has 8 miles of trail and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 80% of U.S. towns. On the other side, it reports more crime per resident than 93% of U.S. towns, including 14 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Wilkesboro’s property crime rate is 45.2 per 1,000 residents, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 21.8 and U.S. towns at 9.9. Wilkesboro has 13 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Old Wilkes County Jail and Robert Cleveland Log House.
Where Wilkesboro beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Old Wilkes County Jail
Census counts: 200 in 1880, 3,687 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1857 and 4 maps from 1889 on.
13 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Wilkesboro is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wilkesboro, 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 Wilkesboro.
Wilkesboro draws workers from North Wilkesboro and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has milder winter nights than most of the country, though not than most of North Carolina.
8.3 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The trail density in Wilkesboro is 1.3 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Lowe's Park at River's Edge, at 62 acres.
| Wilkesboro | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.3 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.9% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cub Creek Park | 1.2 mi | 22 |
| 2. Lowe's Park at River's Edge | 0.1 mi | 62 |
| 3. Westwood Park | — | 21 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Wilkes County Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkesboro Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 405 | B |
| Wilkes Early College High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 265 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
9,050 jobs are based in Wilkesboro, 6.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 18.9 minutes, against 25.1 across North Carolina.
About one in 3 of Wilkesboro’s working residents works in town. 23% of Wilkesboro residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Wilkesboro fell to 9,050 in 2023, 1,039 fewer than in 2013.
| Wilkesboro | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 31% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $41,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Property crime runs at 45.2 per 1,000 residents, about twice the North Carolina rate, most of it theft.
Wilkesboro’s violent crime rate is 3.9 per 1,000 residents. Wilkesboro reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 93% report less. Within North Carolina, it does better than 27% of towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 1987, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Wilkesboro.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
January nights average 27.9°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 87% of North Carolina places with climate records; July afternoons average 87.7°.
Wilkesboro has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. About 8 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Wilkesboro | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 28°F | 31°F | 22°F |
| July high | 88°F | 89°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Wilkesboro home is worth about $269,000, up 3.8% in a year, 19% below the North Carolina typical home. 48% of households own their home in Wilkesboro.
| Wilkesboro | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $764 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 2,642 U.S. towns with household incomes like Wilkesboro’s, it is healthier than 93%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Wilkesboro beats the North Carolina average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6.
| Wilkesboro | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 10% | 8.1% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 34% | 36% |
| What stands out | Wilkesboro | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.9% | 76.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Wilkesboro
About 3 of every 100 Wilkesboro residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
7.9% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
13 places in Wilkesboro on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Wilkesboro.
Town in North Carolina, Wilkes
Wilkesboro is a town in and the county seat of Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,687 at the 2020 census. The town is located along the south bank of the Yadkin River, directly opposite the town of North Wilkesboro.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Wilkesboro.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkesboro | #209 | C− | C | D | B+ | B− |
| Moravian Falls | — | — | C+ | — | B+ | B |
| Cricket | — | — | B+ | — | B+ | D |
| North Wilkesboro | #187 | C− | B− | C− | B+ | C |
Moravian Falls and Cricket have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Moravian Falls and Cricket report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Wilkesboro with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Wilkesboro grades C− overall, better than 16% of U.S. towns and #209 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades B− for health, D for safety and B+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Within North Carolina, it does better than 27% of towns.
That is 5.2 years of the area's median household income ($51,721 across the North Wilkesboro, NC area). 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 Richard N. Hackett and Jim Hamby.
