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Living in Sanford

Sanford had 31,478 residents in July 2026 and is a city in the United States. There were 97 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026. In July 2026, median household income was US$57,586 a year. The city had 17 schools in 2026.

Last checked 2026-09-1920 sources

Population34,138people31 Dec 2025Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program
Median gross salary2,617EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Median rent924.7EUR/month31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Unemployment rate4.38%31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
PM2.5, annual mean7.74µg/m³country median 7.0 — 10% aboveOfficial source · EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Sanford?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Housing and cost

Median gross rent was US$1,052 per month, while the median home value was US$245,400 in July 2026. Owner occupation was 53.3%, and the vacancy rate was 9.35% in July 2026. 49.4% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in July 2026.

What recurs every month4 published recurring costs, € per month
Sanford recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€1157
Utilities, 85 m² flat€122
Internet, 60 Mbps€63
Mobile plan, 10 GB€39

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited62.96 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo - Cost of Living in Sanford (Wayback Machine capture 20250619002229)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly1,157 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo - Cost of Living in Sanford (Wayback Machine capture 20250619002229)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB39.18 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo - Cost of Living in Sanford (Wayback Machine capture 20250619002229)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home122.2 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo - Cost of Living in Sanford (Wayback Machine capture 20250619002229)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross rent$1,052/month4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent49.4 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Housing vacancy rate (legacy series)9.35 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)1,002 EUR/month31 Dec 2020ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent)1Official
Median monthly rent924.7 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables19Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Is Sanford a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker48%strong on work, weak on safety · range 39–57%
Skilled employee54%strong on work, weak on safety · range 45–63%
Student51%strong on education, weak on safety · range 40–62%
Family57%strong on family, weak on safety · range 44–70%
Retirement50%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 39–61%

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

13.8% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 4,708 of 34,138 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.

Work and income

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Sanford is 4.4%. Of 2,153 cities with data, 1,250 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median household income57,586 USD/year4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Households with cable, fibre or DSL broadband63.86 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Households with a broadband subscription73.47 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Households with internet but no subscription16.59 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Households without internet9.8 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Households with satellite internet3.83 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Median gross salary2,617 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)18Community estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)3,114 EUR/month31 Dec 2025data.bls.gov8Official
Unemployment rate4.38 %31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables19Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

What does a salary buy in Sanford?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

regional median gross pay: €3,114 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025-12-31).
Left over each month€1,238of €2,464 take-home
  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€2,464
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) · 2020-12-31− €1,002
Public transport passnot published for this city—
Utilities, 85 m²€122 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Sanford (Wayback Machine capture 20250619002229) · 2025-12-31− €122
Internet€63 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Sanford (Wayback Machine capture 20250619002229) · 2025-12-31− €63
Mobile plan€39 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Sanford (Wayback Machine capture 20250619002229) · 2025-12-31− €39
Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish€1,238
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Sanford Salary needed to live in Sanford

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Sanford. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Sanford. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents with high school education or higher79.24 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Schools17 schools30 Jun 2026NCES CCD public school count13Official
School enrolment, share of residents28.09 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Mental health provider ratio2 ratio30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio12Official
Primary care doctors per 100,000 residents97 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio12Official
Preventable hospitalizations2,916 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio12Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Sanford when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Average commute time23.32 minutes4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Workers commuting by bicycle0 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Workers commuting by public transport0 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Workers walking to work1 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Nearest airportSOP3 Aug 2026OurAirports16Official
Distance to nearest airport33 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports16Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Sanford. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, HybridCost varies

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, OnlineCost varies
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Sanford.

Find courses near Sanford

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in Sanford is 7.7 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 261 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean7.74 µg/m³country median 7.031 Dec 2024EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 202410Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 11.72 · Feb 14.11 · Mar 18.56 · Apr 23.89 · May 27.11 · Jun 30.61 · Jul 32.33 · Aug 31.17 · Sep 28.11 · Oct 23.06 · Nov 17.28 · Dec 12.94 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00317656 (SANFORD 8 NE)15Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -0.778 · Feb 0.333 · Mar 3.83 · Apr 8.5 · May 13.44 · Jun 18 · Jul 20.39 · Aug 19.44 · Sep 16.17 · Oct 9.28 · Nov 3.5 · Dec 0.667 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00317656 (SANFORD 8 NE)15Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 5.5 · Feb 7.22 · Mar 11.22 · Apr 16.17 · May 20.28 · Jun 24.33 · Jul 26.39 · Aug 25.28 · Sep 22.17 · Oct 16.17 · Nov 10.39 · Dec 6.78 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information15Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 91.69 · Feb 75.95 · Mar 92.46 · Apr 86.11 · May 89.66 · Jun 126.5 · Jul 135.6 · Aug 122.9 · Sep 116.8 · Oct 85.85 · Nov 87.38 · Dec 79.76 mm31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information15Official
PM2.5, highest monitored reading46.7 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean9Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · monitor observation
PM2.5, annual mean9.17 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean9Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · monitor observation
PM2.5 monitoring sites1 monitors1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean9Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · monitor observation
Annual precipitation1,169 mm30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Maximum July temperature26.76 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Average annual temperature17.04 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Minimum January temperature8.86 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation

Similar climate. In United States: Little Rock ±1.1 °C. Elsewhere: Reims (France) ±5.3 °C, Marugame (Japan) ±2.7 °C, Werl (Germany) ±5.6 °C, Hitachi-Naka (Japan) ±2.5 °C, Katsuta (Japan) ±2.5 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share11.79 %31 Dec 2020Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)6Official
Foreign residents4,708 people31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables19Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Population density397.2 people/km²31 Dec 2025Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau7Official
Population34,138 people31 Dec 2025U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program17Official

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median home value245,400 USD4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Owner-occupied homes53.28 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Labour force participation rate61.5 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Residents born abroad14.96 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Naturalized citizens, share of residents3.17 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Non-citizens, share of residents11.79 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Flu vaccination coverage66.89 %30 Jun 2026CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage4Official
Mammography screening coverage77.7 %30 Jun 2026CDC mammography screening rate5Official
Residents without health insurance15.59 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher21.63 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Crime reporting agencies0 agencies30 Jun 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · agency service area
Households with a vehicle available94.27 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent2Official
Public transport agencies in the National Transit Database1 agencies4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Transit passenger trips, 202245,016 trips4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Transit vehicles in peak service, 202214 vehicles4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Workers aged 16 and over13,646 workers4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Workers mainly working from home8.08 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official
Households using cellular data plans71.18 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population3Official

Alternatives for people set on Sanford

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Apex as a Sanford alternative in the same region

41 km away, better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

  • Median gross pay, city: €5,909 Apex vs €2,617 Sanford+126%
  • Residents: 80,419 Apex vs 34,138 Sanford+136%
  • Nearest airport: 17.0 km Apex vs 33.0 km Sanford−48%
  • Unemployment: 3.8% Apex vs 4.4% Sanford−13%
  • Foreign residents: 10.8% Apex vs 11.8% Sanford−8%
  • Annual PM2.5: 7.6 µg/m³ Apex vs 7.7 µg/m³ Sanfordsame level

Draper as a Sanford alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 2902 km, better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

  • Median gross pay, city: €4,154 Draper vs €2,617 Sanford+59%
  • Unemployment: 2.4% Draper vs 4.4% Sanford−45%
  • Foreign residents: 6.0% Draper vs 11.8% Sanford−49%
  • Residents: 50,652 Draper vs 34,138 Sanford+48%
  • Annual PM2.5: 8.2 µg/m³ Draper vs 7.7 µg/m³ Sanford+5%
  • Nearest airport: 31.0 km Draper vs 33.0 km Sanford−6%

Alternative cities in United States

Other cities in United States to compare with Sanford, nearest in population first.

All United States cities

How does Sanford compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Sanford's.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Sanford?

The median gross salary is 3,114 EUR/month. Source: data.bls.gov.

What is the unemployment rate in Sanford?

The unemployment rate is 4.38 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is the air quality good in Sanford?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.74 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.

How many people live in Sanford?

The published population is 34,138 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.

How many foreign residents live in Sanford?

4,708 residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is Sanford a good place to live?

Sanford may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Sanford (North Carolina), United States: population, rent [ImmigrationDB compilation; version e2fe4798d2f187d18b5593e04613a6de]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/sanford-nc/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_sanford-north-carolina-united-states-population-rent_e9b570ab8d62,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Sanford (North Carolina), United States: population, rent},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {e2fe4798d2f187d18b5593e04613a6de},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/sanford-nc/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Sanford (North Carolina), United States: population, rent](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/sanford-nc/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version e2fe4798d2f187d18b5593e04613a6de; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
  2. ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  3. ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  4. CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  6. Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  7. Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  8. data.bls.gov data.bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
  9. EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  10. EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
Show 10 more sources
  1. FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  2. HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  3. NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00317656 (SANFORD 8 NE) NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  6. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  7. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  8. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
  9. Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
  10. Numbeo - Cost of Living in Sanford (Wayback Machine capture 20250619002229) numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-31

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.