Counties in North Carolina by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)

Northampton County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 100 counties in 2015, at 45.3%. Union County had the lowest, at 12.7%. The median was 27.3% and the figure for North Carolina was 23.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Lowest12.7Union County
Median27.3100 counties
North Carolina23.4History

Map of counties, 2015

Alamance County: 26.1 %Alexander County: 22.3 %Alleghany County: 35.9 %Anson County: 35.6 %Ashe County: 31.8 %Avery County: 29.9 %Beaufort County: 33.3 %Bertie County: 35.9 %Bladen County: 35.2 %Brunswick County: 24.5 %Buncombe County: 23.2 %Burke County: 23.6 %Cabarrus County: 15.2 %Caldwell County: 23.9 %Camden County: 13.7 %Carteret County: 22.7 %Caswell County: 29.8 %Catawba County: 20.8 %Chatham County: 18 %Cherokee County: 30.9 %Chowan County: 33 %Clay County: 31.9 %Cleveland County: 29.4 %Columbus County: 34.1 %Craven County: 24.2 %Cumberland County: 27.6 %Currituck County: 17 %Dare County: 17.8 %Davidson County: 21.3 %Davie County: 18.4 %Duplin County: 34.1 %Durham County: 26 %Edgecombe County: 42.6 %Forsyth County: 28.5 %Franklin County: 22.5 %Gaston County: 25 %Gates County: 23.5 %Graham County: 32.6 %Granville County: 21.8 %Greene County: 34.5 %Guilford County: 23.5 %Halifax County: 39.1 %Harnett County: 23.8 %Haywood County: 27.3 %Henderson County: 21.1 %Hertford County: 37.6 %Hoke County: 28.5 %Hyde County: 30.7 %Iredell County: 19.3 %Jackson County: 27.3 %Johnston County: 18.7 %Jones County: 36.5 %Lee County: 25.8 %Lenoir County: 36.9 %Lincoln County: 20.4 %McDowell County: 26.8 %Macon County: 29.4 %Madison County: 29.1 %Martin County: 36.3 %Mecklenburg County: 19.1 %Mitchell County: 27.5 %Montgomery County: 31.3 %Moore County: 21.1 %Nash County: 25.9 %New Hanover County: 22.1 %Northampton County: 45.3 %Onslow County: 21.5 %Orange County: 13.1 %Pamlico County: 32.3 %Pasquotank County: 29.5 %Pender County: 21.9 %Perquimans County: 31.6 %Person County: 24 %Pitt County: 30.6 %Polk County: 24.1 %Randolph County: 25 %Richmond County: 42.8 %Robeson County: 41.9 %Rockingham County: 26.3 %Rowan County: 26.5 %Rutherford County: 29.6 %Sampson County: 29.5 %Scotland County: 44.4 %Stanly County: 25.1 %Stokes County: 22.8 %Surry County: 27 %Swain County: 26 %Transylvania County: 29.6 %Tyrrell County: 36.2 %Union County: 12.7 %Vance County: 37.3 %Wake County: 14.7 %Warren County: 37.1 %Washington County: 40.9 %Watauga County: 18.9 %Wayne County: 28.1 %Wilkes County: 27.4 %Wilson County: 30.3 %Yadkin County: 24.9 %Yancey County: 29.2 %
  • Under 21
  • 21 to 24
  • 24 to 27
  • 27 to 30
  • 30 to 35
  • 35 and over
%, 2015. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2015

Northampton County: 45.3 %Northampton County45.3Scotland County: 44.4 %Scotland County44.4Richmond County: 42.8 %Richmond County42.8Edgecombe County: 42.6 %Edgecombe County42.6Robeson County: 41.9 %Robeson County41.9Washington County: 40.9 %Washington County40.9Halifax County: 39.1 %Halifax County39.1Hertford County: 37.6 %Hertford County37.6Vance County: 37.3 %Vance County37.3Warren County: 37.1 %Warren County37.1Lenoir County: 36.9 %Lenoir County36.9Jones County: 36.5 %Jones County36.5Martin County: 36.3 %Martin County36.3Tyrrell County: 36.2 %Tyrrell County36.2Alleghany County: 35.9 %Alleghany County35.9Bertie County: 35.9 %Bertie County35.9Anson County: 35.6 %Anson County35.6Bladen County: 35.2 %Bladen County35.2Greene County: 34.5 %Greene County34.5Columbus County: 34.1 %Columbus County34.1Duplin County: 34.1 %Duplin County34.1Beaufort County: 33.3 %Beaufort County33.3Chowan County: 33 %Chowan County33Graham County: 32.6 %Graham County32.6Pamlico County: 32.3 %Pamlico County32.3Clay County: 31.9 %Clay County31.9Ashe County: 31.8 %Ashe County31.8Perquimans County: 31.6 %Perquimans County31.6Montgomery County: 31.3 %Montgomery County31.3Cherokee County: 30.9 %Cherokee County30.9Hyde County: 30.7 %Hyde County30.7Pitt County: 30.6 %Pitt County30.6Wilson County: 30.3 %Wilson County30.3Avery County: 29.9 %Avery County29.9Caswell County: 29.8 %Caswell County29.8Rutherford County: 29.6 %Rutherford County29.6Transylvania County: 29.6 %Transylvania County29.6Pasquotank County: 29.5 %Pasquotank County29.5Sampson County: 29.5 %Sampson County29.5Cleveland County: 29.4 %Cleveland County29.4Northampton County: 45.3 %Northampton County45.3Scotland County: 44.4 %Scotland County44.4Richmond County: 42.8 %Richmond County42.8Edgecombe County: 42.6 %Edgecombe County42.6Robeson County: 41.9 %Robeson County41.9Washington County: 40.9 %Washington County40.9Halifax County: 39.1 %Halifax County39.1Hertford County: 37.6 %Hertford County37.6Vance County: 37.3 %Vance County37.3Warren County: 37.1 %Warren County37.1Lenoir County: 36.9 %Lenoir County36.9Jones County: 36.5 %Jones County36.5Martin County: 36.3 %Martin County36.3Tyrrell County: 36.2 %Tyrrell County36.2Alleghany County: 35.9 %Alleghany County35.9Bertie County: 35.9 %Bertie County35.9Anson County: 35.6 %Anson County35.6Bladen County: 35.2 %Bladen County35.2Greene County: 34.5 %Greene County34.5Columbus County: 34.1 %Columbus County34.1Duplin County: 34.1 %Duplin County34.1Beaufort County: 33.3 %Beaufort County33.3Chowan County: 33 %Chowan County33Graham County: 32.6 %Graham County32.6Pamlico County: 32.3 %Pamlico County32.3Clay County: 31.9 %Clay County31.9Ashe County: 31.8 %Ashe County31.8Perquimans County: 31.6 %Perquimans County31.6Montgomery County: 31.3 %Montgomery County31.3Cherokee County: 30.9 %Cherokee County30.9Hyde County: 30.7 %Hyde County30.7Pitt County: 30.6 %Pitt County30.6Wilson County: 30.3 %Wilson County30.3Avery County: 29.9 %Avery County29.9Caswell County: 29.8 %Caswell County29.8Rutherford County: 29.6 %Rutherford County29.6Transylvania County: 29.6 %Transylvania County29.6Pasquotank County: 29.5 %Pasquotank County29.5Sampson County: 29.5 %Sampson County29.5Cleveland County: 29.4 %Cleveland County29.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)Change on 2014
1Northampton County45.3+7.2 pts
2Scotland County44.4+2.8 pts
3Richmond County42.8+5.6 pts
4Edgecombe County42.6+4.5 pts
5Robeson County41.9-4.7 pts
6Washington County40.9-2.4 pts
7Halifax County39.1+4.5 pts
8Hertford County37.6+2.3 pts
9Vance County37.3-1.3 pts
10Warren County37.1+2.6 pts
11Lenoir County36.9+1.4 pts
12Jones County36.5-0.1 pts
13Martin County36.3+3.9 pts
14Tyrrell County36.2-0.9 pts
15Alleghany County35.9+1.7 pts
15Bertie County35.9-3 pts
17Anson County35.6-0.3 pts
18Bladen County35.2-0.6 pts
19Greene County34.5-3.7 pts
20Columbus County34.1-1.3 pts
20Duplin County34.1-3.5 pts
22Beaufort County33.3+4.5 pts
23Chowan County33-3 pts
24Graham County32.6-0.2 pts
25Pamlico County32.3+0.2 pts
26Clay County31.9+1.6 pts
27Ashe County31.8+0.6 pts
28Perquimans County31.6+2.4 pts
29Montgomery County31.3+0.2 pts
30Cherokee County30.9-2.1 pts
31Hyde County30.7+2 pts
32Pitt County30.6+3.6 pts
33Wilson County30.3-8.9 pts
34Avery County29.9-1.8 pts
35Caswell County29.8+0.6 pts
36Rutherford County29.6-2.3 pts
36Transylvania County29.6+0.8 pts
38Pasquotank County29.5+1.9 pts
38Sampson County29.5-7.3 pts
40Cleveland County29.4-1.4 pts
40Macon County29.4-3.8 pts
42Yancey County29.2-1.1 pts
43Madison County29.1-0.3 pts
44Forsyth County28.5+0.9 pts
44Hoke County28.5+0.2 pts
46Wayne County28.1-7.7 pts
47Cumberland County27.6+2 pts
48Mitchell County27.5-1 pts
49Wilkes County27.4-2.1 pts
50Haywood County27.3+0.6 pts
50Jackson County27.3-0.5 pts
52Surry County27+1.4 pts
53McDowell County26.8-0.3 pts
54Rowan County26.5-2.2 pts
55Rockingham County26.3-2.4 pts
56Alamance County26.1+1.7 pts
57Durham County26+3.8 pts
57Swain County26-2.8 pts
59Nash County25.9-0.3 pts
60Lee County25.8-1.7 pts
61Stanly County25.1+3.1 pts
62Gaston County25+1.7 pts
62Randolph County25-1.1 pts
64Yadkin County24.9-2.1 pts
65Brunswick County24.5-5.5 pts
66Craven County24.2-2 pts
67Polk County24.1-1.1 pts
68Person County24-2.2 pts
69Caldwell County23.9-3.8 pts
70Harnett County23.8-3.5 pts
71Burke County23.6-6.5 pts
72Gates County23.5-0.9 pts
72Guilford County23.5-1.9 pts
74Buncombe County23.2+2.7 pts
75Stokes County22.8+1.9 pts
76Carteret County22.7-1.6 pts
77Franklin County22.5-0.1 pts
78Alexander County22.3-0.6 pts
79New Hanover County22.1-1.1 pts
80Pender County21.9+1 pts
81Granville County21.8+2.5 pts
82Onslow County21.5+2 pts
83Davidson County21.3-2 pts
84Henderson County21.1-0.9 pts
84Moore County21.1-2.8 pts
86Catawba County20.8-2.4 pts
87Lincoln County20.4-0.8 pts
88Iredell County19.3+0.8 pts
89Mecklenburg County19.1-2 pts
90Watauga County18.9-0.3 pts
91Johnston County18.7-2.9 pts
92Davie County18.4-2.9 pts
93Chatham County18-3 pts
94Dare County17.8-0.7 pts
95Currituck County17-0.2 pts
96Cabarrus County15.2-1.5 pts
97Wake County14.7+0.4 pts
98Camden County13.7-0.5 pts
99Orange County13.10 pts
100Union County12.7-1.8 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People under 18 in families or living alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people under 18 whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for the nation, states and counties.

A model-based single-year estimate; the national figure is the one-year American Community Survey estimate. The Census Bureau advises comparing years from 2006 on only. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate. The rate for all ages is poverty_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

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. 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. (2026). Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties (Counties in North Carolina by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2015) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt

MLA 9

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in North Carolina by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2015. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2015. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Counties in North Carolina by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2015. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2015.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in North Carolina by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_carolina_2015,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in North Carolina by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2015}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2015. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in North Carolina by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2015
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2015.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in North Carolina by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Northampton County, with 45.3% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Union County, with 12.7% in 2015.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings