Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety53#7,415/15,637
Economy28#11,292/15,631
Housing76#3,646/14,977
Health17#12,910/15,609
Healthcare30#11,026/15,650
Environment97#391/15,453
Education45#8,606/15,649
Infrastructure15#13,369/15,650
Community97#398/15,651
Leisure & amenities96#615/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Franklin, North Carolina ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Macon County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Access to exercise opportunities · high100.0%
100/100North Carolina 78.0%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMacon County value
Hot days · low0 days
100/100North Carolina 32 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationMacon County value
Social associations · high16.4 /10k
94/100North Carolina 11.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMacon County value
Grocery stores · high2.8 /10k
93/100North Carolina 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMacon County value
Restaurants and bars · high13.5 /10k
92/100North Carolina 8.8 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMacon County value
Median Air Quality Index · low32
92/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyMacon County value

Weaknesses

Primary care shortage · high19.0
3/100North Carolina 9.9United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationMacon County value
Injury deaths · high144 /100k
5/100North Carolina 97 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMacon County value
Broadband subscriptions · low82.5%
7/100North Carolina 90.1%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Suicide rate · high26.0 /100k
7/100North Carolina 14.7 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionMacon County value
Average weekly wage · low$928
8/100North Carolina $1,376United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMacon County value
Hospital quality rating · low2.0
9/100North Carolina 3.3United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesMacon County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
3,980 (2015-2019) → 4,268 (2020-2024)
+7.2%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
39.3% (2015-2019) → 18.7% (2020-2024)
−21 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
28.9% (2015-2019) → 17.2% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Poverty rateImproving
23.7% (2015-2019) → 12.7% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
71.9% (2015-2019) → 82.5% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
42.3% (2015-2019) → 35.6% (2020-2024)
−6.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Franklin, North Carolina improved on 4 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved4

Uninsured−12 points28.9% → 17.2%
Poverty−11 points23.7% → 12.7%
Broadband+11 points71.9% → 82.5%
Household income+33%$36,134 → $47,888

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Franklin, North Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	20.9 min2015-2019	23.1 min2020-2024	+2.2 min	Within the margin of error	25%
Bachelor's degree or higher	25.1%2015-2019	25.6%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Broadband subscriptions	71.9%2015-2019	82.5%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	63%
Effective property tax rate	0.64%2015-2019	0.61%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	21%
High school diploma or higher	80.4%2015-2019	85.4%2020-2024	+5 points	Within the margin of error	82%
Home price to income ratio	3.9×2015-2019	4.1×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	67%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4472015-2019	0.4542020-2024	+0.007	Within the margin of error	44%
Median household income	$36,1342015-2019	$47,8882020-2024	+33%	Improved	61%
Poverty rate	23.7%2015-2019	12.7%2020-2024	−11 points	Improved	94%
Rent as share of income	27.2%2015-2019	24.4%2020-2024	−2.8 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Rent-burdened households	42.3%2015-2019	35.6%2020-2024	−6.7 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	28.9%2015-2019	17.2%2020-2024	−12 points	Improved	97%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Franklin, North Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Franklin, North Carolina in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Franklin, North Carolina itself moved +1.6 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

4,268 residents (±26)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 women (+5.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

4,268 residents (±26)

Franklin, North Carolina
North Carolina share

White80%3,397
Black4.2%†178
Hispanic or Latino9.0%†386

Education

3,278 residents (±276)

Franklin, North Carolina
North Carolina share

No high school diploma15%†479
High school or GED24%777
Some college23%767

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

2,284 households (±251)

Franklin, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $25k23%†530
$25k–50k32%721
$50k–75k18%†420
$75k–100k8.4%†191
$100k–150k13%†306
$150k–200k3.5%†80
$200k or more1.6%†36

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $100k–150k (+6.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

2,284 households (±251)

Franklin, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Own58%1,329
Rent42%955

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

926 households (±247)

Franklin, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $75056%†514
$750–1,00018%†171
$1,000–1,50023%†

Home values

1,329 homes (±215)

Franklin, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $150k27%†354
$150k–250k41%†544
$250k–400k21%†285

Age of homes

2,527 homes (±263)

Franklin, North Carolina
North Carolina share

2010 or later5.5%†140
2000–200911%†267
1980–199936%921

Size of homes

2,527 homes (±263)

Franklin, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Studio7.4%†186
1 bedroom9.0%†227
2 bedrooms33%826

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,946 workers (±264)

Franklin, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Drive alone85%1,657
Carpool9.1%†177
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.8%†15
Bike0.0%0
Work from home5.0%†97
Other0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

1,849 workers (±264)

Franklin, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under 15 min52%954
15–29 min10.0%†184
30–44 min15%†276

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Macon County, the county holding most of Franklin's residents.

Macon County has 1,282 employer establishments, 334 for every 10,000 residents (1.34× the US rate of 248; 1.40× North Carolina's), with 10,736 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,269. The Census Bureau also counts 3,799 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,282; 3,799 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 334; US 248 · North Carolina 237
Paid employees: 10,736
Average annual pay: $43,269; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Macon County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	140	36.4	2.35×More than typical	648	$47,142	452
Restaurants and other eating places	99	25.8	1.40×More than typical	1,493	$27,561	20
Construction of buildings	80	20.8	2.75×More than typical	328	$48,875	306
Ambulatory health care services	79	20.6	0.99×About typical	714	$47,557	116
Lessors of real estate	76	19.8	1.61×More than typical	129	$45,318	483
Building equipment contractors	57	14.8	2.46×More than typical	297	$50,300	76
Full-service restaurants	57	14.8	1.93×More than typical	803	$32,420	10
Religious organizations	49	12.7	2.30×More than typical	272	$24,688	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	45	11.7	1.74×More than typical	232	$40,457	396
Real estate agents and brokers	44	11.4	2.35×More than typical	59	$67,983	154
Clothing and accessories stores	39	10.1	2.80×More than typical	145	$42,324	37
Offices of physicians	36	9.4	1.45×More than typical	409	$45,861	19

Rank places for an industry Open Macon County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 38,433 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $22.8K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Franklin, North Carolina: $5.33 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $22.8K; −79% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5.33; US $1,994
Sole-source: 8.1%; US 30%
Single offer: 22%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

ACI FEDERAL INC$3,95017%
US FOODS INC$3,86417%
PAWPAW AND SONS LLC$2,0208.9%
PROJECT SOLUTIONS, INC.$1,9768.7%
XENTITY CORPORATION$1,8087.9%
OSTEEN & LEMMONS ELECTRICAL & MECHANICAL SERVICES, INC

Spending by fiscal year

29.6KFY2017
30.7KFY2018
20.7KFY2019
62.1KFY2020
38KFY2021
58KFY2022
70.9KFY2023
60.8K

Top industries (NAICS)

Employment services · 5613$4,54420%
Other food manufacturing · 3119$3,86417%
Support activities for forestry · 1153$3,65216%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$3,61216%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$1,9768.7%
Building equipment contractors · 2382

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Franklin, North Carolina, so they do not add up across cities.

Franklin, North Carolina's figures are part of those of Macon County, NC ($3.2M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.7% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Franklin is mostly in Macon County.

See federal money in Macon County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Franklin, North Carolina is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Chuck EdwardsR-NC-11 · 100% of residentsWith party 96%Missed 1.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Macon County67100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Macon County

Largest first.

Highlands781,074

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3724640

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends