RANKING · 2024 ACS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most residents in poverty, North Carolina counties

North Carolina counties with the most residents living below the poverty line, as of the 2024 American Community Survey. Ranked by number of people, not the poverty rate. This list covers the 100 counties in North Carolina that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

North CarolinaAll states All rankings

SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

RELATEDHighest median household income Lowest median household income Highest per-capita income Lowest poverty rate Highest poverty rate Most six-figure households

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

RANKPLACESTATEPOPRESIDENTS IN POVERTYVS 2000

01Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,383119,643+87%

02Wake County, NCNC1,257,23595,815+95%

03Guilford County, NCNC562,23479,867+79%

04Forsyth County, NCNC401,71856,619+67%

05Cumberland County, NCNC338,47356,536+46%

06Durham County, NCNC347,24038,241+28%

07Pitt County, NCNC182,93635,153+29%

08Buncombe County, NCNC277,41732,471+38%

09Robeson County, NCNC119,94131,831+13%

10Gaston County, NCNC246,55831,753+54%

11New Hanover County, NCNC245,95928,918+38%

12Johnston County, NCNC256,44824,914+59%

13Onslow County, NCNC217,17524,101+24%

14Rowan County, NCNC155,09623,970+74%

15Alamance County, NCNC186,17723,617+62%

16Davidson County, NCNC180,18222,220+50%

17Cabarrus County, NCNC249,72521,896+136%

18Randolph County, NCNC149,51621,215+78%

19Catawba County, NCNC170,17220,841+62%

20Wayne County, NCNC122,27820,568+31%

21Iredell County, NCNC211,79819,719+97%

22Union County, NCNC267,67419,280+92%

23Harnett County, NCNC150,13719,127+41%

24Orange County, NCNC152,49818,675+12%

25Cleveland County, NCNC103,32516,762+31%

26Wilson County, NCNC81,15015,696+15%

27Rockingham County, NCNC94,19514,999+28%

28Brunswick County, NCNC174,70214,085+53%

29Craven County, NCNC105,02514,057+18%

30Watauga County, NCNC54,78614,031+83%

31Henderson County, NCNC122,37513,696+58%

32Burke County, NCNC88,65513,682+44%

33Sampson County, NCNC61,50412,975+23%

34Lenoir County, NCNC55,83712,056+22%

35Surry County, NCNC72,28712,012+36%

36Nash County, NCNC99,36511,391−3%

37Wilkes County, NCNC66,23311,030+42%

38Halifax County, NCNC46,53410,878−21%

39Rutherford County, NCNC65,74510,876+24%

40Lee County, NCNC70,25810,843+72%

41Caldwell County, NCNC81,10510,767+30%

42Richmond County, NCNC42,04110,680+17%

43Edgecombe County, NCNC49,12110,592−3%

44Moore County, NCNC110,61910,566+24%

45Lincoln County, NCNC98,65410,427+78%

46Duplin County, NCNC51,57110,096+6%

47Stanly County, NCNC68,8309,857+58%

48Granville County, NCNC61,4219,238+63%

49Hoke County, NCNC56,9399,197+55%

50Columbus County, NCNC50,4879,117−27%

51Chatham County, NCNC85,1118,853+85%

52Scotland County, NCNC33,3228,670+17%

53Vance County, NCNC42,6388,376−5%

54Franklin County, NCNC82,0378,224+38%

55Haywood County, NCNC63,3698,224+32%

56Beaufort County, NCNC44,6707,930−9%

57Jackson County, NCNC45,0397,881+57%

58Carteret County, NCNC70,4696,960+9%

59Person County, NCNC40,6366,916+62%

60McDowell County, NCNC45,1986,636+36%

61Bladen County, NCNC30,0076,493−4%

62Pender County, NCNC72,1116,381+14%

63Yadkin County, NCNC38,3255,252+45%

64Stokes County, NCNC46,1265,041+24%

65Anson County, NCNC21,7584,842+8%

66Alexander County, NCNC36,9584,578+61%

67Hertford County, NCNC19,0154,564+10%

68Pasquotank County, NCNC42,2014,508−30%

69Transylvania County, NCNC34,2114,450+60%

70Martin County, NCNC21,6014,408−15%

71Macon County, NCNC39,2324,403+17%

72Greene County, NCNC20,7004,312+12%

73Caswell County, NCNC22,5634,171+23%

74Davie County, NCNC45,8554,145+38%

75Montgomery County, NCNC26,4034,016−3%

76Warren County, NCNC18,8983,967+2%

77Cherokee County, NCNC30,8303,655−2%

78Ashe County, NCNC27,5143,636+11%

79Northampton County, NCNC16,4913,573−24%

80Yancey County, NCNC19,0842,852+2%

81Polk County, NCNC20,5332,787+51%

82Bertie County, NCNC17,0862,770−40%

83Swain County, NCNC14,0242,678+13%

84Madison County, NCNC22,5532,651−12%

85Chowan County, NCNC14,0822,641+3%

86Washington County, NCNC10,6382,602−13%

87Dare County, NCNC38,2452,508+4%

88Currituck County, NCNC33,1582,296+18%

89Mitchell County, NCNC15,0621,937−11%

90Pamlico County, NCNC12,7581,877−5%

91Avery County, NCNC18,1101,796−31%

92Alleghany County, NCNC11,4791,785−3%

93Jones County, NCNC9,5751,708−3%

94Clay County, NCNC12,2391,496+49%

95Perquimans County, NCNC13,4901,302−36%

96Hyde County, NCNC4,5541,018+13%

97Gates County, NCNC10,234976−45%

98Camden County, NCNC11,315671−3%

99Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537640−34%

100Graham County, NCNC8,190541−65%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-07-15 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES