Data / Rankings / Establishment exit rate / Counties in North Carolina

Counties in North Carolina by establishment exit rate

Jones County had the highest establishment exit rate of 100 counties in 2019, at 13.821%. Hyde County had the lowest, at 4.332%. The median was 7.618% and the figure for North Carolina was 7.872%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest13.821Jones County
Lowest4.332Hyde County
Median7.618100 counties
North Carolina7.872History

Map of counties, 2019

Alamance County: 6.991 %Alexander County: 7.602 %Alleghany County: 7.947 %Anson County: 9.877 %Ashe County: 10.643 %Avery County: 8.057 %Beaufort County: 7.47 %Bertie County: 7.914 %Bladen County: 5.04 %Brunswick County: 8.806 %Buncombe County: 8.032 %Burke County: 6.596 %Cabarrus County: 8.056 %Caldwell County: 6.86 %Camden County: 10.152 %Carteret County: 8.286 %Caswell County: 9.589 %Catawba County: 6.548 %Chatham County: 8.039 %Cherokee County: 6.364 %Chowan County: 6.176 %Clay County: 8.313 %Cleveland County: 5.046 %Columbus County: 7.755 %Craven County: 6.566 %Cumberland County: 7.279 %Currituck County: 8.621 %Dare County: 7.748 %Davidson County: 7.764 %Davie County: 7.958 %Duplin County: 6.978 %Durham County: 8.223 %Edgecombe County: 6.61 %Forsyth County: 7.892 %Franklin County: 7.784 %Gaston County: 7.71 %Gates County: 4.608 %Graham County: 9.396 %Granville County: 7.368 %Greene County: 6.16 %Guilford County: 7.606 %Halifax County: 7.093 %Harnett County: 8.181 %Haywood County: 8.098 %Henderson County: 8.613 %Hertford County: 4.672 %Hoke County: 8.444 %Hyde County: 4.332 %Iredell County: 8.004 %Jackson County: 7.629 %Johnston County: 7.738 %Jones County: 13.821 %Lee County: 6.548 %Lenoir County: 6.231 %Lincoln County: 7.444 %McDowell County: 5.642 %Macon County: 8.257 %Madison County: 9.779 %Martin County: 5.701 %Mecklenburg County: 8.983 %Mitchell County: 6.491 %Montgomery County: 6.625 %Moore County: 6.676 %Nash County: 5.287 %New Hanover County: 8.067 %Northampton County: 5.394 %Onslow County: 6.568 %Orange County: 9.421 %Pamlico County: 11.962 %Pasquotank County: 6.075 %Pender County: 8.027 %Perquimans County: 9.275 %Person County: 4.984 %Pitt County: 7.009 %Polk County: 10.143 %Randolph County: 7.018 %Richmond County: 6.375 %Robeson County: 7.062 %Rockingham County: 7.42 %Rowan County: 7.001 %Rutherford County: 8.752 %Sampson County: 6.904 %Scotland County: 6.481 %Stanly County: 5.939 %Stokes County: 5.612 %Surry County: 8.276 %Swain County: 8.669 %Transylvania County: 7.925 %Tyrrell County: 9.655 %Union County: 8.476 %Vance County: 7.552 %Wake County: 8.523 %Warren County: 6.415 %Washington County: 8.193 %Watauga County: 7.607 %Wayne County: 6.413 %Wilkes County: 8.104 %Wilson County: 5.839 %Yadkin County: 7.979 %Yancey County: 6.547 %
  • Under 6.3
  • 6.3 to 6.9
  • 6.9 to 7.6
  • 7.6 to 8
  • 8 to 8.6
  • 8.6 and over
%, 2019. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2019

Jones County: 13.821 %Jones County13.821Pamlico County: 11.962 %Pamlico County11.962Ashe County: 10.643 %Ashe County10.643Camden County: 10.152 %Camden County10.152Polk County: 10.143 %Polk County10.143Anson County: 9.877 %Anson County9.877Madison County: 9.779 %Madison County9.779Tyrrell County: 9.655 %Tyrrell County9.655Caswell County: 9.589 %Caswell County9.589Orange County: 9.421 %Orange County9.421Graham County: 9.396 %Graham County9.396Perquimans County: 9.275 %Perquimans County9.275Mecklenburg County: 8.983 %Mecklenburg County8.983Brunswick County: 8.806 %Brunswick County8.806Rutherford County: 8.752 %Rutherford County8.752Swain County: 8.669 %Swain County8.669Currituck County: 8.621 %Currituck County8.621Henderson County: 8.613 %Henderson County8.613Wake County: 8.523 %Wake County8.523Union County: 8.476 %Union County8.476Hoke County: 8.444 %Hoke County8.444Clay County: 8.313 %Clay County8.313Carteret County: 8.286 %Carteret County8.286Surry County: 8.276 %Surry County8.276Macon County: 8.257 %Macon County8.257Durham County: 8.223 %Durham County8.223Washington County: 8.193 %Washington County8.193Harnett County: 8.181 %Harnett County8.181Wilkes County: 8.104 %Wilkes County8.104Haywood County: 8.098 %Haywood County8.098New Hanover County: 8.067 %New Hanover County8.067Avery County: 8.057 %Avery County8.057Cabarrus County: 8.056 %Cabarrus County8.056Chatham County: 8.039 %Chatham County8.039Buncombe County: 8.032 %Buncombe County8.032Pender County: 8.027 %Pender County8.027Iredell County: 8.004 %Iredell County8.004Yadkin County: 7.979 %Yadkin County7.979Davie County: 7.958 %Davie County7.958Alleghany County: 7.947 %Alleghany County7.947Jones County: 13.821 %Jones County13.821Pamlico County: 11.962 %Pamlico County11.962Ashe County: 10.643 %Ashe County10.643Camden County: 10.152 %Camden County10.152Polk County: 10.143 %Polk County10.143Anson County: 9.877 %Anson County9.877Madison County: 9.779 %Madison County9.779Tyrrell County: 9.655 %Tyrrell County9.655Caswell County: 9.589 %Caswell County9.589Orange County: 9.421 %Orange County9.421Graham County: 9.396 %Graham County9.396Perquimans County: 9.275 %Perquimans County9.275Mecklenburg County: 8.983 %Mecklenburg County8.983Brunswick County: 8.806 %Brunswick County8.806Rutherford County: 8.752 %Rutherford County8.752Swain County: 8.669 %Swain County8.669Currituck County: 8.621 %Currituck County8.621Henderson County: 8.613 %Henderson County8.613Wake County: 8.523 %Wake County8.523Union County: 8.476 %Union County8.476Hoke County: 8.444 %Hoke County8.444Clay County: 8.313 %Clay County8.313Carteret County: 8.286 %Carteret County8.286Surry County: 8.276 %Surry County8.276Macon County: 8.257 %Macon County8.257Durham County: 8.223 %Durham County8.223Washington County: 8.193 %Washington County8.193Harnett County: 8.181 %Harnett County8.181Wilkes County: 8.104 %Wilkes County8.104Haywood County: 8.098 %Haywood County8.098New Hanover County: 8.067 %New Hanover County8.067Avery County: 8.057 %Avery County8.057Cabarrus County: 8.056 %Cabarrus County8.056Chatham County: 8.039 %Chatham County8.039Buncombe County: 8.032 %Buncombe County8.032Pender County: 8.027 %Pender County8.027Iredell County: 8.004 %Iredell County8.004Yadkin County: 7.979 %Yadkin County7.979Davie County: 7.958 %Davie County7.958Alleghany County: 7.947 %Alleghany County7.947
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Jones County13.821+8.27 pts
2Pamlico County11.962+2.72 pts
3Ashe County10.643+1.92 pts
4Camden County10.152-1.61 pts
5Polk County10.143+1.81 pts
6Anson County9.877+2.81 pts
7Madison County9.779+2.68 pts
8Tyrrell County9.655n/a
9Caswell County9.589+1.86 pts
10Orange County9.421-0.56 pts
11Graham County9.396+1.37 pts
12Perquimans County9.275-8.86 pts
13Mecklenburg County8.983-0.81 pts
14Brunswick County8.806+0.2 pts
15Rutherford County8.752+1.8 pts
16Swain County8.669+1.66 pts
17Currituck County8.621-1.52 pts
18Henderson County8.613+0.32 pts
19Wake County8.523-0.94 pts
20Union County8.476-0.23 pts
21Hoke County8.444-0.44 pts
22Clay County8.313+1.28 pts
23Carteret County8.286-0.52 pts
24Surry County8.276+0.65 pts
25Macon County8.257+1.54 pts
26Durham County8.223-0.06 pts
27Washington County8.193+3.43 pts
28Harnett County8.181+1.62 pts
29Wilkes County8.104+1.73 pts
30Haywood County8.098+0.42 pts
31New Hanover County8.067+0.33 pts
32Avery County8.057-0.04 pts
33Cabarrus County8.056-0.54 pts
34Chatham County8.039-2.04 pts
35Buncombe County8.032-0.56 pts
36Pender County8.027+0.28 pts
37Iredell County8.004-0.61 pts
38Yadkin County7.979+0.79 pts
39Davie County7.958-0.72 pts
40Alleghany County7.947-3.07 pts
41Transylvania County7.925+0.4 pts
42Bertie County7.914+0.15 pts
43Forsyth County7.892-0.07 pts
44Franklin County7.784-0.58 pts
45Davidson County7.764-0.12 pts
46Columbus County7.755-0.25 pts
47Dare County7.748-0.3 pts
48Johnston County7.738-1.05 pts
49Gaston County7.71-0.77 pts
50Jackson County7.629-0.94 pts
51Watauga County7.607+0.09 pts
52Guilford County7.606-0.87 pts
53Alexander County7.602+0.2 pts
54Vance County7.552-0.47 pts
55Beaufort County7.47+0.22 pts
56Lincoln County7.444-1.26 pts
57Rockingham County7.42-0.35 pts
58Granville County7.368-1.27 pts
59Cumberland County7.279-1.16 pts
60Halifax County7.093+1.41 pts
61Robeson County7.062-1.64 pts
62Randolph County7.018-1.25 pts
63Pitt County7.009-0.14 pts
64Rowan County7.001+0.19 pts
65Alamance County6.991-0.87 pts
66Duplin County6.978+0.4 pts
67Sampson County6.904+0.08 pts
68Caldwell County6.86+0.67 pts
69Moore County6.676-1.75 pts
70Montgomery County6.625+0.04 pts
71Edgecombe County6.61-0.86 pts
72Burke County6.596+0.16 pts
73Onslow County6.568-1.64 pts
74Craven County6.566-2.13 pts
75Catawba County6.548-1.09 pts
75Lee County6.548-0.21 pts
77Yancey County6.547+0.62 pts
78Mitchell County6.491-3.57 pts
79Scotland County6.481-0.31 pts
80Warren County6.415+0.32 pts
81Wayne County6.413-1.58 pts
82Richmond County6.375-1.84 pts
83Cherokee County6.364-2.25 pts
84Lenoir County6.231-1.4 pts
85Chowan County6.176+0.21 pts
86Greene County6.16+0.34 pts
87Pasquotank County6.075-2.74 pts
88Stanly County5.939-0.54 pts
89Wilson County5.839-1.32 pts
90Martin County5.701-1.28 pts
91McDowell County5.642-2.18 pts
92Stokes County5.612-5.67 pts
93Northampton County5.394-2.49 pts
94Nash County5.287-0.74 pts
95Cleveland County5.046-2.43 pts
96Bladen County5.04-1.96 pts
97Person County4.984-5.1 pts
98Hertford County4.672+0.88 pts
99Gates County4.608-6.9 pts
100Hyde County4.332-2.29 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Establishments that closed during the year (employees a year earlier and none in March of the year), as a percentage of the average number of establishments in the two years. United States: Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics.

Counts closed locations, including branches of firms that keep operating elsewhere, so it is not a firm failure rate. Not comparable with enterprise_death_rate, which counts enterprise deaths in Europe. The year is the twelve months to March: 2023 compares March 2022 with March 2023.

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. Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. 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. (2025). Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010 (Counties in North Carolina by establishment exit rate, 2019) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv

MLA 9

Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010, Counties in North Carolina by establishment exit rate, 2019. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 Sept. 2025, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/establishment-exit-rate/north-carolina-counties?period=2019. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2025. Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Counties in North Carolina by establishment exit rate, 2019. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/establishment-exit-rate/north-carolina-counties?period=2019.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010, Counties in North Carolina by establishment exit rate, 2019 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/establishment-exit-rate/north-carolina-counties?period=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_carolina_2019,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010: Counties in North Carolina by establishment exit rate, 2019}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/establishment-exit-rate/north-carolina-counties?period=2019. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023\_st\_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010: Counties in North Carolina by establishment exit rate, 2019
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/09/25
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/establishment-exit-rate/north-carolina-counties?period=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/establishment-exit-rate/north-carolina-counties?period=2019.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest establishment exit rate?

Jones County, with 13.821% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest establishment exit rate?

Hyde County, with 4.332% 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, Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Establishment exit rate: other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings