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

Robeson County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 100 counties in 2019, at 48.1%. Union County had the lowest, at 8.8%. The median was 22.6% and the figure for North Carolina was 19.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest48.1Robeson County
Lowest8.8Union County
Median22.6100 counties
North Carolina19.3History

Map of counties, 2019

Alamance County: 21.8 %Alexander County: 16.7 %Alleghany County: 26.3 %Anson County: 31.1 %Ashe County: 22.6 %Avery County: 24.4 %Beaufort County: 29.5 %Bertie County: 32.4 %Bladen County: 29.9 %Brunswick County: 21 %Buncombe County: 17.3 %Burke County: 30.5 %Cabarrus County: 10.6 %Caldwell County: 17.8 %Camden County: 9.4 %Carteret County: 17 %Caswell County: 25.1 %Catawba County: 18.6 %Chatham County: 12.4 %Cherokee County: 29.3 %Chowan County: 28.5 %Clay County: 25.5 %Cleveland County: 30.5 %Columbus County: 32.5 %Craven County: 20 %Cumberland County: 25.7 %Currituck County: 13.7 %Dare County: 13.8 %Davidson County: 22.6 %Davie County: 15.1 %Duplin County: 28.9 %Durham County: 20.6 %Edgecombe County: 33.3 %Forsyth County: 22.5 %Franklin County: 17 %Gaston County: 16.5 %Gates County: 21.1 %Graham County: 23.2 %Granville County: 22.5 %Greene County: 30.4 %Guilford County: 23.1 %Halifax County: 37.5 %Harnett County: 20.6 %Haywood County: 16.7 %Henderson County: 18.1 %Hertford County: 28.3 %Hoke County: 22.2 %Hyde County: 28.1 %Iredell County: 11.5 %Jackson County: 24.8 %Johnston County: 18.1 %Jones County: 31.8 %Lee County: 21.1 %Lenoir County: 37.1 %Lincoln County: 13 %McDowell County: 19.8 %Macon County: 22.9 %Madison County: 19.7 %Martin County: 33.5 %Mecklenburg County: 13.8 %Mitchell County: 22.1 %Montgomery County: 24.2 %Moore County: 17.1 %Nash County: 22.1 %New Hanover County: 16.2 %Northampton County: 37.2 %Onslow County: 17.9 %Orange County: 13.3 %Pamlico County: 28.4 %Pasquotank County: 24.1 %Pender County: 17.1 %Perquimans County: 26.3 %Person County: 26.8 %Pitt County: 24.1 %Polk County: 20.7 %Randolph County: 18.9 %Richmond County: 42.7 %Robeson County: 48.1 %Rockingham County: 25.5 %Rowan County: 19.8 %Rutherford County: 28.1 %Sampson County: 26.1 %Scotland County: 46.3 %Stanly County: 16.7 %Stokes County: 17 %Surry County: 22.6 %Swain County: 27.4 %Transylvania County: 20.3 %Tyrrell County: 34.9 %Union County: 8.8 %Vance County: 31 %Wake County: 9.4 %Warren County: 32.7 %Washington County: 36.4 %Watauga County: 14.3 %Wayne County: 30.2 %Wilkes County: 21.1 %Wilson County: 32.2 %Yadkin County: 23.8 %Yancey County: 22 %
  • Under 17
  • 17 to 20
  • 20 to 23
  • 23 to 26
  • 26 to 31
  • 31 and over
%, 2019. 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, 2019

Robeson County: 48.1 %Robeson County48.1Scotland County: 46.3 %Scotland County46.3Richmond County: 42.7 %Richmond County42.7Halifax County: 37.5 %Halifax County37.5Northampton County: 37.2 %Northampton County37.2Lenoir County: 37.1 %Lenoir County37.1Washington County: 36.4 %Washington County36.4Tyrrell County: 34.9 %Tyrrell County34.9Martin County: 33.5 %Martin County33.5Edgecombe County: 33.3 %Edgecombe County33.3Warren County: 32.7 %Warren County32.7Columbus County: 32.5 %Columbus County32.5Bertie County: 32.4 %Bertie County32.4Wilson County: 32.2 %Wilson County32.2Jones County: 31.8 %Jones County31.8Anson County: 31.1 %Anson County31.1Vance County: 31 %Vance County31Burke County: 30.5 %Burke County30.5Cleveland County: 30.5 %Cleveland County30.5Greene County: 30.4 %Greene County30.4Wayne County: 30.2 %Wayne County30.2Bladen County: 29.9 %Bladen County29.9Beaufort County: 29.5 %Beaufort County29.5Cherokee County: 29.3 %Cherokee County29.3Duplin County: 28.9 %Duplin County28.9Chowan County: 28.5 %Chowan County28.5Pamlico County: 28.4 %Pamlico County28.4Hertford County: 28.3 %Hertford County28.3Hyde County: 28.1 %Hyde County28.1Rutherford County: 28.1 %Rutherford County28.1Swain County: 27.4 %Swain County27.4Person County: 26.8 %Person County26.8Alleghany County: 26.3 %Alleghany County26.3Perquimans County: 26.3 %Perquimans County26.3Sampson County: 26.1 %Sampson County26.1Cumberland County: 25.7 %Cumberland County25.7Clay County: 25.5 %Clay County25.5Rockingham County: 25.5 %Rockingham County25.5Caswell County: 25.1 %Caswell County25.1Jackson County: 24.8 %Jackson County24.8Robeson County: 48.1 %Robeson County48.1Scotland County: 46.3 %Scotland County46.3Richmond County: 42.7 %Richmond County42.7Halifax County: 37.5 %Halifax County37.5Northampton County: 37.2 %Northampton County37.2Lenoir County: 37.1 %Lenoir County37.1Washington County: 36.4 %Washington County36.4Tyrrell County: 34.9 %Tyrrell County34.9Martin County: 33.5 %Martin County33.5Edgecombe County: 33.3 %Edgecombe County33.3Warren County: 32.7 %Warren County32.7Columbus County: 32.5 %Columbus County32.5Bertie County: 32.4 %Bertie County32.4Wilson County: 32.2 %Wilson County32.2Jones County: 31.8 %Jones County31.8Anson County: 31.1 %Anson County31.1Vance County: 31 %Vance County31Burke County: 30.5 %Burke County30.5Cleveland County: 30.5 %Cleveland County30.5Greene County: 30.4 %Greene County30.4Wayne County: 30.2 %Wayne County30.2Bladen County: 29.9 %Bladen County29.9Beaufort County: 29.5 %Beaufort County29.5Cherokee County: 29.3 %Cherokee County29.3Duplin County: 28.9 %Duplin County28.9Chowan County: 28.5 %Chowan County28.5Pamlico County: 28.4 %Pamlico County28.4Hertford County: 28.3 %Hertford County28.3Hyde County: 28.1 %Hyde County28.1Rutherford County: 28.1 %Rutherford County28.1Swain County: 27.4 %Swain County27.4Person County: 26.8 %Person County26.8Alleghany County: 26.3 %Alleghany County26.3Perquimans County: 26.3 %Perquimans County26.3Sampson County: 26.1 %Sampson County26.1Cumberland County: 25.7 %Cumberland County25.7Clay County: 25.5 %Clay County25.5Rockingham County: 25.5 %Rockingham County25.5Caswell County: 25.1 %Caswell County25.1Jackson County: 24.8 %Jackson County24.8
%. 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

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Robeson County48.1+12.5 pts
2Scotland County46.3+4.5 pts
3Richmond County42.7+11.6 pts
4Halifax County37.5+3.9 pts
5Northampton County37.2+2.9 pts
6Lenoir County37.1-0.6 pts
7Washington County36.4-2.3 pts
8Tyrrell County34.9-0.2 pts
9Martin County33.5+2.9 pts
10Edgecombe County33.3-3.7 pts
11Warren County32.7+2.6 pts
12Columbus County32.5-3.7 pts
13Bertie County32.4+0.4 pts
14Wilson County32.2+1.1 pts
15Jones County31.8+2.9 pts
16Anson County31.1-0.4 pts
17Vance County31-4.8 pts
18Burke County30.5+9.9 pts
18Cleveland County30.5+2.1 pts
20Greene County30.4-3.9 pts
21Wayne County30.2-1.3 pts
22Bladen County29.9-14.3 pts
23Beaufort County29.5+2 pts
24Cherokee County29.3+1.4 pts
25Duplin County28.9-1.8 pts
26Chowan County28.5-1.7 pts
27Pamlico County28.4-0.9 pts
28Hertford County28.3-3.4 pts
29Hyde County28.1-3.8 pts
29Rutherford County28.1-0.2 pts
31Swain County27.4+4.5 pts
32Person County26.8+3.4 pts
33Alleghany County26.3-3.5 pts
33Perquimans County26.3-1.3 pts
35Sampson County26.1-6.9 pts
36Cumberland County25.7+2 pts
37Clay County25.5+1.3 pts
37Rockingham County25.5-0.5 pts
39Caswell County25.1-3 pts
40Jackson County24.8+3.4 pts
41Avery County24.4-1 pts
42Montgomery County24.2-1.9 pts
43Pasquotank County24.1-4.1 pts
43Pitt County24.1-2.4 pts
45Yadkin County23.8+3.3 pts
46Graham County23.2-3.1 pts
47Guilford County23.10 pts
48Macon County22.9-3.2 pts
49Ashe County22.6-3.6 pts
49Davidson County22.6-0.6 pts
49Surry County22.6-1 pts
52Forsyth County22.5-2.6 pts
52Granville County22.5+3.4 pts
54Hoke County22.2-3.4 pts
55Mitchell County22.1-1.8 pts
55Nash County22.1-0.7 pts
57Yancey County22-4.3 pts
58Alamance County21.8+2 pts
59Gates County21.10 pts
59Lee County21.1-1.4 pts
59Wilkes County21.1-10.5 pts
62Brunswick County21+0.9 pts
63Polk County20.7+0.3 pts
64Durham County20.6+1.3 pts
64Harnett County20.6+0.9 pts
66Transylvania County20.3-2.3 pts
67Craven County20-1.8 pts
68McDowell County19.8-1.6 pts
68Rowan County19.8-5.4 pts
70Madison County19.7-3.3 pts
71Randolph County18.9-1.7 pts
72Catawba County18.6-1.4 pts
73Henderson County18.1+2.6 pts
73Johnston County18.1+1.4 pts
75Onslow County17.9-2.9 pts
76Caldwell County17.8-4.6 pts
77Buncombe County17.3+0.5 pts
78Moore County17.1+2.2 pts
78Pender County17.1-4.8 pts
80Carteret County17+1.1 pts
80Franklin County17-3 pts
80Stokes County17-1.2 pts
83Alexander County16.7-2.9 pts
83Haywood County16.7-5.1 pts
83Stanly County16.7-2.5 pts
86Gaston County16.5-2.7 pts
87New Hanover County16.2-3.1 pts
88Davie County15.1-0.4 pts
89Watauga County14.3-1 pts
90Dare County13.8+0.2 pts
90Mecklenburg County13.8-3.7 pts
92Currituck County13.7-0.1 pts
93Orange County13.3+2.5 pts
94Lincoln County13-1.6 pts
95Chatham County12.4-1.8 pts
96Iredell County11.5-2.1 pts
97Cabarrus County10.6-2.3 pts
98Camden County9.4-0.5 pts
98Wake County9.4-1 pts
100Union County8.8-0.6 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.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), 2019) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.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), 2019. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2019. 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), 2019. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2019.

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), 2019 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_carolina_2019,
  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), 2019}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2019. 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.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), 2019
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2019.
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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

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

Robeson County, with 48.1% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Union County, with 8.8% in 2019.

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