Town · Montgomery County, North Carolina

Star, North Carolina

Star is a town in Montgomery County, North Carolina. It has 1,282 residents. Star, North Carolina has a quality-of-life score of 17 out of 100 (very low), ranking #13,066 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within North Carolina it ranks #378 of 458 cities and towns. It ranks best on time spent in the emergency room (low), mammography screening (high) and public libraries (high). It ranks worst on traffic deaths (high), premature death (high) and bachelor's degree or higher (low).

17Very low

Quality-of-life score: #13,066 of 15,651 cities and towns
North Carolina: #378 of 458 in NC
Population: 1,282 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 992.1 /mi²
FIPS code: 3764580

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

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

Safety15#13,230/15,637
Economy11#13,969/15,631
Housing60#5,976/14,977
Health4#15,024/15,609
Healthcare19#12,733/15,650
Environment64#5,630/15,453
Education9#14,205/15,649
Infrastructure22#12,275/15,650
Community71#4,538/15,651
Leisure & amenities23#12,050/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Time spent in the emergency room · low99 min
96/100North Carolina 189 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesMontgomery County value
Mammography screening · high55.0%
91/100North Carolina 50.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMontgomery County value
Public libraries · high1.9 /10k
90/100North Carolina 0.4 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesMontgomery County value
Days with unhealthy air · low0.0%
84/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyMontgomery County value
Pharmacies · high2.3 /10k
83/100North Carolina 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMontgomery County value
High ozone days · low0 days
76/100North Carolina 1 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyMontgomery County value

Weaknesses

Traffic deaths · high39.2 /100k
3/100North Carolina 15.0 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataMontgomery County value
Premature death · high15,011 /100k
4/100North Carolina 9,400 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMontgomery County value
Bachelor's degree or higher · low8.6%
5/100North Carolina 35.7%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Median household income · low$38,125
5/100North Carolina $74,055United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Injury deaths · high140 /100k
6/100North Carolina 97 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMontgomery County value
Job growth · low-3.2%
6/100North Carolina 0.8%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataMontgomery County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
756 (2015-2019) → 1,282 (2020-2024)
+70%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
49.2% (2015-2019) → 29.5% (2020-2024)
−20 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
24.0% (2015-2019) → 8.8% (2020-2024)
−15 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
20.6% (2015-2019) → 8.6% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.3× (2015-2019) → 3.6× (2020-2024)
+53%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Poverty rateWorsening
12.8% (2015-2019) → 22.7% (2020-2024)
+9.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

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, Star, North Carolina improved on 0 of 10 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 9 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.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined1

Bachelor's+−12 points20.6% → 8.6%

All 10 measures

Change of every measure of Star, North Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.6%2015-2019	8.6%2020-2024	−12 points	Declined	1%
Broadband subscriptions	64.9%2015-2019	64.0%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Effective property tax rate	0.98%2015-2019	0.95%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	21%
High school diploma or higher	75.9%2015-2019	68.2%2020-2024	−7.7 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Home price to income ratio	2.3×2015-2019	3.6×2020-2024	+1.2×	Within the margin of error	15%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4292015-2019	0.3822020-2024	−0.047	Within the margin of error	83%
Median household income	$34,0382015-2019	$38,1252020-2024	+12%	Within the margin of error	19%
Poverty rate	12.8%2015-2019	22.7%2020-2024	+9.9 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent-burdened households	49.2%2015-2019	29.5%2020-2024	−20 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 Star, North Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Star, 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, Star, North Carolina itself moved −1.8 points in standing on average over the same 8 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

1,282 residents (±405)

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 (+20.2 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

1,282 residents (±405)

Star, North Carolina
North Carolina share

White42%†535
Black33%†419
Hispanic or Latino23%†

Education

708 residents (±261)

Star, North Carolina
North Carolina share

No high school diploma32%†225
High school or GED21%†150
Some college28%

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

325 households (±111)

Star, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $25k20%†66
$25k–50k36%†118
$50k–75k19%†62
$75k–100k3.4%†11
$100k–150k17%†54
$150k–200k3.1%†10
$200k or more1.2%†4

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 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

325 households (±111)

Star, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Own47%†154
Rent53%†171

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−27.0 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 B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

149 households (±90)

Star, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $75070%†104
$750–1,00014%†21
$1,000–1,50016%†

Home values

154 homes (±53)

Star, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $150k61%†94
$150k–250k35%†54
$250k–400k1.9%†3

Age of homes

371 homes (±113)

Star, North Carolina
North Carolina share

2010 or later1.1%†4
2000–20095.1%†19
1980–199931%†115

Size of homes

371 homes (±113)

Star, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom3.8%†14
2 bedrooms36%†132

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

339 workers (±143)

Star, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Drive alone85%†289
Carpool7.1%†24
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.4%†8
Bike0.6%†2
Work from home1.5%†5
Other3.2%†11

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

334 workers (±142)

Star, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under 15 min29%†96
15–29 min36%†120
30–44 min29%†

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 Montgomery County, the county holding most of Star's residents.

Montgomery County has 503 employer establishments, 192 for every 10,000 residents (0.77× the US rate of 248; 0.81× North Carolina's), with 7,600 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,021. The Census Bureau also counts 1,821 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 503; 1,821 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 192; US 248 · North Carolina 237
Paid employees: 7,600
Average annual pay: $51,021; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	40	15.3	0.99×About typical	237	$49,105	173
Restaurants and other eating places	37	14.1	0.77×Fewer than typical	479	$15,651	9
Religious organizations	27	10.3	1.86×More than typical	120	$21,000	—
Lessors of real estate	21	8	0.65×Fewer than typical	67	$37,388	162
Ambulatory health care services	20	7.6	0.37×Fewer than typical	281	$61,808	59
Building equipment contractors	20	7.6	1.27×More than typical	130	$45,023	35
Full-service restaurants	19	7.2	0.94×About typical	211	$18,716	5
Automotive repair and maintenance	18	6.9	1.36×More than typical	215	$26,391	45
Construction of buildings	16	6.1	0.81×About typical	179	$100,480	83
Limited-service restaurants	15	5.7	0.71×Fewer than typical	239	$13,715	—
Gasoline stations	14	5.3	1.65×More than typical	141	$25,922	—
Truck transportation	13	5	0.98×About typical	84	$52,321	40

Rank places for an industry Open Montgomery County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 26,227 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 Star, 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

CAROLINA GROWLER INC$00.0%

Spending by fiscal year

419.1KFY2017
11.4KFY2018
221.3KFY2019
802.6KFY2020
385.2KFY2021
-82.2KFY2022
120.6KFY2023
-214.7KFY2024
-260.2KFY2025
0FY2026

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 Star, North Carolina, so they do not add up across cities.

Star, North Carolina's figures are part of those of Montgomery County, NC ($1.9M 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: Star is mostly in Montgomery County.

See federal money in Montgomery 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.

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

House

Mark HarrisR-NC-8 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 0.0%

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.

Montgomery County27100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Montgomery 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/3764580