City Score: Murphy, NC

One number for Murphy, NC: the condition of the city from public data and how the church is moving, updated weekly, every indicator footnoted to its source. Back to Murphy, NC. In North Carolina.

The score

Murphy, NC scores 34 out of 100 on the Joy Project City Score, status Liberty since Oct 2026. Condition 33 (the city from public data, 60%) and Movement 36 (how the church is moving, 40%). How the score is built.

The condition of Murphy, NC

  • What Murphy is up against: 65 out of 100 — Better than 19% of cities
  • Where grace is growing: 31 out of 100 — Better than 53% of cities
  • Marriage & family: 40 out of 100 — Better than 37% of cities, down 44 points
  • Christian liberty: 25 out of 100 — Better than 16% of cities, up 3 points

What takes Murphy, NC to Revival

  • City Pulse: City Pulse 36 → 40

What affected it

  • This quarter: Adults 25-44 married down 65 percentile points (Marriage & family)
  • This quarter: Children with married parents down 46 percentile points (Marriage & family)
  • This quarter: Cohabiting households down 19 percentile points (Marriage & family)

Murphy, NC over time

  • — Entered Liberty

Sources

  1. Violent crime: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · North Carolina · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  2. Property crime: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · North Carolina · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  3. Sexually transmitted infections: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  4. Drug overdose deaths: CDC NCHS, provisional county drug overdose deaths (VSRR) · 2025 · North Carolina (19 counties summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  5. Adult entertainment outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  6. Gambling outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  7. Cannabis outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  8. Liquor outlets and bars: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  9. Predatory lenders: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  10. Abortion facilities (mapped): OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  11. Church adherents: 2020 U.S. Religion Census · 2020 · Cherokee County, NC · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  12. Congregations: 2020 U.S. Religion Census · 2020 · Cherokee County, NC · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  13. Charitable giving: IRS Statistics of Income, county data · 2023 · Cherokee County, NC · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  14. Given to local needs in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · 37039 (1 city summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  15. Needs met in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · 37039 (1 city summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  16. Volunteers mobilized in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · 37039 (1 city summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  17. New believers in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · 37039 (1 city summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  18. Searches for a church in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · 37039 (1 city summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  19. Foster and adoptive families in the churches: Church workspace entries (church-attested) · 2026-10 · 37039 (1 city summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  20. Children with married parents: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Cherokee County, NC · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  21. Adults 25-44 married: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Cherokee County, NC · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  22. Cohabiting households: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Cherokee County, NC · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  23. Divorces: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · North Carolina · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  24. Marriages: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · North Carolina · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  25. Births to unmarried mothers: CDC WONDER · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  26. Religious Liberty in the States score: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · North Carolina · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  27. Safeguards fully in law: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · North Carolina · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  28. State Religious Freedom Restoration Act: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · North Carolina · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  29. Anti-Christian hate crimes: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · North Carolina · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  30. School choice: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · North Carolina · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  31. Protections for the unborn: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · North Carolina · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  32. Homeschool freedom: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · North Carolina · fetched Oct 29, 2026

Every indicator

What Murphy is up against — 65 out of 100

Where grace is growing — 31 out of 100

  • Church adherents: 443.5 adherents per 1,000 residents, better than 42% of cities · 2020, Cherokee County, NC · 2020 U.S. Religion Census
  • Congregations: 26.4 congregations per 10,000 residents, better than 64% of cities · 2020, Cherokee County, NC · 2020 U.S. Religion Census
  • Charitable giving: 0.8 itemized charitable deductions as % of adjusted gross income, better than 52% of cities · 2023, Cherokee County, NC · IRS Statistics of Income, county data
  • Given to local needs in Joy: 0 dollars per 100,000 residents, trailing 12 months, better than 0% of cities · 2026-09, 37039 (1 city summed) · Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · verified in Joy
  • Needs met in Joy: 0 per 100,000 residents, trailing 12 months, better than 0% of cities · 2026-09, 37039 (1 city summed) · Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · verified in Joy
  • Volunteers mobilized in Joy: 0 per 100,000 residents, trailing 12 months, better than 0% of cities · 2026-09, 37039 (1 city summed) · Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · verified in Joy
  • New believers in Joy: 0 per 100,000 residents, trailing 12 months, better than 0% of cities · 2026-09, 37039 (1 city summed) · Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · verified in Joy
  • Searches for a church in Joy: 0 per 100,000 residents, trailing 12 months, better than 0% of cities · 2026-09, 37039 (1 city summed) · Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · verified in Joy
  • Foster and adoptive families in the churches: 0 per 100,000 residents, better than 0% of cities · 2026-10, 37039 (1 city summed) · Church workspace entries (church-attested) · verified in Joy

Marriage & family — 40 out of 100

Christian liberty — 25 out of 100

Quote and download

Cite it as: Joy Project City Score v1.0, Murphy, NC, 2026-Q4, joyproject.com/cities/murphy-nc/score

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