There’s no denying it: there are plenty of places in North Carolina that are downright beautiful and full of excitement.
Unfortunately, not all towns and cities in Tar Heel State are so lucky.
Just like in all U.S. States, there are definitely some boring places within North Carolina’s’ borders. You know the places where everyone has an AARP card and the most exciting thing they do all day is post a picture of their grandchild on Facebook.
Like Sawmills, for instance. In our latest analysis, we found that this city was the most boring city in all of Oklahoma according to Saturday Night Science. But don’t feel bad if you’re a resident of Sawmills. There are plenty of other boring, lackluster places in North Carolina as well.
Here they are. Try not to jump out of your seat with excitement.
The 10 Most Boring Places In North Carolina
Don’t freak out, in fact, believe it not, a boring city is actually one a lot of people would like to call home.
Before you get all upset if your city’s name is on the list, rest assured that we didn’t use personal opinion when it comes to what classifies a city or town as “boring” or “exciting”. We crunched actual numbers to figure out which towns are statistically more boring.
Showing this data to you is the kind of thing that a real estate agent knows, but would never share.
For more North Carolina reading, check out:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Boring Places In North Carolina For 2023
/10
Average Age: 47.5
% Married: 33.0%
More on Sawmills: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Average Age: 46.8
% Married: 24.0%
More on Oak Ridge: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Average Age: 41.2
% Married: 23.0%
More on Butner: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Average Age: 42.4
% Married: 25.0%
More on Stokesdale: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Average Age: 60.7
% Married: 27.0%
More on Oak Island: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Average Age: 45.7
% Married: 21.0%
More on Mint Hill: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Average Age: 43.7
% Married: 38.0%
More on King: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Average Age: 48.2
% Married: 28.0%
More on Tarboro: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Average Age: 39.7
% Married: 40.0%
More on Unionville: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Average Age: 43.5
% Married: 22.0%
More on Mills River: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How we determined the boring cities in the Tar Heel State
You would present the following case to your friends if you were argueing with them at a bar about the most boring place to live in North Carolina. And that’s why we call it Saturday Night Science.
Because our data speaks more truth than feelings.
To figure out how boring a place is, we factored in things we generally think make people exciting, and then we figure out which cities have the least number of those exciting people.
We used the U.S. American Community Census data to gather the information presented here. HSome of the things people tend to think of as making a city’s population boring include:
- % of Population Over 25 (higher is more boring)
- % of Married Household (higher is more boring)
- Average Age (higher is more boring)
- % of Households With Kids (higher is more boring)
- Population density (lower is more boring)
Then, our algorithm generates a ranking for each place in these categories. After crunching the numbers, all of the cities ranked from most boring to most exciting.
For this ranking, we used every North Carolina city with at least 5,000 residents. This keeps us from prejudicing our rankings by including very small pockets of retired people.
Grab your rocker and hold on.
We updated this article for 2023, and it’s our tenth time ranking the most boring cities in North Carolina.
There You Have It – Now That You’re Asleep
On a ranking like this, there are usually no winners, but since North Carolina isn’t necessarily the most boring state in the United States, the cities on this ranking can at least take solace that there are, in fact, more boring cities in the country.
If you’re also curious enough, here are the most exciting places in North Carolina, according to science:
- Boone
- Chapel Hill
- Elon
For more North Carolina reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In North Carolina
- Cheapest Places To Live In North Carolina
- Most Dangerous Cities In North Carolina
- Richest Cities In North Carolina
- Safest Cities in North Carolina
- Worst Places To Live In North Carolina
- Most Expensive Places To Live In North Carolina
Detailed List Of The Most Boring Cities In North Carolina For 2023
| Rank | City | Population | Average Age | % Married | % Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sawmills, NC | 5,026 | 47.5 | 33.0% | 30.6% |
| 2 | Oak Ridge, NC | 7,637 | 46.8 | 24.0% | 36.9% |
| 3 | Butner, NC | 8,374 | 41.2 | 23.0% | 36.9% |
| 4 | Stokesdale, NC | 5,900 | 42.4 | 25.0% | 46.1% |
| 5 | Oak Island, NC | 8,564 | 60.7 | 27.0% | 10.4% |
| 6 | Mint Hill, NC | 26,537 | 45.7 | 21.0% | 32.8% |
| 7 | King, NC | 7,210 | 43.7 | 38.0% | 33.1% |
| 8 | Tarboro, NC | 10,696 | 48.2 | 28.0% | 27.8% |
| 9 | Unionville, NC | 6,694 | 39.7 | 40.0% | 32.5% |
| 10 | Mills River, NC | 7,100 | 43.5 | 22.0% | 32.7% |
| 11 | Boiling Spring Lakes, NC | 6,032 | 47.5 | 20.0% | 22.4% |
| 12 | Trinity, NC | 7,012 | 42.2 | 31.0% | 27.7% |
| 13 | Summerfield, NC | 10,986 | 45.1 | 18.0% | 33.0% |
| 14 | Lewisville, NC | 13,509 | 40.8 | 27.0% | 35.7% |
| 15 | Fletcher, NC | 8,000 | 46.6 | 30.0% | 19.8% |
| 16 | Mount Airy, NC | 10,621 | 46.6 | 20.0% | 26.5% |
| 17 | Newton, NC | 13,173 | 43.7 | 24.0% | 28.2% |
| 18 | Albemarle, NC | 16,444 | 39.7 | 24.0% | 30.4% |
| 19 | Waynesville, NC | 10,307 | 47.3 | 22.0% | 22.9% |
| 20 | Ayden, NC | 5,002 | 44.7 | 36.0% | 27.4% |
| 21 | Clinton, NC | 8,362 | 41.8 | 22.0% | 31.4% |
| 22 | Weddington, NC | 13,173 | 43.5 | 16.0% | 50.4% |
| 23 | Williamston, NC | 5,224 | 45.5 | 25.0% | 28.2% |
| 24 | Conover, NC | 8,457 | 39.9 | 22.0% | 41.0% |
| 25 | Leland, NC | 24,473 | 47.1 | 16.0% | 23.5% |
| 26 | Nashville, NC | 5,624 | 40.7 | 29.0% | 29.9% |
| 27 | Rolesville, NC | 9,696 | 39.9 | 24.0% | 56.7% |
| 28 | Shelby, NC | 21,712 | 43.4 | 23.0% | 26.4% |
| 29 | Washington, NC | 9,759 | 46.2 | 26.0% | 23.5% |
| 30 | Hillsborough, NC | 9,534 | 44.1 | 16.0% | 29.9% |
| 31 | Archdale, NC | 11,873 | 46.1 | 27.0% | 26.3% |
| 32 | Lexington, NC | 19,595 | 38.6 | 20.0% | 34.1% |
| 33 | Cramerton, NC | 5,294 | 35.3 | 33.0% | 32.0% |
| 34 | Cherryville, NC | 6,113 | 37.4 | 35.0% | 39.0% |
| 35 | Pinehurst, NC | 17,653 | 60.3 | 14.0% | 17.1% |
| 36 | Reidsville, NC | 14,526 | 42.3 | 20.0% | 29.6% |
| 37 | Lenoir, NC | 18,301 | 43.2 | 23.0% | 25.2% |
| 38 | Kings Mountain, NC | 11,246 | 41.5 | 19.0% | 27.9% |
| 39 | Marion, NC | 7,652 | 39.4 | 23.0% | 31.2% |
| 40 | St. James, NC | 6,566 | 68.3 | 7.0% | 4.9% |
| 41 | Eden, NC | 15,349 | 39.3 | 26.0% | 29.5% |
| 42 | Wesley Chapel, NC | 8,763 | 41.3 | 13.0% | 48.2% |
| 43 | Rockingham, NC | 9,174 | 40.0 | 26.0% | 29.4% |
| 44 | Oxford, NC | 8,685 | 43.1 | 24.0% | 26.6% |
| 45 | Dunn, NC | 8,549 | 44.6 | 24.0% | 24.8% |
| 46 | Smithfield, NC | 11,527 | 41.9 | 18.0% | 27.7% |
| 47 | Black Mountain, NC | 8,430 | 60.4 | 15.0% | 16.8% |
| 48 | Woodfin, NC | 7,901 | 42.3 | 14.0% | 17.1% |
| 49 | Aberdeen, NC | 8,674 | 36.4 | 18.0% | 32.9% |
| 50 | Mount Holly, NC | 17,644 | 37.7 | 22.0% | 32.7% |
| 51 | Statesville, NC | 28,576 | 38.3 | 18.0% | 32.0% |
| 52 | Gibsonville, NC | 8,827 | 40.3 | 28.0% | 33.1% |
| 53 | Clemmons, NC | 21,281 | 42.4 | 22.0% | 28.2% |
| 54 | Long View, NC | 5,029 | 38.7 | 22.0% | 26.6% |
| 55 | Dallas, NC | 5,889 | 38.9 | 21.0% | 37.7% |
| 56 | Huntersville, NC | 61,202 | 39.8 | 12.0% | 39.1% |
| 57 | Morganton, NC | 17,457 | 37.7 | 19.0% | 34.2% |
| 58 | Belmont, NC | 14,842 | 37.9 | 19.0% | 28.4% |
| 59 | Roanoke Rapids, NC | 15,143 | 40.5 | 25.0% | 31.1% |
| 60 | New Bern, NC | 31,373 | 40.4 | 15.0% | 26.7% |
| 61 | Hamlet, NC | 6,043 | 37.3 | 25.0% | 36.2% |
| 62 | Thomasville, NC | 27,130 | 37.8 | 28.0% | 32.5% |
| 63 | Carolina Beach, NC | 6,583 | 51.3 | 19.0% | 16.6% |
| 64 | Roxboro, NC | 8,131 | 40.7 | 15.0% | 28.9% |
| 65 | Marvin, NC | 6,421 | 40.6 | 9.0% | 60.5% |
| 66 | Rocky Mount, NC | 54,260 | 40.4 | 22.0% | 27.7% |
| 67 | Mocksville, NC | 5,908 | 34.2 | 20.0% | 31.0% |
| 68 | Kill Devil Hills, NC | 7,658 | 48.1 | 11.0% | 16.9% |
| 69 | Kinston, NC | 19,704 | 44.1 | 17.0% | 24.8% |
| 70 | Southern Pines, NC | 15,701 | 38.4 | 13.0% | 22.4% |
| 71 | Brevard, NC | 7,777 | 49.7 | 13.0% | 20.3% |
| 72 | Mebane, NC | 17,899 | 36.6 | 18.0% | 37.2% |
| 73 | Gastonia, NC | 80,615 | 37.8 | 23.0% | 32.4% |
| 74 | Wilson, NC | 47,767 | 38.8 | 25.0% | 29.6% |
| 75 | Stallings, NC | 16,193 | 39.8 | 18.0% | 37.2% |
| 76 | Kannapolis, NC | 53,314 | 37.0 | 20.0% | 34.7% |
| 77 | Angier, NC | 5,348 | 41.0 | 18.0% | 24.5% |
| 78 | Sanford, NC | 30,373 | 34.6 | 19.0% | 39.0% |
| 79 | Lumberton, NC | 19,099 | 37.2 | 20.0% | 32.4% |
| 80 | Wendell, NC | 10,575 | 38.2 | 19.0% | 28.2% |
| 81 | Graham, NC | 17,136 | 36.8 | 20.0% | 29.3% |
| 82 | Laurinburg, NC | 14,971 | 38.1 | 21.0% | 30.9% |
| 83 | Hendersonville, NC | 15,102 | 52.2 | 12.0% | 17.2% |
| 84 | Zebulon, NC | 7,421 | 35.6 | 14.0% | 35.2% |
| 85 | Hickory, NC | 43,352 | 37.9 | 20.0% | 29.9% |
| 86 | Matthews, NC | 29,613 | 39.5 | 13.0% | 30.3% |
| 87 | Lincolnton, NC | 11,225 | 36.0 | 22.0% | 31.3% |
| 88 | Winterville, NC | 10,510 | 39.6 | 23.0% | 29.8% |
| 89 | Concord, NC | 105,335 | 37.3 | 16.0% | 37.2% |
| 90 | Cornelius, NC | 31,396 | 44.3 | 10.0% | 28.8% |
| 91 | Kernersville, NC | 27,177 | 39.0 | 20.0% | 24.2% |
| 92 | Waxhaw, NC | 20,665 | 35.7 | 8.0% | 63.1% |
| 93 | Wake Forest, NC | 48,047 | 39.0 | 13.0% | 40.6% |
| 94 | Burlington, NC | 56,951 | 39.9 | 19.0% | 27.5% |
| 95 | Garner, NC | 31,684 | 37.3 | 18.0% | 28.6% |
| 96 | Wadesboro, NC | 5,004 | 38.3 | 18.0% | 27.2% |
| 97 | Harrisburg, NC | 18,934 | 36.4 | 13.0% | 49.8% |
| 98 | Monroe, NC | 34,897 | 36.1 | 12.0% | 36.2% |
| 99 | Knightdale, NC | 19,127 | 35.5 | 16.0% | 38.1% |
| 100 | Clayton, NC | 26,837 | 32.6 | 15.0% | 40.5% |
Sorry my friend but you are way off on this subject with some of the places listed. What are your sources? For example take a look at towns like Rocky Mount in the eastern part of the state. The downtown district which was once the economic center of eastern North Carolina is now a ghost town. The once impressive turn of the century Victorian buildings are boarded up and laying vacant. You totally missed the boat on this article.
Raleigh is a wonderful place to live if you have moved here from a small town. However, if you have moved from a large city, NY, LA, Chicago, etc., this town is a joke. Fast food restaurants every where you look, chain restaurants, way too many bars and breweries and Sushi restaurants, bad Chinese food, bad mexican food, way too many parks and walkways. To top it all off, they keep trying to become a ‘little’ NY. They call one of the shopping/living areas, Midtown. Really? They have Midtown diner also, which is nothing but overcooked carbs that the natives just love. The road system cannot keep up with the demand of newcomers (from small towns, I suppose), and traffic is a nightmare most of the time. They tax you for everything. Groceries, your car – EACH YEAR, they also charge a ‘sin tax’ for alcohol and cigarettes that is added to the already almost 8% tax rate.