The Town Files

La Grange, North Carolina

Town in Lenoir County · population 2,595 (2020 Census)

Map: where La Grange is in North CarolinaLa Grange
Median home
$83,800
Household income
$48,078
Jan low / Jul high
35° / 91°
Snow a year
2 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
24
Median age
35.3

La Grange is a town of 2,595 people in Lenoir County, North Carolina. The median home is worth $83,800, below the typical North Carolina town ($228,900). It ranks better transit than 93% of North Carolina towns.

La Grange in our rankings:

How La Grange 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.

La Grange lifestyle rankings vs other North Carolina townsRetirement35th pctFamilies14th pctQuiet19th pctWalkability35th pctFirst-time buyers44th pctYoung professionals35th pctVibrancy35th pctHip & trendy43rd pctCollege town64th pctUpscale11th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit93rd pctDriving13th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in La Grange is worth $83,800, below the typical North Carolina town ($228,900). Homes cost about 1.7 times the median household income of $48,078, which is more affordable than 99% of North Carolina towns. Median rent is $735 a month. 46.1% of households own their home.

La Grange vs Lenoir County vs typical North Carolina townLa GrangeLenoir CountyTypical North Carolina townHome value$83,800$120,500$228,900Household income$48,078$45,143$60,458Monthly rent$735$861$969
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of North Carolina towns with 500+ people.
HousingLa GrangeTypical North Carolina town
Median home value$83,800$228,900
Median rent$735$969
Median household income$48,078$60,458
Home value ÷ income1.7×3.7×
Homeownership46.1%69.5%
Median year built19881984
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in La Grange

PeopleLa GrangeTypical North Carolina town
Median age35.341.1
Age 65 and over15.5%19.0%
Under 1824.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher11.8%24.5%
Below the poverty line32.0%14.3%
Veterans6.5%—
Born outside the U.S.0.1%—
Work from home11.2%9.8%
Average commute21.1 min24.6 min
Homes with broadband90.7%89.5%

Weather in La Grange

July highs average 91.0°F and January lows 34.6°F. About 52.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 1.5 inches of snow (typical North Carolina town: 2.2 in). Expect about 61 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 42 nights at or below freezing.

La Grange monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing54°35°Jan58°36°Feb65°43°Mar75°51°Apr82°60°May88°69°Jun91°72°Jul89°71°Aug83°66°Sep75°54°Oct66°43°Nov57°37°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.50.93.20.14.23.93.54.45.46.47.03.83.23.60.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Goldsboro 4 Se station (10.2 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

24 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of La Grange since 1950, compared with 13 for the typical North Carolina town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on March 28, 1984 about 8.2 miles from the town center and killed 7. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 10 deaths and 200 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on September 5, 2019.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of La Grange by decade01950s11960s21970s61980s41990s32000s82010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 23 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on June 9, 1988.

Severe weather in Lenoir County since 1996

Storm events in Lenoir County since 1996 by typeHail87Flood12Drought16Tornado21Heavy Snow6Flash Flood39Strong Wind4Winter Storm23
NOAA Storm Events Database, Lenoir County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 9 deaths recorded.

Lenoir County has been included in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for tornado, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3637: Severe Winter Storm
September 26, 2024Tropical StormEM-3617: Hurricane Helene
August 6, 2024Tropical StormEM-3608: Tropical Storm Debby
October 1, 2022HurricaneEM-3586: Hurricane Ian
October 14, 2020HurricaneDR-4568: Hurricane Isaias

Jobs and pay in Lenoir County

Lenoir County had 29,083 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,091 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in La Grange itself the ACS puts it at 14.7%.

Largest industries in Lenoir CountyManufacturing8,017 jobs · $53,428Health care & social assistan…2,745 jobs · $43,780Retail2,537 jobs · $32,003Construction1,885 jobs · $68,226Hotels & restaurants1,827 jobs · $19,697Transportation & warehousing1,774 jobs · $72,209
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Lenoir County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Lenoir 3.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in La Grange

3 public schools with 2,020 students, about 16.6 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
North Lenoir High9-1298918.0
E B Frink Middle6-852816.0
La Grange ElementaryPK-550314.8

Towns near La Grange

La Grange questions

Is La Grange, North Carolina a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, La Grange scores better for retirees than 35% of North Carolina towns and quieter than 19%. 15.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.3).

How much does a house cost in La Grange?

The median owner-occupied home in La Grange is valued at $83,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $48,078, so homes cost about 1.7 times income. Median rent is $735 a month.

What is the weather like in La Grange?

July highs average 91.0°F and January lows 34.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 52.3 inches of precipitation a year and 1.5 inches of snow.

Does La Grange get tornadoes?

24 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of La Grange since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on March 28, 1984. The typical North Carolina town has had 13.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to La Grange's Census boundary (GEOID 3736400). Comparisons use the median of North Carolina towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.