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 (1990 ACS). This list covers the 100 counties in North Carolina that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

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North CarolinaAll states All rankings

SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros ZIP codes

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

RANKPLACESTATEPOPBACHELOR'S DEGREE OR HIGHERVS –

01Orange County, NCNC152,49846.1%–

02Wake County, NCNC1,257,23535.3%–

03Durham County, NCNC347,24033.4%–

04Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,38328.3%–

05Watauga County, NCNC54,78627.4%–

06Guilford County, NCNC562,23424.8%–

07Forsyth County, NCNC401,71824.1%–

08Pitt County, NCNC182,93621.9%–

09Dare County, NCNC38,24521.4%–

10New Hanover County, NCNC245,95921.2%–

11Polk County, NCNC20,53320.1%–

12Moore County, NCNC110,61919.9%–

13Jackson County, NCNC45,03919.7%–

14Chatham County, NCNC85,11119.5%–

15Henderson County, NCNC122,37519.5%–

16Buncombe County, NCNC277,41719.1%–

17Transylvania County, NCNC34,21117.9%–

18Cumberland County, NCNC338,47316.6%–

19Carteret County, NCNC70,46916.2%–

20Craven County, NCNC105,02515.1%–

21Davie County, NCNC45,85514.7%–

22Alamance County, NCNC186,17714.6%–

23Wilson County, NCNC81,15014.4%–

24Pasquotank County, NCNC42,20114.4%–

25Lee County, NCNC70,25814.3%–

26Catawba County, NCNC170,17214.2%–

27Nash County, NCNC99,36513.7%–

28Scotland County, NCNC33,32213.6%–

29Onslow County, NCNC217,17513.4%–

30Macon County, NCNC39,23213.2%–

31Union County, NCNC267,67413.2%–

32Haywood County, NCNC63,36912.8%–

33Wayne County, NCNC122,27812.7%–

34Clay County, NCNC12,23912.6%–

35Avery County, NCNC18,11012.4%–

36Cabarrus County, NCNC249,72512.3%–

37Chowan County, NCNC14,08212.2%–

38Iredell County, NCNC211,79811.8%–

39Rowan County, NCNC155,09611.7%–

40Pamlico County, NCNC12,75811.6%–

41Pender County, NCNC72,11111.6%–

42Lenoir County, NCNC55,83711.5%–

43Madison County, NCNC22,55311.3%–

44Cleveland County, NCNC103,32511.1%–

45Johnston County, NCNC256,44811.1%–

46Robeson County, NCNC119,94111.0%–

47Beaufort County, NCNC44,67010.8%–

48Gaston County, NCNC246,55810.8%–

49Hertford County, NCNC19,01510.7%–

50Brunswick County, NCNC174,70210.7%–

51Burke County, NCNC88,65510.6%–

52Lincoln County, NCNC98,65410.5%–

53Camden County, NCNC11,31510.1%–

54Graham County, NCNC8,19010.0%–

55Yancey County, NCNC19,08410.0%–

56Davidson County, NCNC180,18210.0%–

57Swain County, NCNC14,0249.9%–

58Rutherford County, NCNC65,7459.8%–

59Granville County, NCNC61,4219.6%–

60Harnett County, NCNC150,1379.5%–

61Martin County, NCNC21,6019.5%–

62Vance County, NCNC42,6389.5%–

63Stanly County, NCNC68,8309.4%–

64Surry County, NCNC72,2879.4%–

65Mitchell County, NCNC15,0629.2%–

66Franklin County, NCNC82,0379.2%–

67Randolph County, NCNC149,5169.1%–

68Columbus County, NCNC50,4879.1%–

69Alleghany County, NCNC11,4799.0%–

70Greene County, NCNC20,7008.9%–

71Caldwell County, NCNC81,1058.9%–

72Rockingham County, NCNC94,1958.8%–

73Perquimans County, NCNC13,4908.8%–

74Northampton County, NCNC16,4918.8%–

75Wilkes County, NCNC66,2338.8%–

76Washington County, NCNC10,6388.7%–

77Halifax County, NCNC46,5348.6%–

78Hoke County, NCNC56,9398.4%–

79Currituck County, NCNC33,1588.2%–

80Ashe County, NCNC27,5148.1%–

81Jones County, NCNC9,5758.1%–

82Edgecombe County, NCNC49,1218.1%–

83Sampson County, NCNC61,5048.1%–

84McDowell County, NCNC45,1988.1%–

85Bertie County, NCNC17,0868.0%–

86Cherokee County, NCNC30,8308.0%–

87Alexander County, NCNC36,9587.9%–

88Richmond County, NCNC42,0417.9%–

89Montgomery County, NCNC26,4037.8%–

90Hyde County, NCNC4,5547.7%–

91Bladen County, NCNC30,0077.7%–

92Tyrrell County, NCNC3,5377.6%–

93Person County, NCNC40,6367.6%–

94Gates County, NCNC10,2347.4%–

95Anson County, NCNC21,7587.3%–

96Stokes County, NCNC46,1267.3%–

97Warren County, NCNC18,8987.1%–

98Yadkin County, NCNC38,3257.1%–

99Duplin County, NCNC51,5716.6%–

100Caswell County, NCNC22,5636.6%–

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-07-15 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU DECENNIAL CENSUS