Special Report

These Are the Poorest Counties in North Carolina

J. Michael Jones / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

Incomes are rising rapidly in the United States. According to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, the national median household income was nearly $75,000 in 2022, up from about $69,700 in 2021. The 7.2% increase was the largest recorded year-over-year since at least the mid-1990s.

While the typical American household is earning more than ever before, incomes have not been rising fast enough to offset inflation. Throughout 2022, the average rate of inflation hit a 40-year high of 8%, four times the Federal Reserve’s 2% target rate. Accounting for the rising cost of living, real incomes in the U.S. fell by nearly 5% between 2019 and 2022.

While no one has been spared from surging prices, Americans on the low end of the income spectrum have bore the brunt. During inflationary periods, higher-income Americans can cut back on spending and reduce the impact of rising costs. Meanwhile, lower earning Americans, who spend a larger share of their income on necessities such as food, housing, and gas, cannot.

North Carolina has a median household income of $66,186. But in many parts of the state, the typical household earns far less than the statewide median.

Using five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 35 poorest counties in North Carolina. Counties in the state are ranked on median household income. Population, poverty, and unemployment data are also five-year estimates from the 2022 ACS.

Among the counties on this list, median household incomes are anywhere from about $13,400 to $27,500 below the statewide median. In many of these counties, levels of financial hardship are underscored by widespread poverty. In all but two counties on this list, the share of residents living below the poverty line exceeds the 13.3% statewide poverty rate.

These are the poorest counties in North Carolina.

35. Surry County

anthonysp / Getty Images
  • Median household income: $52,743
  • Poverty rate: 17.9%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.8%
  • Population: 71,429

34. Caldwell County

J. Michael Jones / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Median household income: $52,362
  • Poverty rate: 13.3%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.8%
  • Population: 80,716

33. Jackson County

gerrydincher / Flickr
  • Median household income: $51,482
  • Poverty rate: 19.3%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.9%
  • Population: 42,388

32. Chowan County

digidreamgrafix / iStock via Getty Images
  • Median household income: $51,188
  • Poverty rate: 20.9%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.3%
  • Population: 13,835

31. Macon County

Jacqueline Nix / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Median household income: $51,042
  • Poverty rate: 15.4%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.5%
  • Population: 37,088

30. Rockingham County

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $50,737
  • Poverty rate: 18.8%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.5%
  • Population: 91,209

29. Cleveland County

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $50,723
  • Poverty rate: 18.4%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.4%
  • Population: 99,527

28. Rutherford County

gerrydincher / Flickr
  • Median household income: $50,512
  • Poverty rate: 18.4%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.0%
  • Population: 64,680

27. Greene County

Fertnig / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
  • Median household income: $50,320
  • Poverty rate: 22.6%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.5%
  • Population: 20,407

26. Watauga County

NCDOTcommunications / Flickr
  • Median household income: $50,034
  • Poverty rate: 24.9%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 9.3%
  • Population: 54,540

25. Sampson County

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $49,963
  • Poverty rate: 22.3%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.7%
  • Population: 59,317

24. Wilson County

  • Median household income: $49,827
  • Poverty rate: 20.4%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.6%
  • Population: 78,667

23. Duplin County

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $49,376
  • Poverty rate: 18.5%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.4%
  • Population: 49,312

22. Cherokee County

  • Median household income: $49,254
  • Poverty rate: 16.7%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.9%
  • Population: 28,868

21. Ashe County

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $49,176
  • Poverty rate: 14.1%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.1%
  • Population: 26,759

20. Wilkes County

Indy beetle / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $49,119
  • Poverty rate: 17.1%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.0%
  • Population: 66,125

19. Vance County

Darwin Brandis / Getty Images
  • Median household income: $48,340
  • Poverty rate: 18.7%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 7.0%
  • Population: 42,492

18. Edgecombe County

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $46,370
  • Poverty rate: 22.0%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 8.6%
  • Population: 49,067

17. Hertford County

Indy beetle / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $46,196
  • Poverty rate: 20.3%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 7.1%
  • Population: 21,633

16. Graham County

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $46,010
  • Poverty rate: 11.3%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 7.7%
  • Population: 8,047

15. Northampton County

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $45,698
  • Poverty rate: 18.7%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 7.6%
  • Population: 17,528

14. Martin County

  • Median household income: $44,799
  • Poverty rate: 20.5%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 9.6%
  • Population: 21,992

13. Hyde County

gerrydincher / Flickr
  • Median household income: $43,724
  • Poverty rate: 29.9%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 8.7%
  • Population: 4,636

12. Columbus County

gerrydincher / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $43,206
  • Poverty rate: 21.1%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.8%
  • Population: 50,827

11. Lenoir County

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $43,063
  • Poverty rate: 22.4%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 7.1%
  • Population: 55,071

10. Richmond County

By Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28363020 / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $42,354
  • Poverty rate: 23.0%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 9.5%
  • Population: 43,149

9. Warren County

Doug Kerr / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $42,282
  • Poverty rate: 21.2%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 9.9%
  • Population: 18,803

8. Alleghany County

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $42,115
  • Poverty rate: 19.5%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.3%
  • Population: 10,989

7. Anson County

gerrydincher / Flickr
  • Median household income: $42,000
  • Poverty rate: 19.3%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.4%
  • Population: 22,200

6. Scotland County

gerrydincher / Flickr
  • Median household income: $41,948
  • Poverty rate: 26.1%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 10.8%
  • Population: 34,222

5. Bertie County

  • Median household income: $41,652
  • Poverty rate: 21.4%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.4%
  • Population: 17,818

4. Halifax County

Public Domain /. Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $41,629
  • Poverty rate: 23.9%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 9.3%
  • Population: 48,772

3. Bladen County

gerrydincher / Flickr
  • Median household income: $40,476
  • Poverty rate: 24.4%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.5%
  • Population: 29,807

2. Robeson County

gerrydincher / Flickr
  • Median household income: $39,393
  • Poverty rate: 27.1%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.3%
  • Population: 117,573

1. Washington County

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Median household income: $38,927
  • Poverty rate: 21.6%
  • 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 12.6%
  • Population: 11,051
Rank County Median household income ($) Poverty rate (%) 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate (%)
1 Washington, North Carolina 38,927 21.6 12.6
2 Robeson, North Carolina 39,393 27.1 6.3
3 Bladen, North Carolina 40,476 24.4 5.5
4 Halifax, North Carolina 41,629 23.9 9.3
5 Bertie, North Carolina 41,652 21.4 6.4
6 Scotland, North Carolina 41,948 26.1 10.8
7 Anson, North Carolina 42,000 19.3 6.4
8 Alleghany, North Carolina 42,115 19.5 5.3
9 Warren, North Carolina 42,282 21.2 9.9
10 Richmond, North Carolina 42,354 23.0 9.5
11 Lenoir, North Carolina 43,063 22.4 7.1
12 Columbus, North Carolina 43,206 21.1 5.8
13 Hyde, North Carolina 43,724 29.9 8.7
14 Martin, North Carolina 44,799 20.5 9.6
15 Northampton, North Carolina 45,698 18.7 7.6
16 Graham, North Carolina 46,010 11.3 7.7
17 Hertford, North Carolina 46,196 20.3 7.1
18 Edgecombe, North Carolina 46,370 22.0 8.6
19 Vance, North Carolina 48,340 18.7 7.0
20 Wilkes, North Carolina 49,119 17.1 6.0
21 Ashe, North Carolina 49,176 14.1 5.1
22 Cherokee, North Carolina 49,254 16.7 4.9
23 Duplin, North Carolina 49,376 18.5 5.4
24 Wilson, North Carolina 49,827 20.4 6.6
25 Sampson, North Carolina 49,963 22.3 5.7
26 Watauga, North Carolina 50,034 24.9 9.3
27 Greene, North Carolina 50,320 22.6 5.5
28 Rutherford, North Carolina 50,512 18.4 6.0
29 Cleveland, North Carolina 50,723 18.4 6.4
30 Rockingham, North Carolina 50,737 18.8 6.5
31 Macon, North Carolina 51,042 15.4 3.5
32 Chowan, North Carolina 51,188 20.9 4.3
33 Jackson, North Carolina 51,482 19.3 5.9
34 Caldwell, North Carolina 52,362 13.3 5.8
35 Surry, North Carolina 52,743 17.9 4.8

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