Scores by category

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

Safety2#15,280/15,637
Economy19#12,724/15,631
Housing30#10,450/14,977
Health8#14,290/15,609
Healthcare5#14,836/15,650
Environment49#7,851/15,453
Education31#10,759/15,649
Infrastructure7#14,624/15,650
Community43#8,916/15,651
Leisure & amenities27#11,459/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Pharmacies · high3.0 /10k
96/100North Carolina 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsColumbus County value
Job growth · high3.3%
95/100North Carolina 0.8%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataColumbus County value
Grocery stores · high3.0 /10k
94/100North Carolina 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsColumbus County value
Comfortable days · high32.4%
88/100North Carolina 30.0%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationColumbus County value
Public libraries · high1.4 /10k
84/100North Carolina 0.4 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesColumbus County value
High ozone days · low0 days
76/100North Carolina 1 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyColumbus County value

Weaknesses

Hospital quality rating · low1.0
1/100North Carolina 3.3United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesColumbus County value
Median household income · low$31,167
2/100North Carolina $74,055United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.551
2/100North Carolina 0.477United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Premature death · high15,738 /100k
3/100North Carolina 9,400 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteColumbus County value
Life expectancy · low70.2 yrs
3/100North Carolina 76.1 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteColumbus County value
Injury deaths · high155 /100k
3/100North Carolina 97 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteColumbus County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
5,386 (2015-2019) → 4,696 (2020-2024)
−13%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
New homes permittedImproving
0.8 /1k (2021) → 4.3 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+414%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Child poverty rateImproving
46.2% (2015-2019) → 10.1% (2020-2024)
−36 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.4× (2015-2019) → 6.0× (2020-2024)
+76%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
73.7% (2015-2019) → 83.9% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Poverty rateImproving
30.1% (2015-2019) → 20.7% (2020-2024)
−9.4 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, Whiteville, 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+10 points73.7% → 83.9%

Declined1

Price / income+2.6×3.4× → 6.0×

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Whiteville, North Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	20.1 min2015-2019	24.8 min2020-2024	+4.7 min	Within the margin of error	11%
Bachelor's degree or higher	23.3%2015-2019	23.4%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Broadband subscriptions	73.7%2015-2019	83.9%2020-2024	+10 points	Improved	60%
Effective property tax rate	1.18%2015-2019	0.99%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	55%
High school diploma or higher	90.5%2015-2019	89.1%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	19%
Home price to income ratio	3.4×2015-2019	6.0×2020-2024	+2.6×	Declined	2%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4952015-2019	0.5512020-2024	+0.057	Within the margin of error	14%
Median household income	$30,7292015-2019	$31,1672020-2024	+1.4%	Within the margin of error	9%
Poverty rate	30.1%2015-2019	20.7%2020-2024	−9.4 points	Within the margin of error	92%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	34.4%2015-2019	39.7%2020-2024	+5.3 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Rent-burdened households	63.2%2015-2019	70.7%2020-2024	+7.5 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.7%2015-2019	13.3%2020-2024	+4.6 points	Within the margin of error	12%

“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 Whiteville, North Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Whiteville, 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, Whiteville, North Carolina itself moved −10.4 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

4,696 residents (±24)

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 men (+7.5 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

4,696 residents (±24)

Whiteville, North Carolina
North Carolina share

White33%1,544
Black50%2,364
Hispanic or Latino10%†489
Asian3.1%†144
American Indian and Alaska Native0.1%†6
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.7%†31
Other or two or more races2.5%†118

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−14.9 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 B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

3,139 residents (±244)

Whiteville, North Carolina
North Carolina share

No high school diploma11%†342
High school or GED32%1,020
Some college24%756
Associate degree9.2%†288
Bachelor's degree12%†368
Graduate degree12%†365

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 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

1,812 households (±236)

Whiteville, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $25k41%†750
$25k–50k18%†321
$50k–75k13%†236
$75k–100k11%†200
$100k–150k9.6%†174
$150k–200k3.0%†54
$200k or more4.2%†77

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

1,812 households (±236)

Whiteville, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Own49%881
Rent51%931

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

923 households (±193)

Whiteville, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $75048%†446
$750–1,00039%†357
$1,000–1,50013%†

Home values

881 homes (±204)

Whiteville, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $150k37%†323
$150k–250k36%†315
$250k–400k21%†189

Age of homes

2,060 homes (±253)

Whiteville, North Carolina
North Carolina share

2010 or later12%†243
2000–20093.9%†81
1980–199917%†

Size of homes

2,060 homes (±253)

Whiteville, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Studio3.0%†62
1 bedroom11%†221
2 bedrooms31%†641

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

1,840 workers (±264)

Whiteville, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Drive alone75%1,372
Carpool17%†310
Public transit0.0%0
Walk4.8%†88
Bike0.0%0
Work from home3.8%†70
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

1,770 workers (±259)

Whiteville, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under 15 min39%†691
15–29 min21%†363
30–44 min15%†259

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 Columbus County, the county holding most of Whiteville's residents.

Columbus County has 997 employer establishments, 198 for every 10,000 residents (0.80× the US rate of 248; 0.84× North Carolina's), with 11,658 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,621. The Census Bureau also counts 3,922 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 997; 3,922 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 198; US 248 · North Carolina 237
Paid employees: 11,658
Average annual pay: $42,621; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	91	18.1	0.87×About typical	1,023	$40,587	104
Restaurants and other eating places	80	15.9	0.87×About typical	1,235	$15,586	22
Specialty trade contractors	56	11.1	0.72×Fewer than typical	244	$47,893	353
Limited-service restaurants	50	10	1.24×About typical	919	$14,889	7
Religious organizations	46	9.2	1.65×More than typical	129	$19,535	—
Truck transportation	41	8.2	1.61×More than typical	182	$52,247	158
Lessors of real estate	34	6.8	0.55×Fewer than typical	56	$31,964	262
Construction of buildings	31	6.2	0.82×About typical	175	$57,446	161
General merchandise stores	31	6.2	3.49×More than typical	535	$25,189	21
Full-service restaurants	29	5.8	0.75×Fewer than typical	316	$17,608	12
Gasoline stations	28	5.6	1.72×More than typical	161	$23,497	—
Building equipment contractors	27	5.4	0.89×About typical	127	$49,079	78

Rank places for an industry Open Columbus County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 50,249 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 Whiteville, 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

68.6FY2017
80.3FY2021
152FY2022

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 7, 2026, loaded Oct 7, 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 Whiteville, North Carolina, so they do not add up across cities.

Whiteville, North Carolina's figures are part of those of Columbus County, NC ($69.4K 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: Whiteville is mostly in Columbus County.

See federal money in Columbus 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.

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

House

David RouzerR-NC-7 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 1.5%

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.

Columbus County8100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Columbus 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
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
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/3773660