Scores by category

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

Safety4#15,002/15,637
Economy25#11,652/15,631
Housing56#6,607/14,977
Health11#13,841/15,609
Healthcare22#12,151/15,650
Environment56#6,862/15,453
Education4#15,032/15,649
Infrastructure5#14,798/15,650
Community68#4,933/15,651
Leisure & amenities34#10,276/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Spring Hope, North Carolina ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Nash 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

Social associations · high12.5 /10k
80/100North Carolina 11.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNash County value
Unemployment rate · low2.3%
80/100North Carolina 3.8%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025High uncertainty
Distance to an Amtrak station · low8 mi
80/100North Carolina 23 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauNash County value
Hospital quality rating · high4.0
80/100North Carolina 3.3United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesNash County value
Voter turnout · high72.4%
77/100North Carolina 72.9%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionNash County value
Child care cost burden · low24.6%
76/100North Carolina 25.1%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNash County value

Weaknesses

Drought exposure · high100%
1/100North Carolina 79%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAANash County value
Homicide rate · high14.5 /100k
3/100North Carolina 6.9 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataNash County value
Bachelor's degree or higher · low8.7%
5/100North Carolina 35.7%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Median household income · low$38,393
5/100North Carolina $74,055United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Job growth · low-3.3%
6/100North Carolina 0.8%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataNash County value
Broadband subscriptions · low79.5%
6/100North Carolina 90.1%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
1,687 (2015-2019) → 1,387 (2020-2024)
−18%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
62.6% (2015-2019) → 79.5% (2020-2024)
+17 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Unemployment rateImproving
11.2% (2015-2019) → 2.3% (2020-2024)
−8.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
22.2% (2015-2019) → 14.5% (2020-2024)
−7.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
15.8% (2015-2019) → 8.7% (2020-2024)
−7.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.2× (2015-2019) → 4.2× (2020-2024)
+33%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

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, Spring Hope, North Carolina improved on 1 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 11 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.

Improved1

Broadband+17 points62.6% → 79.5%

Declined1

Bachelor's+−7.1 points15.8% → 8.7%

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Spring Hope, North Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	28.7 min2015-2019	29.8 min2020-2024	+1.1 min	Within the margin of error	35%
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.8%2015-2019	8.7%2020-2024	−7.1 points	Declined	4%
Broadband subscriptions	62.6%2015-2019	79.5%2020-2024	+17 points	Improved	85%
Effective property tax rate	0.86%2015-2019	0.65%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	61%
High school diploma or higher	77.3%2015-2019	77.9%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Home price to income ratio	3.2×2015-2019	4.2×2020-2024	+1.0×	Within the margin of error	21%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4272015-2019	0.4892020-2024	+0.063	Within the margin of error	12%
Median household income	$32,0172015-2019	$38,3932020-2024	+20%	Within the margin of error	33%
Poverty rate	17.1%2015-2019	11.1%2020-2024	−6.1 points	Within the margin of error	84%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	30.5%2015-2019	28.8%2020-2024	−1.7 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Rent-burdened households	51.8%2015-2019	46.5%2020-2024	−5.3 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	22.2%2015-2019	14.5%2020-2024	−7.7 points	Within the margin of error	93%

“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 Spring Hope, North Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Spring Hope, 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, Spring Hope, North Carolina itself moved −2.4 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

1,387 residents (±282)

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: 10–19 women (−7.0 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

1,387 residents (±282)

Spring Hope, North Carolina
North Carolina share

White43%†602
Black42%†588
Hispanic or Latino12%†160
Asian0.0%0
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races2.7%†37

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 B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

1,126 residents (±220)

Spring Hope, North Carolina
North Carolina share

No high school diploma22%†249
High school or GED36%404
Some college22%†243
Associate degree12%†132
Bachelor's degree3.8%†43
Graduate degree4.9%†55

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Bachelor's degree (−8.4 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 B15003View 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.

Income

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

Household income

659 households (±111)

Spring Hope, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $25k33%†219
$25k–50k28%†185
$50k–75k14%†92
$75k–100k3.3%†22
$100k–150k14%†90
$150k–200k3.3%†22
$200k or more4.4%†29

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+4.0 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 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

659 households (±111)

Spring Hope, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Own52%344
Rent48%315

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+15.0 points).

Table view

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

Rent paid

302 households (±74)

Spring Hope, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $75049%†148
$750–1,00021%†62
$1,000–1,50023%†

Home values

344 homes (±91)

Spring Hope, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $150k42%†143
$150k–250k41%†141
$250k–400k4.4%†15

Age of homes

724 homes (±115)

Spring Hope, North Carolina
North Carolina share

2010 or later4.7%†34
2000–200910%†76
1980–199924%†

Size of homes

724 homes (±115)

Spring Hope, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Studio3.0%†22
1 bedroom12%†90
2 bedrooms27%†193

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

621 workers (±181)

Spring Hope, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Drive alone73%452
Carpool14%†84
Public transit0.0%0
Walk4.7%†29
Bike0.0%0
Work from home9.0%†56
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

565 workers (±171)

Spring Hope, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under 15 min18%†100
15–29 min29%†166
30–44 min35%†196

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

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Rocky Mount, NC

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 Nash County, the county holding most of Spring Hope's residents.

Nash County has 2,114 employer establishments, 217 for every 10,000 residents (0.87× the US rate of 248; 0.91× North Carolina's), with 38,350 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,656. The Census Bureau also counts 7,165 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,114; 7,165 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 217; US 248 · North Carolina 237
Paid employees: 38,350
Average annual pay: $48,656; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	159	16.3	0.89×About typical	3,707	$18,593	34
Ambulatory health care services	144	14.8	0.71×Fewer than typical	1,859	$60,602	284
Specialty trade contractors	134	13.8	0.89×About typical	1,493	$58,509	596
Religious organizations	100	10.3	1.85×More than typical	560	$23,600	—
Limited-service restaurants	78	8	1.00×About typical	2,032	$18,799	8
Lessors of real estate	74	7.6	0.62×Fewer than typical	233	$39,717	679
Building equipment contractors	70	7.2	1.20×About typical	903	$60,615	125
Services to buildings and dwellings	67	6.9	1.02×About typical	471	$28,932	681
Full-service restaurants	64	6.6	0.86×About typical	1,421	$18,757	13
Construction of buildings	63	6.5	0.86×About typical	406	$68,030	209
Gasoline stations	62	6.4	1.97×More than typical	468	$23,656	3
Clothing and accessories stores	49	5	1.39×More than typical	437	$18,574	92

Rank places for an industry Open Nash County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 97,319 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 $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Spring Hope, North Carolina: $0 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,995
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; 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

Spending by fiscal year

0FY2017
503.9FY2021
654.1FY2022

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 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 Spring Hope, North Carolina, so they do not add up across cities.

Spring Hope, North Carolina's figures are part of those of Nash County, NC ($25.2M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

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

See federal money in Nash 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.

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

House

Donald G. DavisD-NC-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 70%Missed 1.8%

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.

Nash County38100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Rocky Mount, NC24

Other cities and towns in Nash County

Largest first.

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/3764160