RANKING · 1990 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most educated, North Carolina counties · 1990

North Carolina counties ranked by the share of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher (2023 ACS). This list covers the 100 counties in North Carolina that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros ZIP codes

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

RANKPLACESTATEPOPBACHELOR'S DEGREE OR HIGHERVS 2000

01Orange County, NCNC152,49846.1%−11%

02Wake County, NCNC1,257,23535.3%−20%

03Durham County, NCNC347,24033.4%−17%

04Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,38328.3%−24%

05Watauga County, NCNC54,78627.4%−18%

06Guilford County, NCNC562,23424.8%−18%

07Forsyth County, NCNC401,71824.1%−16%

08Pitt County, NCNC182,93621.9%−17%

09Dare County, NCNC38,24521.4%−23%

10New Hanover County, NCNC245,95921.2%−31%

11Polk County, NCNC20,53320.1%−22%

12Moore County, NCNC110,61919.9%−26%

13Jackson County, NCNC45,03919.7%−23%

14Chatham County, NCNC85,11119.5%−29%

15Henderson County, NCNC122,37519.5%−19%

16Buncombe County, NCNC277,41719.1%−24%

17Transylvania County, NCNC34,21117.9%−24%

18Cumberland County, NCNC338,47316.6%−13%

19Carteret County, NCNC70,46916.2%−18%

20Craven County, NCNC105,02515.1%−22%

21Davie County, NCNC45,85514.7%−17%

22Alamance County, NCNC186,17714.6%−24%

23Wilson County, NCNC81,15014.4%−4%

24Pasquotank County, NCNC42,20114.4%−12%

25Lee County, NCNC70,25814.3%−17%

26Catawba County, NCNC170,17214.2%−17%

27Nash County, NCNC99,36513.7%−20%

28Scotland County, NCNC33,32213.6%−14%

29Onslow County, NCNC217,17513.4%−9%

30Macon County, NCNC39,23213.2%−19%

31Union County, NCNC267,67413.2%−38%

32Haywood County, NCNC63,36912.8%−20%

33Wayne County, NCNC122,27812.7%−15%

34Clay County, NCNC12,23912.6%−18%

35Avery County, NCNC18,11012.4%−15%

36Cabarrus County, NCNC249,72512.3%−36%

37Chowan County, NCNC14,08212.2%−26%

38Iredell County, NCNC211,79811.8%−32%

39Rowan County, NCNC155,09611.7%−17%

40Pamlico County, NCNC12,75811.6%−21%

41Pender County, NCNC72,11111.6%−14%

42Lenoir County, NCNC55,83711.5%−14%

43Madison County, NCNC22,55311.3%−30%

44Cleveland County, NCNC103,32511.1%−16%

45Johnston County, NCNC256,44811.1%−30%

46Robeson County, NCNC119,94111.0%−4%

47Beaufort County, NCNC44,67010.8%−32%

48Gaston County, NCNC246,55810.8%−24%

49Hertford County, NCNC19,01510.7%−3%

50Brunswick County, NCNC174,70210.7%−33%

51Burke County, NCNC88,65510.6%−17%

52Lincoln County, NCNC98,65410.5%−19%

53Camden County, NCNC11,31510.1%−38%

54Graham County, NCNC8,19010.0%−11%

55Yancey County, NCNC19,08410.0%−24%

56Davidson County, NCNC180,18210.0%−22%

57Swain County, NCNC14,0249.9%−29%

58Rutherford County, NCNC65,7459.8%−21%

59Granville County, NCNC61,4219.6%−27%

60Harnett County, NCNC150,1379.5%−25%

61Martin County, NCNC21,6019.5%−18%

62Vance County, NCNC42,6389.5%−11%

63Stanly County, NCNC68,8309.4%−26%

64Surry County, NCNC72,2879.4%−22%

65Mitchell County, NCNC15,0629.2%−24%

66Franklin County, NCNC82,0379.2%−30%

67Randolph County, NCNC149,5169.1%−17%

68Columbus County, NCNC50,4879.1%−10%

69Alleghany County, NCNC11,4799.0%−23%

70Greene County, NCNC20,7008.9%+9%

71Caldwell County, NCNC81,1058.9%−15%

72Rockingham County, NCNC94,1958.8%−18%

73Perquimans County, NCNC13,4908.8%−29%

74Northampton County, NCNC16,4918.8%−19%

75Wilkes County, NCNC66,2338.8%−22%

76Washington County, NCNC10,6388.7%−25%

77Halifax County, NCNC46,5348.6%−23%

78Hoke County, NCNC56,9398.4%−23%

79Currituck County, NCNC33,1588.2%−38%

80Ashe County, NCNC27,5148.1%−33%

81Jones County, NCNC9,5758.1%−14%

82Edgecombe County, NCNC49,1218.1%−5%

83Sampson County, NCNC61,5048.1%−27%

84McDowell County, NCNC45,1988.1%−10%

85Bertie County, NCNC17,0868.0%−9%

86Cherokee County, NCNC30,8308.0%−27%

87Alexander County, NCNC36,9587.9%−15%

88Richmond County, NCNC42,0417.9%−22%

89Montgomery County, NCNC26,4037.8%−23%

90Hyde County, NCNC4,5547.7%−27%

91Bladen County, NCNC30,0077.7%−32%

92Tyrrell County, NCNC3,5377.6%−29%

93Person County, NCNC40,6367.6%−27%

94Gates County, NCNC10,2347.4%−30%

95Anson County, NCNC21,7587.3%−20%

96Stokes County, NCNC46,1267.3%−22%

97Warren County, NCNC18,8987.1%−38%

98Yadkin County, NCNC38,3257.1%−31%

99Duplin County, NCNC51,5716.6%−37%

100Caswell County, NCNC22,5636.6%−21%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-06-02 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES