RANKING · 2000 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most graduate degrees, North Carolina counties · 2000

North Carolina counties ranked by the share of adults 25+ holding a graduate or professional degree (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

RANKPLACESTATEPOPGRADUATE DEGREEVS 2000

01Orange County, NCNC152,49827.1%+0%

02Durham County, NCNC347,24017.4%+0%

03Watauga County, NCNC54,78614.5%+0%

04Wake County, NCNC1,257,23514.3%+0%

05Jackson County, NCNC45,03911.6%+0%

06Chatham County, NCNC85,11111.6%+0%

07Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,38310.5%+0%

08Polk County, NCNC20,5339.6%+0%

09Forsyth County, NCNC401,7189.5%+0%

10Moore County, NCNC110,6199.4%+0%

11Pitt County, NCNC182,9369.3%+0%

12Guilford County, NCNC562,2349.0%+0%

13Transylvania County, NCNC34,2119.0%+0%

14Buncombe County, NCNC277,4178.9%+0%

15New Hanover County, NCNC245,9598.7%+0%

16Henderson County, NCNC122,3758.5%+0%

17Dare County, NCNC38,2458.4%+0%

18Carteret County, NCNC70,4696.7%+0%

19Madison County, NCNC22,5536.5%+0%

20Clay County, NCNC12,2396.2%+0%

21Haywood County, NCNC63,3696.0%+0%

22Cumberland County, NCNC338,4736.0%+0%

23Lee County, NCNC70,2585.8%+0%

24Craven County, NCNC105,0255.8%+0%

25Macon County, NCNC39,2325.7%+0%

26Union County, NCNC267,6745.6%+0%

27Alamance County, NCNC186,1775.4%+0%

28Scotland County, NCNC33,3225.3%+0%

29Camden County, NCNC11,3155.3%+0%

30Avery County, NCNC18,1105.2%+0%

31Pamlico County, NCNC12,7585.2%+0%

32Chowan County, NCNC14,0825.2%+0%

33Beaufort County, NCNC44,6705.2%+0%

34Brunswick County, NCNC174,7025.1%+0%

35Davie County, NCNC45,8555.0%+0%

36Pasquotank County, NCNC42,2014.8%+0%

37Nash County, NCNC99,3654.8%+0%

38Iredell County, NCNC211,7984.7%+0%

39Wayne County, NCNC122,2784.7%+0%

40Catawba County, NCNC170,1724.7%+0%

41Cabarrus County, NCNC249,7254.7%+0%

42Warren County, NCNC18,8984.5%+0%

43Onslow County, NCNC217,1754.5%+0%

44Cleveland County, NCNC103,3254.3%+0%

45Mitchell County, NCNC15,0624.3%+0%

46Yancey County, NCNC19,0844.2%+0%

47Swain County, NCNC14,0244.1%+0%

48Cherokee County, NCNC30,8303.9%+0%

49Burke County, NCNC88,6553.9%+0%

50Graham County, NCNC8,1903.9%+0%

51Rutherford County, NCNC65,7453.9%+0%

52Wilson County, NCNC81,1503.9%+0%

53Ashe County, NCNC27,5143.9%+0%

54Rowan County, NCNC155,0963.9%+0%

55Gaston County, NCNC246,5583.8%+0%

56Washington County, NCNC10,6383.7%+0%

57Perquimans County, NCNC13,4903.7%+0%

58Lenoir County, NCNC55,8373.7%+0%

59Granville County, NCNC61,4213.7%+0%

60Robeson County, NCNC119,9413.7%+0%

61Johnston County, NCNC256,4483.6%+0%

62Wilkes County, NCNC66,2333.6%+0%

63Pender County, NCNC72,1113.6%+0%

64Stanly County, NCNC68,8303.6%+0%

65Hertford County, NCNC19,0153.6%+0%

66Richmond County, NCNC42,0413.5%+0%

67Alleghany County, NCNC11,4793.5%+0%

68Harnett County, NCNC150,1373.4%+0%

69Franklin County, NCNC82,0373.4%+0%

70Lincoln County, NCNC98,6543.4%+0%

71Martin County, NCNC21,6013.3%+0%

72Columbus County, NCNC50,4873.3%+0%

73Surry County, NCNC72,2873.3%+0%

74Vance County, NCNC42,6383.3%+0%

75Hoke County, NCNC56,9393.3%+0%

76Davidson County, NCNC180,1823.2%+0%

77Sampson County, NCNC61,5043.2%+0%

78Rockingham County, NCNC94,1953.2%+0%

79Caldwell County, NCNC81,1053.2%+0%

80Duplin County, NCNC51,5713.1%+0%

81Bladen County, NCNC30,0073.1%+0%

82Greene County, NCNC20,7003.1%+0%

83Halifax County, NCNC46,5343.1%+0%

84Hyde County, NCNC4,5543.1%+0%

85Currituck County, NCNC33,1583.0%+0%

86Randolph County, NCNC149,5163.0%+0%

87Yadkin County, NCNC38,3252.9%+0%

88Tyrrell County, NCNC3,5372.8%+0%

89Montgomery County, NCNC26,4032.7%+0%

90Alexander County, NCNC36,9582.6%+0%

91McDowell County, NCNC45,1982.6%+0%

92Jones County, NCNC9,5752.6%+0%

93Anson County, NCNC21,7582.6%+0%

94Bertie County, NCNC17,0862.6%+0%

95Person County, NCNC40,6362.6%+0%

96Edgecombe County, NCNC49,1212.4%+0%

97Northampton County, NCNC16,4912.4%+0%

98Caswell County, NCNC22,5632.3%+0%

99Stokes County, NCNC46,1262.3%+0%

100Gates County, NCNC10,2342.2%+0%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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