Counties in North Carolina by business revenue: professional, scientific and technical services (Economic Census)

Wake County had the highest business revenue: professional, scientific and technical services (Economic Census) of 93 counties in 2017, at $12.47 billion. Northampton County had the lowest, at $1.46 million. The median was $33.04 million and the figure for North Carolina was $40.88 billion. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest12,473.6Wake County
Median3393 counties
North Carolina40,877.5History

Map of counties, 2017

Alamance County: 156.1 USD millionAlexander County: 14.2 USD millionAlleghany County: 3.9 USD millionAnson County: 10.3 USD millionAshe County: 6.2 USD millionAvery County: 9.4 USD millionBeaufort County: 29.2 USD millionBertie County: 3.9 USD millionBladen County: 20.6 USD millionBrunswick County: 98.3 USD millionBuncombe County: 642.3 USD millionBurke County: 41.3 USD millionCabarrus County: 227.9 USD millionCaldwell County: 64.8 USD millionCamden County: 2.9 USD millionCarteret County: 90.1 USD millionCaswell County: 3.7 USD millionCatawba County: 778.9 USD millionChatham County: 99.2 USD millionCherokee County: 9 USD millionChowan County: 16.3 USD millionClay County: 2.8 USD millionCleveland County: 108.4 USD millionColumbus County: 28 USD millionCraven County: 216.3 USD millionCumberland County: 798.2 USD millionCurrituck County: 18 USD millionDavidson County: 84.4 USD millionDavie County: 77.9 USD millionDuplin County: 17 USD millionEdgecombe County: 14 USD millionForsyth County: 1,063.6 USD millionFranklin County: 25.1 USD millionGaston County: 147 USD millionGranville County: 29 USD millionGreene County: 5.8 USD millionGuilford County: 1,843.5 USD millionHalifax County: 15.7 USD millionHarnett County: 63.3 USD millionHaywood County: 51.9 USD millionHenderson County: 112.5 USD millionHertford County: 8.8 USD millionHoke County: 9.2 USD millionIredell County: 460.8 USD millionJackson County: 33 USD millionJohnston County: 124.3 USD millionJones County: 2.4 USD millionLee County: 42.5 USD millionLenoir County: 136.2 USD millionLincoln County: 69 USD millionMcDowell County: 15.7 USD millionMacon County: 22.6 USD millionMadison County: 4 USD millionMartin County: 7.2 USD millionMecklenburg County: 10,821.3 USD millionMitchell County: 6.4 USD millionMontgomery County: 5.7 USD millionMoore County: 245.2 USD millionNash County: 123.8 USD millionNew Hanover County: 872.5 USD millionNorthampton County: 1.5 USD millionOnslow County: 173.2 USD millionOrange County: 412 USD millionPamlico County: 5.3 USD millionPasquotank County: 50.3 USD millionPender County: 28.3 USD millionPerquimans County: 4.3 USD millionPitt County: 313.8 USD millionPolk County: 23.3 USD millionRandolph County: 69.5 USD millionRichmond County: 16 USD millionRobeson County: 49.2 USD millionRockingham County: 39.8 USD millionRowan County: 112.3 USD millionRutherford County: 29.7 USD millionSampson County: 32.3 USD millionScotland County: 7.6 USD millionStanly County: 35.7 USD millionStokes County: 13.4 USD millionSurry County: 41 USD millionSwain County: 4.7 USD millionTransylvania County: 29.7 USD millionUnion County: 295.6 USD millionVance County: 40.7 USD millionWake County: 12,473.6 USD millionWarren County: 3.2 USD millionWashington County: 6.7 USD millionWatauga County: 50.3 USD millionWayne County: 74.7 USD millionWilkes County: 59.1 USD millionWilson County: 82.5 USD millionYadkin County: 22.2 USD millionYancey County: 6.9 USD million
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USD million, 2017. 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 professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all establishments. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2017

Wake County: 12,473.6 USD millionWake County12,473.6Mecklenburg County: 10,821.3 USD millionMecklenburg County10,821.3Guilford County: 1,843.5 USD millionGuilford County1,843.5Forsyth County: 1,063.6 USD millionForsyth County1,063.6New Hanover County: 872.5 USD millionNew Hanover County872.5Cumberland County: 798.2 USD millionCumberland County798.2Catawba County: 778.9 USD millionCatawba County778.9Buncombe County: 642.3 USD millionBuncombe County642.3Iredell County: 460.8 USD millionIredell County460.8Orange County: 412 USD millionOrange County412Pitt County: 313.8 USD millionPitt County313.8Union County: 295.6 USD millionUnion County295.6Moore County: 245.2 USD millionMoore County245.2Cabarrus County: 227.9 USD millionCabarrus County227.9Craven County: 216.3 USD millionCraven County216.3Onslow County: 173.2 USD millionOnslow County173.2Alamance County: 156.1 USD millionAlamance County156.1Gaston County: 147 USD millionGaston County147Lenoir County: 136.2 USD millionLenoir County136.2Johnston County: 124.3 USD millionJohnston County124.3Nash County: 123.8 USD millionNash County123.8Henderson County: 112.5 USD millionHenderson County112.5Rowan County: 112.3 USD millionRowan County112.3Cleveland County: 108.4 USD millionCleveland County108.4Chatham County: 99.2 USD millionChatham County99.2Brunswick County: 98.3 USD millionBrunswick County98.3Carteret County: 90.1 USD millionCarteret County90.1Davidson County: 84.4 USD millionDavidson County84.4Wilson County: 82.5 USD millionWilson County82.5Davie County: 77.9 USD millionDavie County77.9Wayne County: 74.7 USD millionWayne County74.7Randolph County: 69.5 USD millionRandolph County69.5Lincoln County: 69 USD millionLincoln County69Caldwell County: 64.8 USD millionCaldwell County64.8Harnett County: 63.3 USD millionHarnett County63.3Wilkes County: 59.1 USD millionWilkes County59.1Haywood County: 51.9 USD millionHaywood County51.9Watauga County: 50.3 USD millionWatauga County50.3Pasquotank County: 50.3 USD millionPasquotank County50.3Robeson County: 49.2 USD millionRobeson County49.2Wake County: 12,473.6 USD millionWake County12,473.6Mecklenburg County: 10,821.3 USD millionMecklenburg County10,821.3Guilford County: 1,843.5 USD millionGuilford County1,843.5Forsyth County: 1,063.6 USD millionForsyth County1,063.6New Hanover County: 872.5 USD millionNew Hanover County872.5Cumberland County: 798.2 USD millionCumberland County798.2Catawba County: 778.9 USD millionCatawba County778.9Buncombe County: 642.3 USD millionBuncombe County642.3Iredell County: 460.8 USD millionIredell County460.8Orange County: 412 USD millionOrange County412Pitt County: 313.8 USD millionPitt County313.8Union County: 295.6 USD millionUnion County295.6Moore County: 245.2 USD millionMoore County245.2Cabarrus County: 227.9 USD millionCabarrus County227.9Craven County: 216.3 USD millionCraven County216.3Onslow County: 173.2 USD millionOnslow County173.2Alamance County: 156.1 USD millionAlamance County156.1Gaston County: 147 USD millionGaston County147Lenoir County: 136.2 USD millionLenoir County136.2Johnston County: 124.3 USD millionJohnston County124.3Nash County: 123.8 USD millionNash County123.8Henderson County: 112.5 USD millionHenderson County112.5Rowan County: 112.3 USD millionRowan County112.3Cleveland County: 108.4 USD millionCleveland County108.4Chatham County: 99.2 USD millionChatham County99.2Brunswick County: 98.3 USD millionBrunswick County98.3Carteret County: 90.1 USD millionCarteret County90.1Davidson County: 84.4 USD millionDavidson County84.4Wilson County: 82.5 USD millionWilson County82.5Davie County: 77.9 USD millionDavie County77.9Wayne County: 74.7 USD millionWayne County74.7Randolph County: 69.5 USD millionRandolph County69.5Lincoln County: 69 USD millionLincoln County69Caldwell County: 64.8 USD millionCaldwell County64.8Harnett County: 63.3 USD millionHarnett County63.3Wilkes County: 59.1 USD millionWilkes County59.1Haywood County: 51.9 USD millionHaywood County51.9Watauga County: 50.3 USD millionWatauga County50.3Pasquotank County: 50.3 USD millionPasquotank County50.3Robeson County: 49.2 USD millionRobeson County49.2
USD million. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all establishments. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017
USD million
1Wake County12,473.6
2Mecklenburg County10,821.3
3Guilford County1,843.5
4Forsyth County1,063.6
5New Hanover County872.5
6Cumberland County798.2
7Catawba County778.9
8Buncombe County642.3
9Iredell County460.8
10Orange County412
11Pitt County313.8
12Union County295.6
13Moore County245.2
14Cabarrus County227.9
15Craven County216.3
16Onslow County173.2
17Alamance County156.1
18Gaston County147
19Lenoir County136.2
20Johnston County124.3
21Nash County123.8
22Henderson County112.5
23Rowan County112.3
24Cleveland County108.4
25Chatham County99.2
26Brunswick County98.3
27Carteret County90.1
28Davidson County84.4
29Wilson County82.5
30Davie County77.9
31Wayne County74.7
32Randolph County69.5
33Lincoln County69
34Caldwell County64.8
35Harnett County63.3
36Wilkes County59.1
37Haywood County51.9
38Watauga County50.3
39Pasquotank County50.3
40Robeson County49.2
41Lee County42.5
42Burke County41.3
43Surry County41
44Vance County40.7
45Rockingham County39.8
46Stanly County35.7
47Jackson County33
48Sampson County32.3
49Transylvania County29.7
50Rutherford County29.7
51Beaufort County29.2
52Granville County29
53Pender County28.3
54Columbus County28
55Franklin County25.1
56Polk County23.3
57Macon County22.6
58Yadkin County22.2
59Bladen County20.6
60Currituck County18
61Duplin County17
62Chowan County16.3
63Richmond County16
64Halifax County15.7
65McDowell County15.7
66Alexander County14.2
67Edgecombe County14
68Stokes County13.4
69Anson County10.3
70Avery County9.4
71Hoke County9.2
72Cherokee County9
73Hertford County8.8
74Scotland County7.6
75Martin County7.2
76Yancey County6.9
77Washington County6.7
78Mitchell County6.4
79Ashe County6.2
80Greene County5.8
81Montgomery County5.7
82Pamlico County5.3
83Swain County4.7
84Perquimans County4.3
85Madison County4
86Bertie County3.9
87Alleghany County3.9
88Caswell County3.7
89Warren County3.2
90Camden County2.9
91Clay County2.8
92Jones County2.4
93Northampton County1.5

Other periods

About this ranking

Sales, value of shipments or revenue of employer establishments in professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), 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. 4 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2017 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 professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all establishments. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2017/sector00/EC1700BASIC.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. (2021). Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all establishments (Counties in North Carolina by business revenue: professional, scientific and technical services (Economic Census), 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2017/sector00/EC1700BASIC.zip

MLA 9

Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all establishments, Counties in North Carolina by business revenue: professional, scientific and technical services (Economic Census), 2017. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 May 2021, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2017/sector00/EC1700BASIC.zip. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-revenue-professional-services/north-carolina-counties?period=2017. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2021. Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all establishments. Counties in North Carolina by business revenue: professional, scientific and technical services (Economic Census), 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2017/sector00/EC1700BASIC.zip. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-revenue-professional-services/north-carolina-counties?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2021) Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all establishments, Counties in North Carolina by business revenue: professional, scientific and technical services (Economic Census), 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2017/sector00/EC1700BASIC.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-revenue-professional-services/north-carolina-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_carolina_2017,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all establishments: Counties in North Carolina by business revenue: professional, scientific and technical services (Economic Census), 2017}},
  year = {2021},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2017/sector00/EC1700BASIC.zip},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-revenue-professional-services/north-carolina-counties?period=2017. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all establishments. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2017/sector00/EC1700BASIC.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 professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all establishments: Counties in North Carolina by business revenue: professional, scientific and technical services (Economic Census), 2017
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/05/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2017/sector00/EC1700BASIC.zip
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-revenue-professional-services/north-carolina-counties?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-revenue-professional-services/north-carolina-counties?period=2017.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Economic Census basic statistics by geography (EC1700BASIC, EC2200BASIC): sales, value of shipments, or revenue (RCPTOT) of professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all establishments. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/2017/sector00/EC1700BASIC.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest business revenue: professional, scientific and technical services (Economic Census)?

Wake County, with $12.47 billion in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest business revenue: professional, scientific and technical services (Economic Census)?

Northampton County, with $1.46 million in 2017.

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 professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all establishments. Retrieved 2026-10-12. 4 counties have no value for 2017 and are not ranked.

Business revenue: professional, scientific and technical services (Economic Census): other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings