Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.
Place dossier plate
SheetNC-PLYMOUTH-NC · Plymouth, NC 3,264 pop · income 3rd pct · 4 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Plymouth
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Plymouth on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Monte Grande… · lowest
27,417
Monte Grande… · lowest
27,417 median HH income
17.5% of the leader · rank #1
Plymouth · this city
30,462
Plymouth · this city
30,462 median HH income
19.5% of the leader · rank #2
Easton · near
30,469
Easton · near
30,469 median HH income
19.5% of the leader · rank #3
Austin · near
30,473
Austin · near
30,473 median HH income
19.5% of the leader · rank #4
Great Falls · near
30,475
Great Falls · near
30,475 median HH income
19.5% of the leader · rank #5
San Luis · near
30,481
San Luis · near
30,481 median HH income
19.5% of the leader · rank #6
Sierra Ridge · highest
156,456
Sierra Ridge · highest
156,456 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Plymouth on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 3,264.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Plymouth - the verdict
Nationally, Plymouth sits in the 3rd percentile for household income and the 3rd percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
3rd
percentile, household income
4th
percentile, home value
48th
percentile, median rent
3rd
percentile, safety
📝 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: Plymouth, NC
Plymouth is a small town in North Carolina, home to 3,264 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Plymouth brings in $30,462 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 26.2%. Plymouth's housing stock carries a median value of $83,900, and the median resident age is 54.1 years. 5.9% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 33.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Plymouth's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 5364.5 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 62.1°F with 54.6 inches of precipitation per year and 1.4 inches of snowfall.
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). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,161 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts North Carolina's average monthly utility costs around $215 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 66.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Plymouth's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from climate and hazard context to within-city variation to work and mobility to housing and income to population change to reported crime to comparison shortlist to schools and households; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Plymouth, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, annual population history, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles.
No matched row is reported here for local building permits; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What physical conditions frame life in Plymouth?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 62.1°F, with 54.6 inches of precipitation and 1.4 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for North Carolina is 66.7 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
What does the journey to work look like in Plymouth?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 78.1%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Which cities make useful reference points for Plymouth?
Within North Carolina, the closest population matches are Burgaw (3,249 residents, $65,514 income); Mineral Springs (3,244 residents, $88,203 income); Elizabethtown (3,294 residents, $32,577 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Sierra Ridge, CO (3,264 residents); Magnolia, MS (3,264 residents); Monte Grande comunidad, PR (3,264 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Plymouth?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 26.2%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
Household income
$30,462
Home value
$83,900
Value / income
2.8×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Is Plymouth growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -138 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -4.2% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
-4.2%
2025 estimate
3,170
2020 estimate
3,308
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Plymouth?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 5364.5 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 135% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
3502.7
Violent rate
1861.8
Total reported rate
5364.5
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 5.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
Matched public schools
1
Bachelor's degree+
5.9%
Poverty estimate
26.2%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Lowest-decile income · poverty 26.2% (Highest-decile poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.3 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average
F
City profile score · Plymouth, NC
14/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living B-
94.3 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate F
26.2%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income F
$30,462
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share F
5.9%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime F
1,862 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Plymouth profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 67/100 (B-) · 94.3 index
Poverty rate: 5/100 (F) · 26.2%
Household income: 0/100 (F) · $30,462
Bachelor's+ share: 0/100 (F) · 5.9%
Violent crime: 0/100 (F) · 1,862 /100k
Where Plymouth sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Plymouth's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Plymouth highlighted among 23 peers.Read the chart values
Plymouth, NC (this city): home $83,900, crime 5,365/100k
Boscobel, WI : home $130,700, crime 627/100k
Burgaw, NC : home $207,400, crime 1,644/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does Plymouth compare to other US cities?
Where Plymouth sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income3% higher than other cities
Home value4% pricier than other cities
Median rent48% pricier than other cities
Safety3% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at North Carolina, Plymouth ranks #177 of 195 North Carolina cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Plymouth against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to North Carolina only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
North Carolina-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Plymouth near the bottom of North Carolina's cities
Among the 746 North Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Plymouth ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Plymouth only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#662 of 700
5th percentile in North Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 746
0th percentile in North Carolina
Median Home Value
#670 of 708
5th percentile in North Carolina
Poverty Rate
#85 of 746
89th percentile in North Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#693 of 746
7th percentile in North Carolina
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within North Carolina only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
3rd percentile nationally for median household income · 3rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Plymouth's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Plymouth's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Plymouth's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$83,900Among the most affordablemore affordable than 96% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Plymouth's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.8×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#5,327 of 15,516
More affordable than 66% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#4,641 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.8×, Plymouth sits in the affordable band:
national rank #5,327 of 15,516 and #4,641 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$30,462Plymouth, NC median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Plymouth, NC median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Plymouth, NC.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)5.9%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)26.2%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)33.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
3,264
Median Income
$30,462
Median Home Value
$83,900
Median Age
54.1
Poverty Rate
26.2%
Labor force participation
33.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
5.9%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
5364.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
1861.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3502.7
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
62.1°F
Annual Precipitation
54.6"
Annual Snowfall
1.4"
Schools
Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Plymouth's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
3,308 residents
2021
3,273 residents
2022
3,228 residents
2023
3,209 residents
2024
3,180 residents
2025
3,170 residents
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
78.1%
Carpool
14.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.7%
Work from Home
2.1%
Other
4.1%
Based on 919 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
North Carolina statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $215
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across North Carolina at $215 (electricity about $115 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are North Carolina statewide averages, not a meter reading for Plymouth. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
North Carolina's BEA cost-of-living index is 94.3 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Plymouth is $1,161/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to North Carolina statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 66.7 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a North Carolina statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Plymouth sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Plymouth compares to similar-size North Carolina cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.