RANKING · 2024 ACS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Highest labor force participation, North Carolina counties

North Carolina counties ranked by the share of adults 16+ in the civilian labor force (2024 ACS). This list covers the 100 counties in North Carolina that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 100 is 57.2%. Biggest climber in the top 100 since 2020: Camden County, NC, up 32 places to #7.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros ZIP codes

YEAR2020 2024

RANKPLACESTATEPOPLABOR FORCE PARTICIPATIONVS 2020

01Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,38372.0%+1.0 pts

02Onslow County, NCNC217,17570.0%−0.9 pts

03Wake County, NCNC1,257,23569.8%−0.6 pts

04Cabarrus County, NCNC249,72568.4%+0.8 pts

05Union County, NCNC267,67467.7%+0.2 pts

06Durham County, NCNC347,24067.7%+0.7 pts

07▲32Camden County, NCNC11,31567.4%+8.3 pts

08Currituck County, NCNC33,15866.6%+1.8 pts

09▼2Johnston County, NCNC256,44866.2%+1.2 pts

10▲5New Hanover County, NCNC245,95965.7%+3.0 pts

11Iredell County, NCNC211,79864.8%+0.4 pts

12▼2Cumberland County, NCNC338,47364.6%+0.2 pts

13▼1Guilford County, NCNC562,23464.1%+0.2 pts

14▼5Dare County, NCNC38,24564.0%−0.7 pts

15▲6Alamance County, NCNC186,17763.3%+1.6 pts

16▼3Pitt County, NCNC182,93662.8%−0.3 pts

17▼1Gaston County, NCNC246,55862.6%+0.3 pts

18▲2Forsyth County, NCNC401,71862.2%+0.5 pts

19▼2Orange County, NCNC152,49861.8%−0.5 pts

20▲4Franklin County, NCNC82,03761.8%+0.8 pts

21▲4Wayne County, NCNC122,27861.2%+0.8 pts

22▲9Pender County, NCNC72,11160.9%+1.0 pts

23▼4Lincoln County, NCNC98,65460.9%−1.0 pts

24▼1Lee County, NCNC70,25860.8%−0.3 pts

25▲4Randolph County, NCNC149,51660.5%+0.6 pts

26▼8Catawba County, NCNC170,17260.3%−2.0 pts

27▼13Person County, NCNC40,63660.2%−2.6 pts

28▲8Hoke County, NCNC56,93960.0%+0.6 pts

29▲1Rowan County, NCNC155,09660.0%+0.1 pts

30▲8Davidson County, NCNC180,18259.9%+0.7 pts

31▼4Harnett County, NCNC150,13759.8%−0.4 pts

32▲1Nash County, NCNC99,36559.5%−0.2 pts

33▼7Davie County, NCNC45,85559.4%−0.9 pts

34▲13Duplin County, NCNC51,57159.3%+1.6 pts

35▼13Buncombe County, NCNC277,41759.1%−2.1 pts

36▼1Pasquotank County, NCNC42,20159.0%−0.4 pts

37▼5Watauga County, NCNC54,78659.0%−0.7 pts

38▼4Craven County, NCNC105,02558.7%−0.8 pts

39▲17Cleveland County, NCNC103,32558.7%+2.0 pts

40▲13Yadkin County, NCNC38,32558.6%+1.5 pts

41▲5Chatham County, NCNC85,11158.6%+0.8 pts

42▼2Vance County, NCNC42,63858.5%−0.1 pts

43▼15Stanly County, NCNC68,83058.4%−1.7 pts

44▲6Caldwell County, NCNC81,10558.4%+0.8 pts

45▲18Edgecombe County, NCNC49,12158.3%+2.6 pts

46▲15Burke County, NCNC88,65557.7%+1.7 pts

47▼10Wilson County, NCNC81,15057.5%−1.7 pts

48▲1Richmond County, NCNC42,04157.3%−0.3 pts

49▲2Moore County, NCNC110,61957.2%−0.3 pts

50▼7Henderson County, NCNC122,37557.2%−0.8 pts

51▲4Surry County, NCNC72,28757.1%+0.4 pts

52▲13Swain County, NCNC14,02457.0%+1.6 pts

53▲1Martin County, NCNC21,60156.7%−0.4 pts

54▲4Rockingham County, NCNC94,19556.6%0.0 pts

55▼14Sampson County, NCNC61,50456.4%−1.8 pts

56▼12Alexander County, NCNC36,95856.3%−1.7 pts

57▼9Lenoir County, NCNC55,83756.3%−1.4 pts

58▲11Mitchell County, NCNC15,06256.2%+1.8 pts

59▲1Haywood County, NCNC63,36956.0%−0.2 pts

60▲15Chowan County, NCNC14,08255.9%+3.7 pts

61▲5Jackson County, NCNC45,03955.8%+1.2 pts

62▼10Gates County, NCNC10,23455.8%−1.6 pts

63▼1Wilkes County, NCNC66,23355.7%−0.2 pts

64▲6Madison County, NCNC22,55355.5%+1.2 pts

65▲2Beaufort County, NCNC44,67055.2%+0.5 pts

66▼7Carteret County, NCNC70,46955.0%−1.4 pts

67▼22Stokes County, NCNC46,12654.9%−3.1 pts

68▲5Rutherford County, NCNC65,74554.9%+2.0 pts

69▲8Jones County, NCNC9,57554.8%+3.4 pts

70▼2McDowell County, NCNC45,19854.5%0.0 pts

71▲1Yancey County, NCNC19,08454.4%+1.2 pts

72▼30Granville County, NCNC61,42154.2%−3.9 pts

73▼2Polk County, NCNC20,53353.8%+0.6 pts

74▲7Macon County, NCNC39,23253.3%+2.6 pts

75▲10Montgomery County, NCNC26,40353.2%+3.2 pts

76▲4Scotland County, NCNC33,32252.9%+2.0 pts

77▼20Ashe County, NCNC27,51452.7%−3.9 pts

78▲15Northampton County, NCNC16,49152.3%+4.4 pts

79▲10Halifax County, NCNC46,53451.9%+3.1 pts

80▼16Anson County, NCNC21,75851.5%−4.0 pts

81▲3Perquimans County, NCNC13,49051.5%+1.3 pts

82▼6Greene County, NCNC20,70051.4%−0.3 pts

83▲3Hertford County, NCNC19,01551.3%+1.6 pts

84▼10Caswell County, NCNC22,56351.2%−1.6 pts

85▼6Robeson County, NCNC119,94150.9%−0.1 pts

86▼4Graham County, NCNC8,19050.9%+0.4 pts

87▲9Columbus County, NCNC50,48750.6%+3.4 pts

88▼1Warren County, NCNC18,89849.7%+0.1 pts

89▲1Bladen County, NCNC30,00749.5%+0.7 pts

90▲2Cherokee County, NCNC30,83049.3%+1.3 pts

91Brunswick County, NCNC174,70249.1%+0.8 pts

92▼14Transylvania County, NCNC34,21149.0%−2.4 pts

93▼10Alleghany County, NCNC11,47947.5%−2.9 pts

94▲4Avery County, NCNC18,11047.3%+1.8 pts

95Bertie County, NCNC17,08645.7%−1.9 pts

96▼8Clay County, NCNC12,23945.4%−3.6 pts

97▼3Hyde County, NCNC4,55445.1%−2.6 pts

98▼1Washington County, NCNC10,63845.0%−1.8 pts

99Tyrrell County, NCNC3,53743.1%−1.6 pts

100Pamlico County, NCNC12,75843.0%0.0 pts

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES