RANKING · 2000 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most residents in poverty, North Carolina counties · 2000

North Carolina counties with the most residents living below the poverty line, as of the 2000 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 1990

01Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,38363,962+31%

02Wake County, NCNC1,257,23549,121+38%

03Guilford County, NCNC562,23444,587+27%

04Cumberland County, NCNC338,47338,749−2%

05Forsyth County, NCNC401,71833,806+21%

06Durham County, NCNC347,24029,862+38%

07Robeson County, NCNC119,94128,135+11%

08Pitt County, NCNC182,93627,214+14%

09Buncombe County, NCNC277,41723,594+18%

10New Hanover County, NCNC245,95920,928+24%

11Gaston County, NCNC246,55820,675+11%

12Onslow County, NCNC217,17519,411+7%

13Orange County, NCNC152,49816,706+28%

14Wayne County, NCNC122,27815,685−1%

15Johnston County, NCNC256,44815,627+35%

16Davidson County, NCNC180,18214,828+19%

17Alamance County, NCNC186,17714,565+52%

18Rowan County, NCNC155,09613,806+32%

19Halifax County, NCNC46,53413,713−3%

20Wilson County, NCNC81,15013,635+5%

21Harnett County, NCNC150,13713,563+14%

22Catawba County, NCNC170,17212,867+53%

23Cleveland County, NCNC103,32512,780+37%

24Columbus County, NCNC50,48712,430+5%

25Craven County, NCNC105,02511,956+8%

26Randolph County, NCNC149,51611,932+34%

27Rockingham County, NCNC94,19511,759+12%

28Nash County, NCNC99,36511,748+13%

29Edgecombe County, NCNC49,12110,892−8%

30Sampson County, NCNC61,50410,561+8%

31Union County, NCNC267,67410,062+42%

32Iredell County, NCNC211,79810,007+15%

33Lenoir County, NCNC55,8379,883−14%

34Duplin County, NCNC51,5719,537+25%

35Burke County, NCNC88,6559,517+24%

36Cabarrus County, NCNC249,7259,259+15%

37Brunswick County, NCNC174,7029,202+17%

38Richmond County, NCNC42,0419,109+22%

39Surry County, NCNC72,2878,845+26%

40Vance County, NCNC42,6388,807+15%

41Rutherford County, NCNC65,7458,752+25%

42Beaufort County, NCNC44,6708,751+6%

43Henderson County, NCNC122,3758,670+19%

44Moore County, NCNC110,6198,498+30%

45Caldwell County, NCNC81,1058,290+9%

46Wilkes County, NCNC66,2337,779−2%

47Watauga County, NCNC54,7867,648−4%

48Scotland County, NCNC33,3227,403+18%

49Bladen County, NCNC30,0076,773+8%

50Pasquotank County, NCNC42,2016,423+4%

51Carteret County, NCNC70,4696,362+4%

52Lee County, NCNC70,2586,297+4%

53Stanly County, NCNC68,8306,225+9%

54Haywood County, NCNC63,3696,218+4%

55Franklin County, NCNC82,0375,951+12%

56Hoke County, NCNC56,9395,948+23%

57Lincoln County, NCNC98,6545,850+21%

58Granville County, NCNC61,4215,660+10%

59Pender County, NCNC72,1115,582+12%

60Martin County, NCNC21,6015,167−8%

61Jackson County, NCNC45,0395,008+12%

62McDowell County, NCNC45,1984,891+20%

63Chatham County, NCNC85,1114,797+28%

64Northampton County, NCNC16,4914,695−4%

65Bertie County, NCNC17,0864,638−12%

66Anson County, NCNC21,7584,490+8%

67Person County, NCNC40,6364,272+9%

68Hertford County, NCNC19,0154,142−26%

69Montgomery County, NCNC26,4034,121+22%

70Stokes County, NCNC46,1264,057+11%

71Warren County, NCNC18,8983,884−20%

72Greene County, NCNC20,7003,838+31%

73Macon County, NCNC39,2323,763−3%

74Cherokee County, NCNC30,8303,726−10%

75Yadkin County, NCNC38,3253,623−1%

76Caswell County, NCNC22,5633,385+1%

77Ashe County, NCNC27,5143,281−20%

78Madison County, NCNC22,5533,022−12%

79Davie County, NCNC45,8552,995+29%

80Washington County, NCNC10,6382,987+4%

81Alexander County, NCNC36,9582,848+5%

82Yancey County, NCNC19,0842,802−3%

83Transylvania County, NCNC34,2112,781−19%

84Avery County, NCNC18,1102,620+21%

85Chowan County, NCNC14,0822,556+7%

86Dare County, NCNC38,2452,407+28%

87Swain County, NCNC14,0242,374−24%

88Mitchell County, NCNC15,0622,170−6%

89Perquimans County, NCNC13,4902,040−9%

90Pamlico County, NCNC12,7581,983−8%

91Currituck County, NCNC33,1581,943+41%

92Polk County, NCNC20,5331,846+33%

93Alleghany County, NCNC11,4791,831−5%

94Gates County, NCNC10,2341,790+22%

95Jones County, NCNC9,5751,755−8%

96Graham County, NCNC8,1901,560−13%

97Clay County, NCNC12,2391,003−22%

98Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537968+0%

99Hyde County, NCNC4,554899−31%

100Camden County, NCNC11,315693−27%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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