RANKING · 2024 ACS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most educated, North Carolina counties

North Carolina counties ranked by the share of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher (2024 ACS). This list covers the 100 counties in North Carolina that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 100 is 23.6%. Biggest climber in the top 100 since 2020: Camden County, NC, up 25 places to #30.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros ZIP codes

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

RANKPLACESTATEPOPBACHELOR'S DEGREE OR HIGHERVS 2000

01Orange County, NCNC152,49861.8%+10.3 pts

02Wake County, NCNC1,257,23557.2%+13.3 pts

03Durham County, NCNC347,24055.2%+15.1 pts

04Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,38349.2%+12.1 pts

05Chatham County, NCNC85,11148.9%+21.4 pts

06Watauga County, NCNC54,78648.1%+14.8 pts

07▲1Buncombe County, NCNC277,41745.9%+20.6 pts

08▼1New Hanover County, NCNC245,95945.4%+14.4 pts

09▲1Dare County, NCNC38,24543.2%+15.5 pts

10▼1Moore County, NCNC110,61941.0%+14.2 pts

11▲1Union County, NCNC267,67440.5%+19.2 pts

12▲2Transylvania County, NCNC34,21140.0%+16.2 pts

13▼2Guilford County, NCNC562,23439.0%+8.7 pts

14▼1Forsyth County, NCNC401,71838.5%+9.8 pts

15Cabarrus County, NCNC249,72537.9%+18.8 pts

16▲2Henderson County, NCNC122,37536.5%+12.4 pts

17▼1Polk County, NCNC20,53336.2%+10.5 pts

18▲3Brunswick County, NCNC174,70234.7%+18.6 pts

19▲4Carteret County, NCNC70,46934.5%+14.7 pts

20Iredell County, NCNC211,79834.1%+16.7 pts

21▼4Pitt County, NCNC182,93633.8%+7.4 pts

22▼3Madison County, NCNC22,55332.2%+16.1 pts

23▲3Clay County, NCNC12,23931.8%+16.4 pts

24Jackson County, NCNC45,03931.1%+5.6 pts

25▲4Currituck County, NCNC33,15830.9%+17.6 pts

26▼4Pender County, NCNC72,11130.6%+17.1 pts

27▼2Haywood County, NCNC63,36929.5%+13.6 pts

28▲4Johnston County, NCNC256,44828.9%+13.0 pts

29▼1Alamance County, NCNC186,17728.7%+9.5 pts

30▲25Camden County, NCNC11,31528.6%+12.4 pts

31▲8Lincoln County, NCNC98,65428.3%+15.4 pts

32▲1Macon County, NCNC39,23227.9%+11.7 pts

33▼6Cumberland County, NCNC338,47327.8%+8.7 pts

34▲3Pasquotank County, NCNC42,20127.6%+11.2 pts

35▼5Craven County, NCNC105,02527.5%+8.3 pts

36▼5Davie County, NCNC45,85527.3%+9.7 pts

37▲10Franklin County, NCNC82,03727.0%+13.8 pts

38▲4Gaston County, NCNC246,55826.5%+12.3 pts

39▼1Catawba County, NCNC170,17226.1%+9.1 pts

40▼4Onslow County, NCNC217,17526.0%+11.2 pts

41▲12Ashe County, NCNC27,51425.9%+13.9 pts

42▲3Pamlico County, NCNC12,75825.4%+10.7 pts

43▼9Granville County, NCNC61,42125.2%+12.2 pts

44▲8Yancey County, NCNC19,08425.1%+11.9 pts

45▼10Avery County, NCNC18,11025.0%+10.5 pts

46▼2Chowan County, NCNC14,08225.0%+8.6 pts

47▼6Harnett County, NCNC150,13724.5%+11.7 pts

48▼8Mitchell County, NCNC15,06224.2%+12.0 pts

49▼6Cherokee County, NCNC30,83024.2%+13.2 pts

50▼2Alleghany County, NCNC11,47923.6%+11.9 pts

51▲12Hoke County, NCNC56,93923.5%+12.5 pts

52▲4Rowan County, NCNC155,09623.3%+9.1 pts

53▼7Nash County, NCNC99,36522.1%+4.8 pts

54▲5Cleveland County, NCNC103,32522.0%+8.7 pts

55▲2Wayne County, NCNC122,27821.7%+6.8 pts

56▼2Wilson County, NCNC81,15021.7%+6.7 pts

57▲4Davidson County, NCNC180,18221.7%+8.9 pts

58Perquimans County, NCNC13,49021.7%+9.4 pts

59▲1Rutherford County, NCNC65,74521.5%+9.0 pts

60▼10Swain County, NCNC14,02421.4%+7.6 pts

61▼10Lee County, NCNC70,25821.3%+4.1 pts

62▼13Beaufort County, NCNC44,67021.2%+5.2 pts

63▲6Burke County, NCNC88,65521.0%+8.2 pts

64▲1Surry County, NCNC72,28720.4%+8.3 pts

65▲2Stanly County, NCNC68,83019.9%+7.1 pts

66▲23Jones County, NCNC9,57519.8%+10.3 pts

67▼3Bladen County, NCNC30,00719.5%+8.2 pts

68▲9Person County, NCNC40,63619.3%+9.0 pts

69▲1Montgomery County, NCNC26,40319.2%+9.1 pts

70▲16Bertie County, NCNC17,08619.0%+10.2 pts

71▲9Warren County, NCNC18,89818.9%+7.3 pts

72▲3Caldwell County, NCNC81,10518.8%+8.4 pts

73▲18Stokes County, NCNC46,12618.2%+8.9 pts

74▼12McDowell County, NCNC45,19818.1%+9.1 pts

75▲1Caswell County, NCNC22,56317.9%+9.6 pts

76▼4Randolph County, NCNC149,51617.9%+6.8 pts

77▲6Northampton County, NCNC16,49117.9%+7.1 pts

78▲7Duplin County, NCNC51,57117.6%+7.2 pts

79▲13Graham County, NCNC8,19017.6%+6.4 pts

80▲13Yadkin County, NCNC38,32517.5%+7.2 pts

81▼10Edgecombe County, NCNC49,12117.5%+9.0 pts

82▼14Vance County, NCNC42,63817.2%+6.5 pts

83▼2Rockingham County, NCNC94,19517.0%+6.2 pts

84▼11Wilkes County, NCNC66,23316.9%+5.6 pts

85▼3Martin County, NCNC21,60116.7%+5.1 pts

86▲2Alexander County, NCNC36,95816.7%+7.4 pts

87▼8Scotland County, NCNC33,32216.6%+0.7 pts

88▼14Hertford County, NCNC19,01516.6%+5.5 pts

89▼11Lenoir County, NCNC55,83716.3%+3.0 pts

90▼3Sampson County, NCNC61,50416.2%+5.2 pts

91▼7Halifax County, NCNC46,53416.1%+5.0 pts

92▼26Richmond County, NCNC42,04116.0%+5.9 pts

93▲2Washington County, NCNC10,63814.8%+3.2 pts

94▲5Hyde County, NCNC4,55414.7%+4.1 pts

95▼5Robeson County, NCNC119,94114.7%+3.2 pts

96▼2Columbus County, NCNC50,48714.6%+4.5 pts

97▲1Tyrrell County, NCNC3,53713.0%+2.4 pts

98▲2Greene County, NCNC20,70012.2%+4.0 pts

99▼3Gates County, NCNC10,23410.9%+0.4 pts

100▼3Anson County, NCNC21,7589.9%+0.7 pts

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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