Counties in North Carolina by adult cigarette smoking rate, local model estimate

Robeson County had the highest adult cigarette smoking rate, local model estimate of 100 counties in 2022, at 24.2%. Orange County had the lowest, at 8.6%. The median was 16.4%. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Highest24.2Robeson County
Lowest8.6Orange County
Median16.4100 counties

Map of counties, 2022

Alamance County: 16.4 %Alexander County: 15.9 %Alleghany County: 18 %Anson County: 19.4 %Ashe County: 16.2 %Avery County: 15.8 %Beaufort County: 17.1 %Bertie County: 19.6 %Bladen County: 17.4 %Brunswick County: 13.5 %Buncombe County: 10.8 %Burke County: 16.5 %Cabarrus County: 12.5 %Caldwell County: 17.2 %Camden County: 15.8 %Carteret County: 13.7 %Caswell County: 18.1 %Catawba County: 15.7 %Chatham County: 13.7 %Cherokee County: 17.1 %Chowan County: 16.2 %Clay County: 15.3 %Cleveland County: 19.7 %Columbus County: 20.5 %Craven County: 16.1 %Cumberland County: 14.5 %Currituck County: 14.1 %Dare County: 11.1 %Davidson County: 16 %Davie County: 15.2 %Duplin County: 17.6 %Durham County: 10.7 %Edgecombe County: 17.8 %Forsyth County: 14 %Franklin County: 16.2 %Gaston County: 16.7 %Gates County: 17 %Graham County: 17.9 %Granville County: 17.1 %Greene County: 19.9 %Guilford County: 13.9 %Halifax County: 19.9 %Harnett County: 16 %Haywood County: 13.7 %Henderson County: 13.5 %Hertford County: 19.5 %Hoke County: 17.1 %Hyde County: 22.1 %Iredell County: 14.3 %Jackson County: 14.3 %Johnston County: 16.2 %Jones County: 18.7 %Lee County: 17.1 %Lenoir County: 18.2 %Lincoln County: 16.5 %McDowell County: 22.1 %Macon County: 14.4 %Madison County: 17 %Martin County: 19.2 %Mecklenburg County: 13 %Mitchell County: 15.5 %Montgomery County: 16.6 %Moore County: 12.5 %Nash County: 17.1 %New Hanover County: 11.5 %Northampton County: 17.9 %Onslow County: 13.3 %Orange County: 8.6 %Pamlico County: 15.8 %Pasquotank County: 15.3 %Pender County: 16 %Perquimans County: 14.4 %Person County: 18.8 %Pitt County: 12.3 %Polk County: 9.9 %Randolph County: 18.9 %Richmond County: 17.6 %Robeson County: 24.2 %Rockingham County: 17.7 %Rowan County: 16.3 %Rutherford County: 19.5 %Sampson County: 19 %Scotland County: 20.5 %Stanly County: 16.3 %Stokes County: 17.4 %Surry County: 18.4 %Swain County: 20.1 %Transylvania County: 11.8 %Tyrrell County: 16.2 %Union County: 11.8 %Vance County: 18 %Wake County: 9.6 %Warren County: 19.1 %Washington County: 18.1 %Watauga County: 11.7 %Wayne County: 15.5 %Wilkes County: 17.7 %Wilson County: 19.8 %Yadkin County: 18.4 %Yancey County: 15.8 %
  • Under 14
  • 14 to 16
  • 16 to 18
  • 18 to 19
  • 19 and over
%, 2022. Source: CDC, PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), adult cigarette smoking rate, crude prevalence. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2022

Robeson County: 24.2 %Robeson County24.2Hyde County: 22.1 %Hyde County22.1McDowell County: 22.1 %McDowell County22.1Columbus County: 20.5 %Columbus County20.5Scotland County: 20.5 %Scotland County20.5Swain County: 20.1 %Swain County20.1Greene County: 19.9 %Greene County19.9Halifax County: 19.9 %Halifax County19.9Wilson County: 19.8 %Wilson County19.8Cleveland County: 19.7 %Cleveland County19.7Bertie County: 19.6 %Bertie County19.6Hertford County: 19.5 %Hertford County19.5Rutherford County: 19.5 %Rutherford County19.5Anson County: 19.4 %Anson County19.4Martin County: 19.2 %Martin County19.2Warren County: 19.1 %Warren County19.1Sampson County: 19 %Sampson County19Randolph County: 18.9 %Randolph County18.9Person County: 18.8 %Person County18.8Jones County: 18.7 %Jones County18.7Surry County: 18.4 %Surry County18.4Yadkin County: 18.4 %Yadkin County18.4Lenoir County: 18.2 %Lenoir County18.2Caswell County: 18.1 %Caswell County18.1Washington County: 18.1 %Washington County18.1Alleghany County: 18 %Alleghany County18Vance County: 18 %Vance County18Graham County: 17.9 %Graham County17.9Northampton County: 17.9 %Northampton County17.9Edgecombe County: 17.8 %Edgecombe County17.8Rockingham County: 17.7 %Rockingham County17.7Wilkes County: 17.7 %Wilkes County17.7Duplin County: 17.6 %Duplin County17.6Richmond County: 17.6 %Richmond County17.6Bladen County: 17.4 %Bladen County17.4Stokes County: 17.4 %Stokes County17.4Caldwell County: 17.2 %Caldwell County17.2Beaufort County: 17.1 %Beaufort County17.1Cherokee County: 17.1 %Cherokee County17.1Granville County: 17.1 %Granville County17.1Robeson County: 24.2 %Robeson County24.2Hyde County: 22.1 %Hyde County22.1McDowell County: 22.1 %McDowell County22.1Columbus County: 20.5 %Columbus County20.5Scotland County: 20.5 %Scotland County20.5Swain County: 20.1 %Swain County20.1Greene County: 19.9 %Greene County19.9Halifax County: 19.9 %Halifax County19.9Wilson County: 19.8 %Wilson County19.8Cleveland County: 19.7 %Cleveland County19.7Bertie County: 19.6 %Bertie County19.6Hertford County: 19.5 %Hertford County19.5Rutherford County: 19.5 %Rutherford County19.5Anson County: 19.4 %Anson County19.4Martin County: 19.2 %Martin County19.2Warren County: 19.1 %Warren County19.1Sampson County: 19 %Sampson County19Randolph County: 18.9 %Randolph County18.9Person County: 18.8 %Person County18.8Jones County: 18.7 %Jones County18.7Surry County: 18.4 %Surry County18.4Yadkin County: 18.4 %Yadkin County18.4Lenoir County: 18.2 %Lenoir County18.2Caswell County: 18.1 %Caswell County18.1Washington County: 18.1 %Washington County18.1Alleghany County: 18 %Alleghany County18Vance County: 18 %Vance County18Graham County: 17.9 %Graham County17.9Northampton County: 17.9 %Northampton County17.9Edgecombe County: 17.8 %Edgecombe County17.8Rockingham County: 17.7 %Rockingham County17.7Wilkes County: 17.7 %Wilkes County17.7Duplin County: 17.6 %Duplin County17.6Richmond County: 17.6 %Richmond County17.6Bladen County: 17.4 %Bladen County17.4Stokes County: 17.4 %Stokes County17.4Caldwell County: 17.2 %Caldwell County17.2Beaufort County: 17.1 %Beaufort County17.1Cherokee County: 17.1 %Cherokee County17.1Granville County: 17.1 %Granville County17.1
%. Source: CDC, PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), adult cigarette smoking rate, crude prevalence. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Robeson County24.2-1.4 pts
2Hyde County22.1+1.2 pts
2McDowell County22.1+3.7 pts
4Columbus County20.5-0.9 pts
4Scotland County20.5-2.9 pts
6Swain County20.1-1.7 pts
7Greene County19.9-1.6 pts
7Halifax County19.9-2.8 pts
9Wilson County19.8-0.1 pts
10Cleveland County19.7+0.7 pts
11Bertie County19.6-2 pts
12Hertford County19.5-0.9 pts
12Rutherford County19.5+0.6 pts
14Anson County19.4-1.9 pts
15Martin County19.2-0.7 pts
16Warren County19.1-1.3 pts
17Sampson County19-0.6 pts
18Randolph County18.9+0.1 pts
19Person County18.8+0.8 pts
20Jones County18.7-1.5 pts
21Surry County18.4-0.6 pts
21Yadkin County18.4-0.6 pts
23Lenoir County18.2-3.4 pts
24Caswell County18.1-0.6 pts
24Washington County18.1-2.1 pts
26Alleghany County18-2.3 pts
26Vance County18-1.8 pts
28Graham County17.9-0.3 pts
28Northampton County17.9-2.3 pts
30Edgecombe County17.8-2.4 pts
31Rockingham County17.7-1.5 pts
31Wilkes County17.7-1.4 pts
33Duplin County17.6-1.8 pts
33Richmond County17.6-3.3 pts
35Bladen County17.4-2.2 pts
35Stokes County17.4-1.5 pts
37Caldwell County17.2-1.6 pts
38Beaufort County17.1-0.4 pts
38Cherokee County17.1-0.3 pts
38Granville County17.1-0.7 pts
38Hoke County17.1-1.9 pts
38Lee County17.1+0.3 pts
38Nash County17.1-0.2 pts
44Gates County17-1.8 pts
44Madison County17+0.6 pts
46Gaston County16.7-0.5 pts
47Montgomery County16.6-1.7 pts
48Burke County16.5-2.7 pts
48Lincoln County16.5+0.4 pts
50Alamance County16.40 pts
51Rowan County16.3-2.4 pts
51Stanly County16.3-1.4 pts
53Ashe County16.2-1.2 pts
53Chowan County16.2-2.5 pts
53Franklin County16.2-0.8 pts
53Johnston County16.2-0.5 pts
53Tyrrell County16.2-4.1 pts
58Craven County16.1-0.1 pts
59Davidson County16-2.1 pts
59Harnett County16-1.2 pts
59Pender County16-0.2 pts
62Alexander County15.9-1.9 pts
63Avery County15.8-1.7 pts
63Camden County15.8-0.2 pts
63Pamlico County15.8-0.3 pts
63Yancey County15.8-1.6 pts
67Catawba County15.7-1.1 pts
68Mitchell County15.5-1.1 pts
68Wayne County15.5-2.1 pts
70Clay County15.3-0.5 pts
70Pasquotank County15.3-0.6 pts
72Davie County15.2-0.3 pts
73Cumberland County14.5-1.8 pts
74Macon County14.4-2 pts
74Perquimans County14.4-2.2 pts
76Iredell County14.3-0.1 pts
76Jackson County14.3-2.1 pts
78Currituck County14.1-0.8 pts
79Forsyth County14-1.7 pts
80Guilford County13.9-0.1 pts
81Carteret County13.7-1.1 pts
81Chatham County13.7+0.7 pts
81Haywood County13.7-2.4 pts
84Brunswick County13.5+0.1 pts
84Henderson County13.5-0.3 pts
86Onslow County13.3-2.4 pts
87Mecklenburg County13+0.2 pts
88Cabarrus County12.5-2 pts
88Moore County12.5-0.6 pts
90Pitt County12.3-3 pts
91Transylvania County11.8-2 pts
91Union County11.8-1.8 pts
93Watauga County11.7-1.9 pts
94New Hanover County11.5-1.9 pts
95Dare County11.1-1.5 pts
96Buncombe County10.8-3.2 pts
97Durham County10.7-2.4 pts
98Polk County9.9-3.3 pts
99Wake County9.6-1 pts
100Orange County8.6-2 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Percentage of adults who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and now smoke every day or on some days. Model-based estimate for adults aged 18 and over from CDC PLACES. Crude prevalence, not age-adjusted.

US counties and cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). CDC PLACES combines Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) answers with local population data through multilevel regression and poststratification, so a county or city value is a model estimate, not a survey count. The year is the BRFSS survey year, not the release year. CDC says the method does not support tracking change in a place over time, and each annual release can change the model, so values for different years are not strictly comparable. A state is missing in a year when its BRFSS data did not meet standards (Kentucky and Pennsylvania in 2023, Florida in 2021). Connecticut counties appear as its nine planning regions from 2022; its eight former counties are not served. City values for 2021 come from the 2023 release, built on 2010 Census place boundaries; later years use 2020 boundaries. State and national values come from direct BRFSS estimates under adult_smoking_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), adult cigarette smoking rate, crude prevalence. https://www.cdc.gov/places/. Retrieved 2026-10-12. These data are available free from CDC. Use does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), adult cigarette smoking rate, crude prevalence (Counties in North Carolina by adult cigarette smoking rate, local model estimate, 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.cdc.gov/places/

MLA 9

PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), adult cigarette smoking rate, crude prevalence, Counties in North Carolina by adult cigarette smoking rate, local model estimate, 2022. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4 Dec. 2025, https://www.cdc.gov/places/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-smoking-rate-county-estimate/north-carolina-counties?period=2022. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2025. PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), adult cigarette smoking rate, crude prevalence. Counties in North Carolina by adult cigarette smoking rate, local model estimate, 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/places/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-smoking-rate-county-estimate/north-carolina-counties?period=2022.

Harvard

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025) PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), adult cigarette smoking rate, crude prevalence, Counties in North Carolina by adult cigarette smoking rate, local model estimate, 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/places/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-smoking-rate-county-estimate/north-carolina-counties?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_counties_in_north_carolina_2022,
  author = {{Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}},
  title = {{PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), adult cigarette smoking rate, crude prevalence: Counties in North Carolina by adult cigarette smoking rate, local model estimate, 2022}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www.cdc.gov/places/},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-smoking-rate-county-estimate/north-carolina-counties?period=2022. Publisher attribution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), adult cigarette smoking rate, crude prevalence. https://www.cdc.gov/places/. Retrieved 2026-10-12. These data are available free from CDC. Use does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
TI  - PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), adult cigarette smoking rate, crude prevalence: Counties in North Carolina by adult cigarette smoking rate, local model estimate, 2022
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/04
PB  - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.cdc.gov/places/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-smoking-rate-county-estimate/north-carolina-counties?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-smoking-rate-county-estimate/north-carolina-counties?period=2022.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), adult cigarette smoking rate, crude prevalence. https://www.cdc.gov/places/. Retrieved 2026-10-12. These data are available free from CDC. Use does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in North Carolina by adult cigarette smoking rate, local model estimate using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"adult_smoking_rate_modelled","level":"province","within":"North Carolina","limit":10}
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Questions

Which county has the highest adult cigarette smoking rate, local model estimate?

Robeson County, with 24.2% in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which county has the lowest adult cigarette smoking rate, local model estimate?

Orange County, with 8.6% in 2022.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), adult cigarette smoking rate, crude prevalence. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Adult cigarette smoking rate, local model estimate: other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings