City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Mills River, NC

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Mills River - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

7,214
Residents
$88,359
Median income
$358,500
Median home
$1,567
Median rent (state)

Mills River - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Mills River places in the 69th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

69th
percentile, household income
73rd
percentile, home value
62nd
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Mills River, NC

Mills River is a small town in North Carolina, home to 7,214 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Mills River brings in $88,359 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 0.8%. Typical homes in Mills River are valued around $358,500, and the median resident age is 46.6 years. Educational attainment runs 41.3% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 58.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 2 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.

Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts North Carolina at 94.3 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,567 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in North Carolina run around $215, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 83.8 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (High).

Population

7,214 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$88,359 /yr

Poverty 0.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does Mills River compare to other US cities?

Where Mills River sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 69% higher than other cities
Home value 73% pricier than other cities
Median rent 62% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Mills River's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in North Carolina, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

69thIncome percentile

69th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Mills River's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$358,500 27th percentile more affordable than 27% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Mills River $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Mills River, NC Mills River, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Mills River, NC-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Mills River, NC median $88,359/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Mills River, NC's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Mills River, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 41.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 58.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
7,214
Median Income
$88,359
Median Home Value
$358,500
Median Age
46.6
Poverty Rate
0.8%
Labor force participation
58.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
41.3%

Schools

Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
7,000 residents7,200 residents7,400 residents7,600 residents 202020212022202320242025 7,133 residents 7,504 residents ▲ +5.2%
Mills River's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
79.8%
Carpool
8.4%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.2%
Work from Home
9.9%
Other
1.7%

Based on 3,372 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for North Carolina - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$215
estimated/month

Estimates reflect North Carolina state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a North Carolina state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Mills River sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,567/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
83.8 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Carolina

Cullowhee
7,300 people
Porters Neck
7,102 people
King
7,345 people
Trinity
7,066 people
Forest City
7,368 people
St. James
6,901 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Mills River's 7,214 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

North Vernon, IN
7,214 people
Souderton, PA
7,215 people
Jasper, TX
7,215 people
La Junta, CO
7,211 people
Lake Lorraine, FL
7,210 people
Seaside, OR
7,210 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Mills River's $88,359 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Santa Ana, CA
$88,354 median income
Grafton, OH
$88,352 median income
Watford City, ND
$88,351 median income
Montgomery, NY
$88,348 median income
Bethel, CT
$88,344 median income
Snellville, GA
$88,378 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Mills River, NC Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Mills River, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 86.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4.3% White 86.0% Black or African American 3.0% Asian 5.1% American Indian 0.5% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.1% Two or more races 4.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Mills River compares to nearby North Carolina cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Mills River (this city) 7,214 $88,359
Cullowhee 7,300 $35,076
Porters Neck 7,102 $115,417
King 7,345 $60,451
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Mills River, NC?

What is the population of Mills River, NC? +

Mills River, NC has a population of 7,214 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Mills River, NC? +

In Mills River, the typical household earns $88,359 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Mills River? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Mills River; the closest available measure is the North Carolina state average, a cost of living index of 94.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within North Carolina vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Mills River, NC? +

Mills River's median home value sits at $358,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.