Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety0#923/924
Economy1#918/925
Housing46#499/925
Health2#903/925
Healthcare9#843/923
Environment45#501/917
Education3#900/925
Infrastructure3#897/925
Community26#687/925
Leisure & amenities17#766/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Lumberton, NC micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Suicide rate · low9.4 /100k
97/100North Carolina 14.7 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · low2.3×
93/100North Carolina 4.0×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Grocery stores · high2.6 /10k
93/100North Carolina 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · high30.6%
83/100North Carolina 30.0%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Social associations · high12.6 /10k
69/100North Carolina 11.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · high1.8 /10k
68/100North Carolina 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Adult obesity · high48.1%
0/100North Carolina 37.2%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Life expectancy · low67.3 yrs
0/100North Carolina 76.1 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · high50.0 /100k
0/100North Carolina 15.0 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Injury deaths · high197 /100k
0/100North Carolina 97 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Homicide rate · high29.8 /100k
0/100North Carolina 6.9 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Premature death · high19,967 /100k
1/100North Carolina 9,400 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
24% (2021) → 82% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+58 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
59.1% (2015-2019) → 77.6% (2020-2024)
+19 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Injury deathsWorsening
131 /100k (2016-2020) → 197 /100k (2019-2023)
+51%3 yearsUS 76 /100k → 87 /100k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
108.5 /100k (2021) → 57.9 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−47%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
New business applicationsImproving
9.0 /1k (2020) → 13.0 /1k (2025)
+44%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Preventable hospital staysImproving
7,296 /100k (2019) → 4,376 /100k (2023)
−40%4 yearsUS 3,767 /100k → 2,769 /100k

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, Lumberton, NC micropolitan area improved on 18 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 10 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved18

Broadband+19 points59.1% → 77.6%
Libraries+9.2%0.5 /10k → 0.6 /10k
Suicides−32%13.8 /100k → 9.4 /100k
Violent crime−38%1,236 /100k → 768 /100k
Grocery stores+11%2.3 /10k → 2.6 /10k

Declined3

Traffic deaths+39%35.9 /100k → 50.0 /100k
Restaurants−11%5.6 /10k → 5.0 /10k
Pharmacies−18%2.2 /10k → 1.8 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Lumberton, NC micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.2 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	+17%	Improved	70%
Average commute time	24.4 min2015-2019	25.3 min2020-2024	+0.9 min	Within the margin of error	34%
Average weekly wage	$7362020	$9082025	+23%	Improved	50%
Bachelor's degree or higher	13.7%2015-2019	14.7%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Broadband subscriptions	59.1%2015-2019	77.6%2020-2024	+19 points	Improved	96%
Child poverty rate	40.2%2015-2019	36.6%2020-2024	−3.6 points	Improved	65%
Distance to an airport	68 mi2020	68 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	69.6 /100k2020	57.9 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−17%	Improved	41%
Effective property tax rate	0.89%2015-2019	0.80%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	35%
Firearm deaths	39.5 /100k2020	34.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−12%	Improved	69%
Grocery stores	2.3 /10k2020	2.6 /10k2025	+11%	Improved	79%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.6 /10k2020	0.7 /10k2025	+11%	Improved	59%
High school diploma or higher	77.3%2015-2019	80.0%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Improved	73%
Home price to income ratio	2.2×2015-2019	2.3×2020-2024	+0.1×	Within the margin of error	90%
Homicide rate	33.5 /100k2020	29.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−11%	Improved	32%
Income adjusted for local prices	$38,7382019	$52,6532024	+36%	Improved	76%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4882015-2019	0.5082020-2024	+0.020	Within the margin of error	14%
Median household income	$34,9762015-2019	$41,9782020-2024	+20%	Improved	14%
New business applications	9.0 /1k2020	13.0 /1k2025	+44%	Improved	48%
Pharmacies	2.2 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	−18%	Declined	24%
Poverty rate	27.7%2015-2019	27.2%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Property crime rate	3,685 /100k2020	2,985 /100k2025	−19%	Improved	22%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	+9.2%	Improved	91%
Public transit commuters	0.2%2015-2019	0.3%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	91%
Rent as share of income	29.5%2015-2019	29.2%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	64%
Rent-burdened households	48.8%2015-2019	48.2%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	64%
Restaurants and bars	5.6 /10k2020	5.0 /10k2025	−11%	Declined	11%
Suicide rate	13.8 /100k2020	9.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−32%	Improved	94%
Traffic deaths	35.9 /100k2015-2019	50.0 /100k2020-2024	+39%	Declined	11%
Unemployment rate	9.1%2020	5.3%2025	−3.8 points	Improved	74%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	16.4%2015-2019	16.5%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Violent crime rate	1,236 /100k2020	768 /100k2025	−38%	Improved	85%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Lumberton, NC micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Lumberton, NC micropolitan area 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, Lumberton, NC micropolitan area itself moved +0.8 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

116,902 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

43,134 households (±344)

Lumberton, NC micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k31%13,427
$25k–50k25%10,979
$50k–75k16%6,989

Homes

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

Owners and renters

43,134 households (±344)

Lumberton, NC micropolitan area
United States share

Own66%28,399
Rent34%14,735

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

42,442 workers (±931)

Lumberton, NC micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone85%36,204
Carpool7.4%3,135
Public transit0.3%†138

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 no occupation wages for Lumberton, NC micropolitan area.

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.

Lumberton, NC has 1,787 employer establishments, 151 for every 10,000 residents (0.61× the US rate of 248), with 31,788 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,208. The Census Bureau also counts 9,226 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,787; 9,226 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 151; US 248
Paid employees: 31,788
Average annual pay: $42,208; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	171	14.5	0.70×Fewer than typical	2,486	$46,822	496
Restaurants and other eating places	151	12.8	0.70×Fewer than typical	3,227	$16,267	49
Religious organizations	126	10.7	1.92×More than typical	472	$19,212	—
Specialty trade contractors	92	7.8	0.50×Fewer than typical	712	$53,239	1,151
Limited-service restaurants	83	7	0.88×About typical	2,099	$15,812	18
Gasoline stations	81	6.9	2.12×More than typical	454	$31,844	16
Full-service restaurants	55	4.7	0.61×Fewer than typical	946	$16,763	14
Grocery and convenience stores	52	4.4	1.48×More than typical	1,286	$21,107	55
General merchandise stores	49	4.2	2.35×More than typical	1,099	$24,374	55
Lessors of real estate	49	4.2	0.34×Fewer than typical	129	$34,326	402
Offices of other health practitioners	49	4.2	0.68×Fewer than typical	602	$40,528	106
Offices of physicians	47	4	0.62×Fewer than typical	377	$81,769	56

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 118,005 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $32.5M on contracts performed in Lumberton, NC micropolitan area: $271 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $32.5M; +9.8% vs FY2025
Per resident: $271; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

Agricultural Marketing Service$32.5M100%
Defense Logistics Agency$13.7K

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $952M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Lumberton, NC micropolitan area: $7,937 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $952M; +2.2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,937; US $12,955
Loan face value: $39.4M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$375.4M39%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$137.2M14%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$99.3M10%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$54.5M5.7%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$45.6M4.8%
10.923 · Emergency Watershed Protection Program$43.8M4.6%
14.867 · Indian Housing Block Grants$34.4M3.6%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$26.5M2.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

COUNTY OF ROBESON$46.8M4.9%
LUMBERTON, NC
LUMBEE LAND DEVELOPMENT, INC$37.1M3.9%
PEMBROKE, NC
TRANSPORTATION NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT$36M3.8%
RALEIGH, NC
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT PEMBROKE$24.4M2.6%
PEMBROKE, NC
SOUTHEASTERN COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP, INC.

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$574.8M60%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$153.1M16%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$50.2M5.3%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Natural Resources Conservation Service$48.3M5.1%
Department of Agriculture
Federal Highway Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

857.6MFY2021
783.3MFY2022
826.9MFY2023
848.6MFY2024
931.6MFY2025
952MFY2026

County aggregates

77%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Lumberton, NC

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Robeson CountyCentral county2119,941

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

LumbertonPrincipal city18,859

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in North Carolina

Areas based in North Carolina, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M31300

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved18

Declined3

Metro and micro areas like Lumberton, NC micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Lumberton, NC

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in North Carolina

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved18

Declined3

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Top buying agencies

By type

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards