Counties in North Carolina by business revenue: arts, entertainment and recreation (Economic Census), 2022

Mecklenburg County had the highest business revenue: arts, entertainment and recreation (Economic Census) of 71 counties in 2022, at $2.28 billion. Mitchell County had the lowest, at $444,000. The median was $18.88 million and the figure for North Carolina was $8.15 billion. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest2,279.6Mecklenburg County
Median18.971 counties
North Carolina8,149.5History

Map of counties, 2022

Alamance County: 36.3 USD millionAlexander County: 6.4 USD millionAshe County: 5.3 USD millionBeaufort County: 14.1 USD millionBertie County: 1.4 USD millionBladen County: 1.9 USD millionBrunswick County: 152.3 USD millionBuncombe County: 301.8 USD millionBurke County: 11.9 USD millionCabarrus County: 936 USD millionCaldwell County: 15.4 USD millionCarteret County: 66.9 USD millionCaswell County: 1.3 USD millionCatawba County: 59.3 USD millionCherokee County: 1.9 USD millionChowan County: 1.4 USD millionClay County: 1.7 USD millionCraven County: 23.9 USD millionCumberland County: 70.7 USD millionDare County: 50.9 USD millionDavidson County: 128.7 USD millionDavie County: 23.5 USD millionDuplin County: 1.5 USD millionDurham County: 198.5 USD millionEdgecombe County: 1.1 USD millionForsyth County: 216.5 USD millionFranklin County: 4.8 USD millionGaston County: 36.8 USD millionGuilford County: 360.4 USD millionHarnett County: 11.4 USD millionHaywood County: 25.2 USD millionHenderson County: 41.3 USD millionHertford County: 1.2 USD millionHyde County: 2.6 USD millionIredell County: 500.9 USD millionJohnston County: 25.6 USD millionLee County: 19.3 USD millionLenoir County: 6.3 USD millionLincoln County: 19.1 USD millionMacon County: 58.4 USD millionMadison County: 6.2 USD millionMecklenburg County: 2,279.6 USD millionMitchell County: 0.4 USD millionMoore County: 84.4 USD millionNash County: 19.1 USD millionNew Hanover County: 234.1 USD millionOnslow County: 34.6 USD millionOrange County: 56.6 USD millionPamlico County: 3.9 USD millionPasquotank County: 4.2 USD millionPender County: 13.7 USD millionPitt County: 34.5 USD millionPolk County: 12.3 USD millionRandolph County: 39 USD millionRichmond County: 4.5 USD millionRockingham County: 9.6 USD millionRowan County: 72 USD millionSampson County: 4 USD millionScotland County: 6.3 USD millionStokes County: 3.9 USD millionSurry County: 15.3 USD millionTransylvania County: 28.4 USD millionUnion County: 73.3 USD millionVance County: 5.5 USD millionWake County: 932.5 USD millionWarren County: 1.1 USD millionWashington County: 0.5 USD millionWatauga County: 71.4 USD millionWayne County: 18.9 USD millionWilkes County: 9.6 USD millionYadkin County: 5.4 USD million
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USD million, 2022. Hatched areas have no value for this period. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all establishments. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2022

Mecklenburg County: 2,279.6 USD millionMecklenburg County2,279.6Cabarrus County: 936 USD millionCabarrus County936Wake County: 932.5 USD millionWake County932.5Iredell County: 500.9 USD millionIredell County500.9Guilford County: 360.4 USD millionGuilford County360.4Buncombe County: 301.8 USD millionBuncombe County301.8New Hanover County: 234.1 USD millionNew Hanover County234.1Forsyth County: 216.5 USD millionForsyth County216.5Durham County: 198.5 USD millionDurham County198.5Brunswick County: 152.3 USD millionBrunswick County152.3Davidson County: 128.7 USD millionDavidson County128.7Moore County: 84.4 USD millionMoore County84.4Union County: 73.3 USD millionUnion County73.3Rowan County: 72 USD millionRowan County72Watauga County: 71.4 USD millionWatauga County71.4Cumberland County: 70.7 USD millionCumberland County70.7Carteret County: 66.9 USD millionCarteret County66.9Catawba County: 59.3 USD millionCatawba County59.3Macon County: 58.4 USD millionMacon County58.4Orange County: 56.6 USD millionOrange County56.6Dare County: 50.9 USD millionDare County50.9Henderson County: 41.3 USD millionHenderson County41.3Randolph County: 39 USD millionRandolph County39Gaston County: 36.8 USD millionGaston County36.8Alamance County: 36.3 USD millionAlamance County36.3Onslow County: 34.6 USD millionOnslow County34.6Pitt County: 34.5 USD millionPitt County34.5Transylvania County: 28.4 USD millionTransylvania County28.4Johnston County: 25.6 USD millionJohnston County25.6Haywood County: 25.2 USD millionHaywood County25.2Craven County: 23.9 USD millionCraven County23.9Davie County: 23.5 USD millionDavie County23.5Lee County: 19.3 USD millionLee County19.3Nash County: 19.1 USD millionNash County19.1Lincoln County: 19.1 USD millionLincoln County19.1Wayne County: 18.9 USD millionWayne County18.9Caldwell County: 15.4 USD millionCaldwell County15.4Surry County: 15.3 USD millionSurry County15.3Beaufort County: 14.1 USD millionBeaufort County14.1Pender County: 13.7 USD millionPender County13.7Mecklenburg County: 2,279.6 USD millionMecklenburg County2,279.6Cabarrus County: 936 USD millionCabarrus County936Wake County: 932.5 USD millionWake County932.5Iredell County: 500.9 USD millionIredell County500.9Guilford County: 360.4 USD millionGuilford County360.4Buncombe County: 301.8 USD millionBuncombe County301.8New Hanover County: 234.1 USD millionNew Hanover County234.1Forsyth County: 216.5 USD millionForsyth County216.5Durham County: 198.5 USD millionDurham County198.5Brunswick County: 152.3 USD millionBrunswick County152.3Davidson County: 128.7 USD millionDavidson County128.7Moore County: 84.4 USD millionMoore County84.4Union County: 73.3 USD millionUnion County73.3Rowan County: 72 USD millionRowan County72Watauga County: 71.4 USD millionWatauga County71.4Cumberland County: 70.7 USD millionCumberland County70.7Carteret County: 66.9 USD millionCarteret County66.9Catawba County: 59.3 USD millionCatawba County59.3Macon County: 58.4 USD millionMacon County58.4Orange County: 56.6 USD millionOrange County56.6Dare County: 50.9 USD millionDare County50.9Henderson County: 41.3 USD millionHenderson County41.3Randolph County: 39 USD millionRandolph County39Gaston County: 36.8 USD millionGaston County36.8Alamance County: 36.3 USD millionAlamance County36.3Onslow County: 34.6 USD millionOnslow County34.6Pitt County: 34.5 USD millionPitt County34.5Transylvania County: 28.4 USD millionTransylvania County28.4Johnston County: 25.6 USD millionJohnston County25.6Haywood County: 25.2 USD millionHaywood County25.2Craven County: 23.9 USD millionCraven County23.9Davie County: 23.5 USD millionDavie County23.5Lee County: 19.3 USD millionLee County19.3Nash County: 19.1 USD millionNash County19.1Lincoln County: 19.1 USD millionLincoln County19.1Wayne County: 18.9 USD millionWayne County18.9Caldwell County: 15.4 USD millionCaldwell County15.4Surry County: 15.3 USD millionSurry County15.3Beaufort County: 14.1 USD millionBeaufort County14.1Pender County: 13.7 USD millionPender County13.7
USD million. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all establishments. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

Other periods

About this ranking

Sales, value of shipments or revenue of employer establishments in arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), in millions of current US dollars, from the U.S. Census Bureau Economic Census.

Economic Census, taken every five years: values exist for 2017 and 2022 only, and the 2027 census publishes about 2029. Revenue of employer establishments located in the place, in millions of current US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; nonemployers (nonemployer_receipts_usd_*) are not included, and government owned establishments are generally out of scope. Manufacturing is the value of shipments and wholesale and retail trade are sales, so an establishment selling to another counts in both and sectors do not add up to output or GDP. Cells that would disclose individual companies (flag D) or that Census does not publish are missing here, not zero; counties are published for 14 of the 18 sectors. Sectors follow NAICS 2017 for 2017 and NAICS 2022 for 2022.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. 14 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2022 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all establishments. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2022/sector00/EC2200BASIC.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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

U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all establishments (Counties in North Carolina by business revenue: arts, entertainment and recreation (Economic Census), 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2022/sector00/EC2200BASIC.zip

MLA 9

Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all establishments, Counties in North Carolina by business revenue: arts, entertainment and recreation (Economic Census), 2022. U.S. Census Bureau, 12 Dec. 2024, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2022/sector00/EC2200BASIC.zip. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-revenue-arts-entertainment/north-carolina-counties. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2024. Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all establishments. Counties in North Carolina by business revenue: arts, entertainment and recreation (Economic Census), 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2022/sector00/EC2200BASIC.zip. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-revenue-arts-entertainment/north-carolina-counties.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2024) Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all establishments, Counties in North Carolina by business revenue: arts, entertainment and recreation (Economic Census), 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2022/sector00/EC2200BASIC.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-revenue-arts-entertainment/north-carolina-counties (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_carolina_2022,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all establishments: Counties in North Carolina by business revenue: arts, entertainment and recreation (Economic Census), 2022}},
  year = {2024},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2022/sector00/EC2200BASIC.zip},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-revenue-arts-entertainment/north-carolina-counties. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all establishments. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2022/sector00/EC2200BASIC.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all establishments: Counties in North Carolina by business revenue: arts, entertainment and recreation (Economic Census), 2022
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/12/12
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2022/sector00/EC2200BASIC.zip
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-revenue-arts-entertainment/north-carolina-counties
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-revenue-arts-entertainment/north-carolina-counties.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all establishments. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2022/sector00/EC2200BASIC.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in North Carolina by business revenue: arts, entertainment and recreation (Economic Census) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest business revenue: arts, entertainment and recreation (Economic Census)?

Mecklenburg County, with $2.28 billion in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest business revenue: arts, entertainment and recreation (Economic Census)?

Mitchell County, with $444,000 in 2022.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all establishments. Retrieved 2026-10-12. 14 counties have no value for 2022 and are not ranked.

Business revenue: arts, entertainment and recreation (Economic Census): other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings