RANKING · 2010 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most residents in poverty, North Carolina counties · 2010

North Carolina counties with the most residents living below the poverty line, as of the 2010 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, NCNC1,233,383114,854+80%

02Wake County, NCNC1,257,23587,742+79%

03Guilford County, NCNC562,23477,548+74%

04Forsyth County, NCNC401,71853,567+58%

05Cumberland County, NCNC338,47353,041+37%

06Durham County, NCNC347,24043,169+45%

07Robeson County, NCNC119,94140,562+44%

08Pitt County, NCNC182,93640,131+47%

09Buncombe County, NCNC277,41735,012+48%

10Gaston County, NCNC246,55834,312+66%

11New Hanover County, NCNC245,95931,209+49%

12Johnston County, NCNC256,44825,431+63%

13Alamance County, NCNC186,17724,567+69%

14Onslow County, NCNC217,17524,511+26%

15Randolph County, NCNC149,51624,402+105%

16Davidson County, NCNC180,18223,666+60%

17Wayne County, NCNC122,27822,821+45%

18Rowan County, NCNC155,09622,496+63%

19Orange County, NCNC152,49821,862+31%

20Cabarrus County, NCNC249,72520,042+116%

21Iredell County, NCNC211,79819,813+98%

22Catawba County, NCNC170,17219,299+50%

23Cleveland County, NCNC103,32519,002+49%

24Harnett County, NCNC150,13718,893+39%

25Union County, NCNC267,67417,201+71%

26Wilson County, NCNC81,15017,047+25%

27Craven County, NCNC105,02516,571+39%

28Burke County, NCNC88,65515,755+66%

29Rockingham County, NCNC94,19514,635+24%

30Brunswick County, NCNC174,70214,551+58%

31Rutherford County, NCNC65,74514,029+60%

32Duplin County, NCNC51,57113,858+45%

33Henderson County, NCNC122,37513,596+57%

34Lenoir County, NCNC55,83713,533+37%

35Nash County, NCNC99,36513,493+15%

36Caldwell County, NCNC81,10513,416+62%

37Wilkes County, NCNC66,23313,339+71%

38Halifax County, NCNC46,53413,042−5%

39Sampson County, NCNC61,50412,954+23%

40Watauga County, NCNC54,78612,648+65%

41Edgecombe County, NCNC49,12112,586+16%

42Vance County, NCNC42,63812,512+42%

43Surry County, NCNC72,28712,416+40%

44Columbus County, NCNC50,48712,411−0%

45Richmond County, NCNC42,04111,758+29%

46Moore County, NCNC110,61911,426+34%

47Lincoln County, NCNC98,65410,804+85%

48Scotland County, NCNC33,32210,671+44%

49Hoke County, NCNC56,9399,951+67%

50Franklin County, NCNC82,0379,109+53%

51Lee County, NCNC70,2588,664+38%

52Bladen County, NCNC30,0078,483+25%

53Jackson County, NCNC45,0398,230+64%

54Beaufort County, NCNC44,6708,210−6%

55Carteret County, NCNC70,4698,127+28%

56McDowell County, NCNC45,1988,041+64%

57Chatham County, NCNC85,1117,763+62%

58Pender County, NCNC72,1117,705+38%

59Stanly County, NCNC68,8307,702+24%

60Pasquotank County, NCNC42,2017,347+14%

61Haywood County, NCNC63,3697,240+16%

62Granville County, NCNC61,4217,137+26%

63Montgomery County, NCNC26,4036,436+56%

64Person County, NCNC40,6366,324+48%

65Hertford County, NCNC19,0155,939+43%

66Stokes County, NCNC46,1265,796+43%

67Martin County, NCNC21,6015,741+11%

68Macon County, NCNC39,2325,722+52%

69Warren County, NCNC18,8985,653+46%

70Yadkin County, NCNC38,3255,636+56%

71Alexander County, NCNC36,9585,593+96%

72Anson County, NCNC21,7585,515+23%

73Caswell County, NCNC22,5635,140+52%

74Davie County, NCNC45,8555,012+67%

75Bertie County, NCNC17,0864,948+7%

76Ashe County, NCNC27,5144,867+48%

77Northampton County, NCNC16,4914,797+2%

78Transylvania County, NCNC34,2114,634+67%

79Greene County, NCNC20,7003,935+3%

80Cherokee County, NCNC30,8303,634−2%

81Dare County, NCNC38,2453,570+48%

82Madison County, NCNC22,5533,507+16%

83Washington County, NCNC10,6383,282+10%

84Yancey County, NCNC19,0843,230+15%

85Avery County, NCNC18,1103,216+23%

86Swain County, NCNC14,0243,126+32%

87Alleghany County, NCNC11,4792,922+60%

88Polk County, NCNC20,5332,654+44%

89Mitchell County, NCNC15,0622,616+21%

90Chowan County, NCNC14,0822,570+1%

91Gates County, NCNC10,2342,496+39%

92Perquimans County, NCNC13,4902,421+19%

93Clay County, NCNC12,2392,268+126%

94Currituck County, NCNC33,1581,994+3%

95Graham County, NCNC8,1901,729+11%

96Jones County, NCNC9,5751,706−3%

97Pamlico County, NCNC12,7581,405−29%

98Hyde County, NCNC4,5541,186+32%

99Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537965−0%

100Camden County, NCNC11,315929+34%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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