Should I Move To
Jacksonville, North Carolina comes in at about 71,908 residents. Cost of living comes out affordable — 13% below the national average. Rent typically lands near $1,181/mo, and the median household income is about $50,185. Overall, 45/100 on our composite score, which works out to a D, putting it at #687 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 87 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's affordable territory. With median rent at $1,181/mo and median household income at $50,185, housing takes about 28% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $176,200.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Jacksonville has a varied climate. Almost entirely car-dependent. Sidewalks exist; they just don't connect to where you need to go. AQI runs about 34 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
On the families profile, Jacksonville sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 56/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is climate (91/100); the soft spot is walkability (1/100).
On the retirees profile, Jacksonville sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 62/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is climate (91/100); the soft spot is walkability (1/100).
On the remote workers profile, Jacksonville sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 68/100 — a B-. Its standout dimension is climate (91/100); the soft spot is walkability (1/100).
Jacksonville is a tougher sell for young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 35/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is climate (91/100); the soft spot is walkability (1/100).
Our overall score for Jacksonville is 45/100 — a D, sitting at #687 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Jacksonville sits at 87 — affordable, 13% below the national average. Median renter pays around $1,181 a month.
Walk Score: 1/100. Almost entirely car-dependent. Sidewalks exist; they just don't connect to where you need to go.
Roughly 71,908 people live here, with 25% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 23.
Drop Jacksonville into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Jacksonville with other North Carolina cities scored on UrbRank.
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