Population and Social Characteristics
North Carolina's Best Counties to Live In
Published:
Every year in the United States, tens of millions of Americans move to a new home. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the bulk of these moves are motivated by personal circumstances, often relating to housing, family, or employment. But when it comes to deciding on a place to live, it can also be helpful to weigh other, less subjective factors.
As a means of gauging and comparing degrees of development between countries — beyond standard measures like gross domestic product and economic growth — the United Nations created the Human Development Index. By accounting for factors related to health and well-being, educational attainment, and standards of living, the HDI offers an assessment of overall quality of life at the individual level within a given geography.
When applied to communities within the United States, the core principles of the HDI reveal that some parts of the country are far better places to live than others.
Using an index inspired by the HDI, 24/7 Wall St. identified the best counties in North Carolina to live in. Counties are ranked on a combination of three measures – average life expectancy at birth, the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the poverty rate. Of the 100 counties in North Carolina, we ranked the 30 with the highest HDI score.
Across all of North Carolina, average life expectancy at birth is 77.7 years. Additionally, 13.3% of the population live below the poverty line and 33.9% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Of the 30 counties on this list, 12 compare favorably to the state as a whole in each of these metrics.
Among these 30 North Carolina counties, average life expectancy at birth ranges from 76.5 years to 82.1 years. Meanwhile, poverty rates vary between 5.9% and 24.9%, and bachelor’s degree attainment rates range from about 24% to over 60%.
Data used to calculate rankings are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey and County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a joint program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. All ACS data are five-year averages.
Why It Matters
Many of the most commonly cited economic indicators — including unemployment, GDP, and industrial output — are useful gauges of prosperity and productive capacity in a given area. But when it comes to measuring overall quality of life, any single metric inevitably falls short. To address these shortcomings, the HDI combines three key social and economic measures into a single index score, allowing for objective comparisons between communities across the United States.
30. Franklin County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.4 years
- Poverty rate: 9.7%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 23.7%
- Median household income: $70,493
- Population: 69,680
29. Haywood County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 76.5 years
- Poverty rate: 12.1%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 28.7%
- Median household income: $56,596
- Population: 62,152
28. Clay County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.1 years
- Poverty rate: 13.5%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 28.8%
- Median household income: $57,065
- Population: 11,186
27. Davie County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.4 years
- Poverty rate: 11.6%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 26.2%
- Median household income: $69,105
- Population: 43,030
26. Johnston County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.7 years
- Poverty rate: 10.7%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 26.2%
- Median household income: $75,288
- Population: 219,042
25. Pender County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.2 years
- Poverty rate: 11.7%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 28.6%
- Median household income: $74,538
- Population: 61,592
24. Lincoln County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.0 years
- Poverty rate: 9.3%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 26.1%
- Median household income: $75,672
- Population: 87,933
23. Madison County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 76.7 years
- Poverty rate: 12.5%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 32.2%
- Median household income: $56,664
- Population: 21,414
22. Forsyth County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.7 years
- Poverty rate: 15.2%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 35.3%
- Median household income: $61,229
- Population: 383,739
21. Watauga County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.3 years
- Poverty rate: 24.9%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 44.5%
- Median household income: $50,034
- Population: 54,540
20. Currituck County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.1 years
- Poverty rate: 8.5%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 27.1%
- Median household income: $82,793
- Population: 28,616
19. Guilford County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.8 years
- Poverty rate: 15.1%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 37.9%
- Median household income: $62,880
- Population: 539,557
18. Carteret County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.1 years
- Poverty rate: 9.7%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 31.9%
- Median household income: $66,965
- Population: 68,353
17. Camden County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.6 years
- Poverty rate: 5.9%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 24.3%
- Median household income: $79,120
- Population: 10,547
16. Iredell County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.9 years
- Poverty rate: 9.4%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 32.7%
- Median household income: $73,103
- Population: 187,839
15. Henderson County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.0 years
- Poverty rate: 11.4%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 34.0%
- Median household income: $65,508
- Population: 116,469
14. Polk County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.3 years
- Poverty rate: 11.0%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 33.3%
- Median household income: $60,465
- Population: 19,538
13. Brunswick County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.2 years
- Poverty rate: 9.1%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 32.4%
- Median household income: $71,193
- Population: 139,721
12. Transylvania County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.0 years
- Poverty rate: 13.4%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 37.1%
- Median household income: $62,056
- Population: 33,131
11. Cabarrus County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.4 years
- Poverty rate: 8.4%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 36.5%
- Median household income: $83,828
- Population: 226,396
10. New Hanover County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.1 years
- Poverty rate: 12.7%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 43.4%
- Median household income: $67,515
- Population: 228,134
9. Buncombe County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.4 years
- Poverty rate: 11.2%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 43.0%
- Median household income: $66,531
- Population: 269,449
8. Moore County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.1 years
- Poverty rate: 9.5%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 39.9%
- Median household income: $77,981
- Population: 100,759
7. Union County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.1 years
- Poverty rate: 6.8%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 38.4%
- Median household income: $95,533
- Population: 240,109
6. Dare County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.9 years
- Poverty rate: 6.5%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 42.5%
- Median household income: $79,742
- Population: 37,160
5. Chatham County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.5 years
- Poverty rate: 10.4%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 46.5%
- Median household income: $84,222
- Population: 76,754
4. Mecklenburg County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.0 years
- Poverty rate: 10.5%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 47.8%
- Median household income: $79,265
- Population: 1,115,403
3. Durham County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.0 years
- Poverty rate: 12.3%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 51.9%
- Median household income: $74,927
- Population: 325,101
2. Wake County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.6 years
- Poverty rate: 8.2%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 55.7%
- Median household income: $96,734
- Population: 1,132,103
1. Orange County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 82.1 years
- Poverty rate: 12.3%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 61.7%
- Median household income: $85,785
- Population: 145,919
| Rank | County | Avg. life expectancy at birth (yrs.) | Adults with a bachelor’s degree (%) | Poverty rate (%) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orange, North Carolina | 82.1 | 61.7 | 12.3 | 145,919 |
| 2 | Wake, North Carolina | 81.6 | 55.7 | 8.2 | 1,132,103 |
| 3 | Durham, North Carolina | 80.0 | 51.9 | 12.3 | 325,101 |
| 4 | Mecklenburg, North Carolina | 80.0 | 47.8 | 10.5 | 1,115,403 |
| 5 | Chatham, North Carolina | 80.5 | 46.5 | 10.4 | 76,754 |
| 6 | Dare, North Carolina | 78.9 | 42.5 | 6.5 | 37,160 |
| 7 | Union, North Carolina | 80.1 | 38.4 | 6.8 | 240,109 |
| 8 | Moore, North Carolina | 79.1 | 39.9 | 9.5 | 100,759 |
| 9 | Buncombe, North Carolina | 78.4 | 43.0 | 11.2 | 269,449 |
| 10 | New Hanover, North Carolina | 79.1 | 43.4 | 12.7 | 228,134 |
| 11 | Cabarrus, North Carolina | 78.4 | 36.5 | 8.4 | 226,396 |
| 12 | Transylvania, North Carolina | 81.0 | 37.1 | 13.4 | 33,131 |
| 13 | Brunswick, North Carolina | 79.2 | 32.4 | 9.1 | 139,721 |
| 14 | Polk, North Carolina | 79.3 | 33.3 | 11.0 | 19,538 |
| 15 | Henderson, North Carolina | 79.0 | 34.0 | 11.4 | 116,469 |
| 16 | Iredell, North Carolina | 77.9 | 32.7 | 9.4 | 187,839 |
| 17 | Camden, North Carolina | 79.6 | 24.3 | 5.9 | 10,547 |
| 18 | Carteret, North Carolina | 77.1 | 31.9 | 9.7 | 68,353 |
| 19 | Guilford, North Carolina | 77.8 | 37.9 | 15.1 | 539,557 |
| 20 | Currituck, North Carolina | 78.1 | 27.1 | 8.5 | 28,616 |
| 21 | Watauga, North Carolina | 81.3 | 44.5 | 24.9 | 54,540 |
| 22 | Forsyth, North Carolina | 77.7 | 35.3 | 15.2 | 383,739 |
| 23 | Madison, North Carolina | 76.7 | 32.2 | 12.5 | 21,414 |
| 24 | Lincoln, North Carolina | 77.0 | 26.1 | 9.3 | 87,933 |
| 25 | Pender, North Carolina | 77.2 | 28.6 | 11.7 | 61,592 |
| 26 | Johnston, North Carolina | 77.7 | 26.2 | 10.7 | 219,042 |
| 27 | Davie, North Carolina | 78.4 | 26.2 | 11.6 | 43,030 |
| 28 | Clay, North Carolina | 78.1 | 28.8 | 13.5 | 11,186 |
| 29 | Haywood, North Carolina | 76.5 | 28.7 | 12.1 | 62,152 |
| 30 | Franklin, North Carolina | 77.4 | 23.7 | 9.7 | 69,680 |
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