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Cost of living, pay and housing

35.27° N · 80.35° W · GEOID 3755460

Red Cross

Stanly County, North Carolina · part of the Albemarle, NC metro

Limited data population under 5,000

North CarolinaRed Cross, NCRed CrossRed Cross

The short answer

Red Cross is home to 903 people. Median household income is $64,500 a year and median rent is $711 a month, 13.2% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $257,000, about 4.0x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$711
48% below the median place
Median household income
$64,500
20% below the median place
Median home value
$257,000
20% below the median place
Unemployment
4.0%
17% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Red Cross

  • Median rent is $711 a month, lower than in 96% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • 13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 91% of places its size.
  • The population has grown 10.2% since 2020, faster than in 84% of places its size.
01

Moving to Red Cross

Stanly County gains about 23.8 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in3,470
Moved out2,252
Net+1,218

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Montgomery County, NC146168−22
Anson County, NC9962+37

Within North Carolina, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within North CarolinaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$65K
Leavers$59K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Stanly County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
6.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Stanly County report $64,800 a year in income on average; those leaving, $58,700, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$28,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $711 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,328 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $257,000.
Getting to work
27 minutes each way on average; 9.8% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Sawmills, NC matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7
23.8
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving out7
$58,664
17% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureRed CrossAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure6.5%14% above
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure23.8above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$64,7698% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$58,66417% below
02

What it costs to live here

Median gross rent is $711, 48% below the median place.

Red Cross13.2%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$28,440
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
13.2%
35% below the median place
Home price to income
4.0x
5% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
13%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$56,500
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Red Cross, $711 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Red Cross.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Red Cross? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
0.5%
47% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,222
63% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,328
29% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureRed CrossAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$71148% below
Rent to income113.2%35% below
Property tax rate10.5%47% below
Home price to income14.0x5% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,01237% below
HUD area median income3County figure$80,40025% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,22263% below
Median home value1$257,00020% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure1.0%69% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure62.8%22% above
Homeownership175.5%14% above
Renters paying 30%+156.7%12% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,32829% below
Vacant homes1County figure11.8%68% above
Median year built119790% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$31,554
21% below the median place
Median household income1
$64,500
20% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureRed CrossAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$64,50020% below
Income per person1$31,55421% below
Unemployment1County figure4.0%17% below
Average annual pay5County figure$47,64628% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure6.6%78% above
Jobs5County figure23,79184% below
Poverty rate17.7%28% below
Mean commute127 min7% above
Works from home1County figure9.8%21% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 19.7%, 208% above the median place.

No health insurance1
19.7%
208% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
12.8%
60% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
84.0%
9% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.4 −4%
Median age38.0 −3%
High school or higher93.1% +1%
All 9 people measures
MeasureRed CrossAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population19036646th largest
Population change since 2020610.2%above (median 1.1%)
Median age138.03% below
Bachelor's or higher112.8%60% below
High school or higher193.1%1% above
Household size12.44% below
Born abroad1County figure4.4%50% below
No health insurance119.7%208% above
Homes with broadband184.0%9% below
05

Life in Red Cross

17 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars18.6 −11%
Shops37.9 +25%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.8 −32%
Doctors' offices and clinics11.1 −45%
Child care centers3.7 +61%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
11.1
45% below the median place
Child care centers per 10k8
3.7
61% above the median place
Shops per 10k8
37.9
25% above the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureRed CrossAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10County figure24167% above
Public school students10County figure9,47193% above
Students per teacher10County figure15.83% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure18.611% below
Shops per 10k8County figure37.925% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure2.832% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure11.145% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure3.761% above
National Register listings9County figure1731% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Natural hazard risk is 58.8, 36% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Red Cross. Larger places are fetched first.

Natural hazard risk12
58.8
36% below the median place
Wildfire risk12
24.6
60% below the median place
Heat wave risk12
58.1
36% below the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureRed CrossAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure91°F4% above
January average low11County figure31°F23% above
Average temperature11County figure61°F11% above
Annual precipitation11County figure45.9 in5% above
Natural hazard risk12County figure58.836% below
Hurricane risk12County figure77.610% above
Tornado risk12County figure65.120% below
Wildfire risk12County figure24.660% below
Heat wave risk12County figure58.136% below
08

Red Cross in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 13% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 13% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$711/mo (2024)$900/mo$740 to $1,100/mo+4.1%
Median household income$64,500 (2024)$82,500$69,500 to $97,500+4.2%
Median home value$257,000 (2024)$375,000$272,000 to $517,000+6.5%
Population845 (2025)900860 to 930+1.2%

The median home would be worth 4.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.0 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Red Cross

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Sawmills, NC$730$71,067Compare
Brush, CO$692$73,382Compare
Homestead Meadows North, TX$865$63,088Compare
Susanville, CA$902$61,641Compare
Susanville, CAHomestead Meadows North, TXBrush, COSawmills, NCRed Cross, NCRed CrossSawmillsBrushHomestead Meadows NorthSusanvilleRed CrossSawmillsBrushHomestead Meadows NorthSusanville

Common questions

Is Red Cross a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Median rent is $711 a month, lower than in 96% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. 13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 91% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 79 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Red Cross expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 13.2% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $257,000.

What salary do you need to live in Red Cross?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $28,440 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Red Cross?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Sawmills, NC, Brush, CO, Homestead Meadows North, TX and Susanville, CA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Red Cross with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Red Cross itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/red-cross-north-carolina

Citytistics. “Red Cross, North Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/red-cross-north-carolina/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.