24/7 Wall St. Insights

• With nearly 2.6 million people on payroll, the Department of Defense is one of the largest employers in the world. 
• While DOD employees, including civilians and active-duty service members, are spread across the 50 states, a disproportionate share of defense workers are concentrated in a handful of North Carolina communities.
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Headquartered at the Pentagon, the Department of Defense employs nearly 2.6 million people and has an annual budget of more than $870 billion, making it the largest, and one of the best funded agencies in the federal government.

Thousands of DOD employees, including both civilians and active-duty service members, are stationed in each of the 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C. — and while the DOD’s nerve center may be in northern Virginia, one state on Virginia’s southern border has emerged as a hub for the U.S. military.

According to Defense Spending by State, a recent report from the DOD, approximately 132,100 national defense personnel were stationed in North Carolina in fiscal 2023 — more than in all but three other states. The largest share of department employees in the state — 67.7% — are active-duty troops. An additional 17.3% are civilian employees, 7.7% are guards men and women, and 7.4% are reservists. (Here is a look at the states with the most armed forces personnel.)

The largest DOD service branches in the state by total employment, including civilians and reservists, are the Army with about 66,000 employees, followed by the Navy and Marine Corps with a combined total of 49,500 personnel. The Air Force and Space Force also collectively have about 10,500 people in the state on payroll, and another 6,100 North Carolina residents work in other areas of national defense.

Just as North Carolina stands out as a critical state for the U.S. military, there are certain parts of the state where the DOD’s presence is especially concentrated. Due in part to major military installations in the state — including Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg, and Simmons Army Airfield — there are multiple counties in North Carolina that are each home to several thousand Defense Department employees. In one North Carolina county, the DOD has more personnel than 37 entire states. In this single county, the DOD spent over $4.3 billion on payroll alone in fiscal 2023. (Here is a look at the newest American military bases.)

These are the 10 counties in North Carolina with the most military and civilian Defense Department personnel. All data in this story was compiled by the DOD and is current as of fiscal 2023. Counties for which personnel data was not disclosed were excluded from analysis.

Why it Matters

A significant share of the Pentagon’s budget goes to payroll for the 2.6 million American men and women who work for the national defense. In fiscal 2023 alone, the Department of Defense spent over $167.4 billion on employee salaries and wages. While this money is spread across the 50 states, it has an outsized impact in places that have emerged as hubs for U.S. military operations.

9. Caldwell County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 639 (0.5% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 472 (0.5% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 142 (1.4% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 0 (0% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 25 (0.1% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $26,943,713 (0.3% of DOD payroll statewide)

8. New Hanover County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 640 (0.5% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 16 (0.0% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 147 (1.5% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 163 (1.7% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 314 (1.4% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $38,336,719 (0.5% of DOD payroll statewide)

7. Guilford County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 1,642 (1.2% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 58 (0.1% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 483 (4.8% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 960 (9.8% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 141 (0.6% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $49,186,474 (0.6% of DOD payroll statewide)

6. Mecklenburg County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 3,199 (2.4% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 209 (0.2% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 1,527 (15.1% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 981 (10.1% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 482 (2.1% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $124,316,795 (1.6% of DOD payroll statewide)

5. Wake County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 4,814 (3.6% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 410 (0.5% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 1,272 (12.6% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 2,310 (23.7% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 822 (3.6% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $189,219,330 (2.4% of DOD payroll statewide)

4. Wayne County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 6,737 (5.1% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 4,265 (4.8% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 216 (2.1% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 1,460 (15.0% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 796 (3.5% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $368,622,911 (4.7% of DOD payroll statewide)

3. Craven County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 9,819 (7.4% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 4,698 (5.3% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 131 (1.3% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 11 (0.1% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 4,979 (21.8% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $610,791,732 (7.9% of DOD payroll statewide)

2. Onslow County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 37,008 (28.0% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 32,499 (36.4% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 124 (1.2% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 450 (4.6% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 3,935 (17.2% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $1,634,249,817 (21.0% of DOD payroll statewide)

1. Cumberland County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 57,257 (43.4% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 44,285 (49.5% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 600 (5.9% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 2,143 (22.0% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 10,229 (44.8% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $4,324,268,742 (55.6% of DOD payroll statewide)

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