The Town FilesCooleemee, North Carolina
Town in Davie County · population 940 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $144,600
- Household income
- $46,750
- Jan low / Jul high
- 25° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 5 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 35.4
Cooleemee is a town of 940 people in Davie County, North Carolina. The median home is worth $144,600, below the typical North Carolina town ($228,900). It ranks more walkable than 95% of North Carolina towns, easier by car than 86% of North Carolina towns, more of a college town than 78% of North Carolina towns.
How Cooleemee ranks
Percentile among North Carolina towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of North Carolina towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Cooleemee is worth $144,600, below the typical North Carolina town ($228,900). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $46,750, which is more affordable than 75% of North Carolina towns. Median rent is $968 a month. 74.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Cooleemee | Typical North Carolina town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $144,600 | $228,900 |
| Median rent | $968 | $969 |
| Median household income | $46,750 | $60,458 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.1× | 3.7× |
| Homeownership | 74.9% | 69.5% |
| Median year built | 1938 | 1984 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.8% | — |
Who lives in Cooleemee
| People | Cooleemee | Typical North Carolina town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.4 | 41.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.8% | 19.0% |
| Under 18 | 27.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.4% | 24.5% |
| Below the poverty line | 10.6% | 14.3% |
| Veterans | 9.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.2% | — |
| Work from home | 0.9% | 9.8% |
| Average commute | 28.6 min | 24.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 87.9% | 89.5% |
Weather in Cooleemee
July highs average 87.7°F and January lows 24.8°F. About 46.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 4.5 inches of snow (typical North Carolina town: 2.2 in). Expect about 41 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 116 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cooleemee since 1950, compared with 13 for the typical North Carolina town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on April 16, 2011 about 5.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 16, 2011.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 39 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on May 23, 2011.
Severe weather in Davie County since 1996
Davie County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for drought, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3637: Severe Winter Storm |
| September 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | EM-3617: Hurricane Helene |
| August 6, 2024 | Tropical Storm | EM-3608: Tropical Storm Debby |
| October 1, 2022 | Hurricane | EM-3586: Hurricane Ian |
| March 3, 2021 | Severe Storm | DR-4588: Tropical Storm Eta |
Jobs and pay in Davie County
Davie County had 13,854 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,139 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Cooleemee itself the ACS puts it at 5.3%.
Public schools in Cooleemee
1 public school with 459 students, about 13.5 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooleemee Elementary | PK-5 | 459 | 13.5 |
Towns near Cooleemee
- Mocksville, NC6.1 mi · 5,900 people · home $240,700
- Cleveland, NC8.8 mi · 846 people · home $242,600
- Tyro, NC10.1 mi · 3,753 people · home $191,800
- Spencer, NC10.6 mi · 3,308 people · home $201,700
- Salisbury, NC10.7 mi · 35,540 people · home $242,500
- East Spencer, NC11.8 mi · 1,567 people · home $112,000
- Advance, NC13.1 mi · 1,499 people · home $434,400
- Granite Quarry, NC14.9 mi · 2,984 people · home $257,300
Cooleemee questions
Is Cooleemee, North Carolina a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cooleemee scores better for retirees than 6% of North Carolina towns and quieter than 33%. 12.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.4).
How much does a house cost in Cooleemee?
The median owner-occupied home in Cooleemee is valued at $144,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $46,750, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $968 a month.
What is the weather like in Cooleemee?
July highs average 87.7°F and January lows 24.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.9 inches of precipitation a year and 4.5 inches of snow.
Does Cooleemee get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cooleemee since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on April 16, 2011. The typical North Carolina town has had 13.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)