Best PlacesRockfish, Raeford, NC Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Rockfish, Raeford, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Rockfish, Raeford ranks 2,524th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on quiet by a wide margin, and biking ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in Rockfish, Raeford
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
Rockfish, Raeford's strengths and weaknesses
Where Rockfish, Raeford ranks high
- QuietBetter than 99% of neighborhoods
- Cheap childcare$659 a month, better than 97% of neighborhoods
- Tree shadeBetter than 97% of neighborhoods
- State fiscal healthBetter than 94% of neighborhoods
- Low property taxBetter than 91% of neighborhoods
Where Rockfish, Raeford ranks low
- BikingBetter than only 1% of neighborhoods
- WalkabilityBetter than only 2% of neighborhoods
- Cell coverageBetter than only 2% of neighborhoods
- TransitBetter than only 5% of neighborhoods
- Big-city accessBetter than only 8% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Rockfish, Raeford
A household needs to earn about $57,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Rockfish, Raeford home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $69,157, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses Rockfish, Raeford's effective rate of 0.52%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 5 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Rockfish, Raeford
Rockfish, Raeford runs younger than the country.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Rockfish, Raeford.
Who works in Rockfish, Raeford, and how
Work in Rockfish, Raeford centers on health care & social and retail trade. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 81%
- Work from home 16%
- Transit, walk, or bike 3%
Life in Rockfish, Raeford
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across Rockfish, Raeford.
What the weather is like in Rockfish, Raeford, month by month
Rockfish, Raeford sees roughly 68 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 94 degrees. January highs sit near 58, with lows near 33. The comfortable stretch runs March through May, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 45° | 33° |
| April | 79° | 64° | 50° |
| July | 94° | 82° | 72° |
| October | 79° | 65° | 54° |
Flying in and out of Rockfish, Raeford
The nearest airport, Fayetteville Regional/Grannis Field, is about 11 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Raleigh-Durham International, about 64 miles away.
The best schools in and around Rockfish, Raeford
Schools across Rockfish, Raeford average a B+, better than 88% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Rockfish Hoke ElementaryA− · 57% proficient
- Stoney Point ElementaryA− · 56% proficient
- Don D Steed ElementaryB+ · 52% proficient
Top middle schools
- New Century International MiddleA− · 58% proficient
- East Hoke MiddleB+ · 49% proficient
- Sandy Grove MiddleB · 47% proficient
Top high schools
- Psrc Early College At RccA+ · 93% proficient
- Cumberland International Early CollegeA+ · 83% proficient
- Sandhoke Early College HighA+ · 82% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Rockfish, Raeford school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Rockfish, Raeford measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare Rockfish, Raeford against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in Rockfish, Raeford
Is Rockfish, Raeford a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Rockfish, Raeford ranks 2,524th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on quiet, affordable childcare, and tree cover, and lowest on biking and walkability. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Rockfish, Raeford expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $226,729. The overall cost of living runs about 15% below the national average. Set against a $69,157 median income, cost of living beats 50% of neighborhoods.
Is Rockfish, Raeford safe?
Yes, Rockfish, Raeford is safer than 87% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $286 per resident a year.
Compare Rockfish, Raeford with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Rockfish, Raeford. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Rockfish, Raeford represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
Rockfish, Raeford detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Rockfish, Raeford: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Rockfish, Raeford: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Rockfish, Raeford: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Rockfish, Raeford: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Rockfish, Raeford detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.