Purlear is a very small town located in the state of North Carolina. With a population of 2,383 people and just one neighborhood, Purlear is the second largest community in North Carolina.
Unlike some towns, Purlear isn’t mainly white- or blue-collar. Instead, the most prevalent occupations for people in Purlear are a mix of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Purlear is a town of sales and office workers, construction workers and builders, and professionals. There are especially a lot of people living in Purlear who work in office and administrative support (16.98%), sales jobs (14.33%), and community and social services (7.17%).
One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 19.39% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.
Another notable thing is that Purlear is an extremely popular destination for tourists and seasonal residents. So much of the population is seasonal such that the town’s population swells significantly during the vacation season, and drops again when the season ends. Because of this, much of the local economy is centered around tourism; some businesses may be operated only during the high season. During the low season, year-round residents will notice that the city is a substantially quieter place to live.
It is a fairly quiet town because there are relatively few of those groups of people who have a tendency to be noisy. (Children, for example, often can't help themselves from being noisy, and being parents ourselves, we know!) Purlear has relatively few families with children living at home, and is quieter because of it. Renters and college students, for their own reasons, can also be noisy. Purlear has few renters and college students. But the biggest reason it is quieter in Purlear than in most places in America, is that there are just simply fewer people living here. If you think trees make good neighbors, Purlear may be for you.
In Purlear, however, the average commute to work is quite long. On average, people spend 32.42 minutes each day getting to work, which is significantly higher than the national average.
As is often the case in a small town, Purlear doesn't have a public transportation system that people use for their commute.
The overall education level of Purlear is somewhat higher than in the average US city of 21.84%: 26.43% of adults 25 and older in the town have at least a bachelor's degree.
The per capita income in Purlear in 2022 was $32,840, which is middle income relative to North Carolina and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $131,360 for a family of four. However, Purlear contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
The people who call Purlear home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Purlear residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Purlear include English, Irish, German, Italian, and Canadian.
The most common language spoken in Purlear is English. Other important languages spoken here include Italian and Spanish.
Many things matter about a neighborhood, but the first thing most people notice is the way a neighborhood looks and its particular character. For example, one might notice whether the buildings all date from a certain time period or whether shop signs are in multiple languages. This particular neighborhood in Purlear, the neighborhood, has some outstanding things about the way it looks and its way of life that are worth highlighting.
Unpopulated, and rural, the neighborhood is one of the least crowded neighborhoods in all of America. If you like open space, no traffic, and lots of room, this neighborhood may be just what you are looking for. According to NeighborhoodScout's leading research, this neighborhood is less densely populated than 94.1% of the neighborhoods in America. One of the notable things about is that it is one of the quietest neighborhoods in America, according to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis and quantitative rating of quietness. When you are here, you will find it to be very quiet. If quiet and peaceful are your cup of tea, you may have found a great place for you.
In addition, vacant homes and apartments are a significant characteristic of this neighborhood. In fact, with 41.8% of the residential real estate vacant, the neighborhood claims the distinction of having a higher vacancy rate than 97.9% of the neighborhoods in America. This can either be because much of the property is seasonally occupied, like in many vacation areas, or that much of the real estate is more permanently abandoned.
Astoundingly, NeighborhoodScout's research reveals that this single neighborhood has a higher concentration of married couples living here than 98.0% of all U.S. neighborhoods. Whether they have school-aged children or not, married couples are the rule in the neighborhood. If you are a married couple, you may find many people here with a similar lifestyle, and perhaps common interests. But if you are single, you might not find many other singles here.
In addition, if you are planning to retire in North Carolina, this neighborhood should be on your must-see list. For many reasons, may be considered a retiree's dream neighborhood. According to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis and metrics, it's peaceful and quiet, has above average safety from crime compared to other neighborhoods in North Carolina, while also offering a diverse range of housing options. This, along with the vibrant mix of very educated seniors and other age groups who choose to live here, makes the neighborhood more retiree-friendly than 96.5% of neighborhoods in NC. If a North Carolina retirement is in your future, this neighborhood should be one of the places you visit.
Whether walking, biking, riding, or driving, the length of one's commute is an important factor for one's quality of life. The neighborhood stands out for its commute length, according to NeighborhoodScout's analysis. Long commutes can be brutal. They take time, money, and energy, leaving less of you for yourself and your family. The residents of the neighborhood unfortunately have the distinction of having, on average, a longer commute than most any neighborhood in America. 10.1% of commuters here travel more than one hour just one-way to work. That is more than two hours per day. This percentage with two-hour + round-trip commutes is higher than NeighborhoodScout found in 95.8% of all neighborhoods in America.
Did you know that the neighborhood has more Canadian and English ancestry people living in it than nearly any neighborhood in America? It's true! In fact, 1.5% of this neighborhood's residents have Canadian ancestry and 23.2% have English ancestry.
How wealthy a neighborhood is, from very wealthy, to middle income, to low income is very formative with regard to the personality and character of a neighborhood. Equally important is the rate of people, particularly children, who live below the federal poverty line. In some wealthy gated communities, the areas immediately surrounding can have high rates of childhood poverty, which indicates other social issues. NeighborhoodScout's analysis reveals both aspects of income and poverty for this neighborhood.
The neighbors in the neighborhood in Purlear are lower-middle income, making it a below average income neighborhood. NeighborhoodScout's research shows that this neighborhood has an income lower than 84.6% of U.S. neighborhoods. With 21.1% of the children here below the federal poverty line, this neighborhood has a higher rate of childhood poverty than 71.2% of U.S. neighborhoods.
A neighborhood is far different if it is dominated by enlisted military personnel rather than people who earn their living by farming. It is also different if most of the neighbors are clerical support or managers. What is wonderful is the sheer diversity of neighborhoods, allowing you to find the type that fits your lifestyle and aspirations.
In the neighborhood, 34.9% of the working population is employed in manufacturing and laborer occupations. The second most important occupational group in this neighborhood is sales and service jobs, from major sales accounts, to working in fast food restaurants, with 23.8% of the residents employed. Other residents here are employed in executive, management, and professional occupations (21.0%), and 20.2% in clerical, assistant, and tech support occupations.
The most common language spoken in the neighborhood is English, spoken by 98.0% of households. Some people also speak Italian (3.1%).
Culture is shared learned behavior. We learn it from our parents, their parents, our houses of worship, and much of our culture – our learned behavior – comes from our ancestors. That is why ancestry and ethnicity can be so interesting and important to understand: places with concentrations of people of one or more ancestries often express those shared learned behaviors and this gives each neighborhood its own culture. Even different neighborhoods in the same city can have drastically different cultures.
In the neighborhood in Purlear, NC, residents most commonly identify their ethnicity or ancestry as English (23.2%). There are also a number of people of Irish ancestry (11.3%), and residents who report German roots (7.4%), and some of the residents are also of Mexican ancestry (4.4%), along with some Italian ancestry residents (2.2%), among others.
How you get to work – car, bus, train or other means – and how much of your day it takes to do so is a large quality of life and financial issue. Especially with gasoline prices rising and expected to continue doing so, the length and means of one's commute can be a financial burden. Some neighborhoods are physically located so that many residents have to drive in their own car, others are set up so many walk to work, or can take a train, bus, or bike. The greatest number of commuters in neighborhood spend between 15 and 30 minutes commuting one-way to work (38.0% of working residents), which is shorter than the time spent commuting to work for most Americans. However, there is also a significant group of residents (10.1%) who commute over an hour in each direction.
Here most residents (74.7%) drive alone in a private automobile to get to work. In a neighborhood like this, as in most of the nation, many residents find owning a car useful for getting to work.