Is East Laurinburg, NC a Good Place to Live?
East Laurinburg is a small town of 322 in North Carolina, with a median household income of $28,500 and a 25.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 84 (US average = 100), which is 16% below the national average.
Strengths: East Laurinburg stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether East Laurinburg is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All East Laurinburg city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 84.0East Laurinburg's overall cost of living index is 84.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in East Laurinburg costs roughly 16% less than the average American city.
| Metric | East Laurinburg, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $35,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $843 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 47.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $28,500 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
High CrimeEast Laurinburg's violent crime rate is 1168.8 per 100,000 residents — 208% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | East Laurinburg, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 1.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 79.6% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
East Laurinburg sees average highs of 55.0°F in January and 93.0°F in July, with 46.6 inches of annual precipitation and 1.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | East Laurinburg, NC |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 55.0°F |
| Average High — July | 93.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 46.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | East Laurinburg, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 322 | — |
| Median Age | 35.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 25.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 23.4 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 56.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 27.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.7% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 19.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 13.4% | 16.8% |