Counties in North Carolina by real GDP growth

Transylvania County had the highest real GDP growth of 100 counties in 2016, at 17.2%. Scotland County had the lowest, at -26.4%. The median was 1.6% and the figure for North Carolina was 2.1%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Lowest-26.4Scotland County
Median1.6100 counties
North Carolina2.1History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Transylvania CountyTransylvania County: 17.2 %17.2Tyrrell CountyTyrrell County: 13.4 %13.4Granville CountyGranville County: 12.8 %12.8Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 12.2 %12.2Johnston CountyJohnston County: 10.4 %10.4Pender CountyPender County: 8.4 %8.4Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 7.8 %7.8Macon CountyMacon County: 7.7 %7.7Chowan CountyChowan County: 6.8 %6.8Cabarrus CountyCabarrus County: 6.2 %6.2Wake CountyWake County: 6.2 %6.2Henderson CountyHenderson County: 5.8 %5.8Yancey CountyYancey County: 5.8 %5.8Ashe CountyAshe County: 5.7 %5.7Hoke CountyHoke County: 5.7 %5.7Mitchell CountyMitchell County: 5.7 %5.7Union CountyUnion County: 5.7 %5.7Carteret CountyCarteret County: 5.5 %5.5Davidson CountyDavidson County: 5.5 %5.5Chatham CountyChatham County: 5.2 %5.2Greene CountyGreene County: 5.2 %5.2Caldwell CountyCaldwell County: 4.9 %4.9New Hanover CountyNew Hanover County: 4.8 %4.8Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 4.8 %4.8Franklin CountyFranklin County: 4.5 %4.5Avery CountyAvery County: 4.4 %4.4Watauga CountyWatauga County: 4.4 %4.4Alamance CountyAlamance County: 4.2 %4.2Dare CountyDare County: 4.2 %4.2Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 3.8 %3.8Harnett CountyHarnett County: 3.7 %3.7Stanly CountyStanly County: 3.5 %3.5Robeson CountyRobeson County: 3.3 %3.3Orange CountyOrange County: 3.1 %3.1Buncombe CountyBuncombe County: 3 %3Caswell CountyCaswell County: 2.9 %2.9McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 2.9 %2.9Catawba CountyCatawba County: 2.7 %2.7Edgecombe CountyEdgecombe County: 2.7 %2.7Rowan CountyRowan County: 2.7 %2.7
%. Source: BEA. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Transylvania County17.2+13.5 pts
2Tyrrell County13.4+26.1 pts
3Granville County12.8+9 pts
4Beaufort County12.2+13.2 pts
5Johnston County10.4+4.4 pts
6Pender County8.4+6.5 pts
7Brunswick County7.8+2.8 pts
8Macon County7.7-5.3 pts
9Chowan County6.8+1 pts
10Cabarrus County6.2+1.6 pts
10Wake County6.2-1.2 pts
12Henderson County5.8+6.9 pts
12Yancey County5.8+10.4 pts
14Ashe County5.7+9.4 pts
14Hoke County5.7+0.1 pts
14Mitchell County5.7+10.7 pts
14Union County5.7+5.2 pts
18Carteret County5.5+4 pts
18Davidson County5.5+2 pts
20Chatham County5.2+3.4 pts
20Greene County5.2+6.2 pts
22Caldwell County4.9+2.2 pts
23New Hanover County4.8+3.3 pts
23Northampton County4.8+2.5 pts
25Franklin County4.5-6.6 pts
26Avery County4.4+8.4 pts
26Watauga County4.4+4.4 pts
28Alamance County4.2+4.5 pts
28Dare County4.2+2.6 pts
30Cleveland County3.8+5 pts
31Harnett County3.7+1.5 pts
32Stanly County3.5+3 pts
33Robeson County3.3+0.1 pts
34Orange County3.1+1.6 pts
35Buncombe County3+0.1 pts
36Caswell County2.9+3.5 pts
36McDowell County2.9-2.3 pts
38Catawba County2.7-0.5 pts
38Edgecombe County2.7+1.7 pts
38Rowan County2.7-0.4 pts
41Haywood County2.6+0.2 pts
41Jones County2.6+14.5 pts
43Mecklenburg County2.4-2.1 pts
43Richmond County2.4-10.3 pts
45Iredell County2.3-1.7 pts
46Cumberland County2.1+0.7 pts
46Hertford County2.1+6.5 pts
46Lincoln County2.1-4.7 pts
49Gaston County1.7+0.8 pts
50Burke County1.6+2.1 pts
50Swain County1.6-2.4 pts
52Vance County1.5+2.5 pts
53Moore County1.4-1.1 pts
53Pamlico County1.4+5.8 pts
55Jackson County1.3-4.2 pts
56Rutherford County1.2+5.2 pts
57Forsyth County1.1+0.7 pts
58Wilkes County1-6.3 pts
59Wayne County0.9-0.5 pts
60Davie County0.6-7.5 pts
61Lenoir County0.4-2.9 pts
61Polk County0.4+2.7 pts
63Surry County0.2-2.3 pts
64Pitt County0.1-8.6 pts
65Alexander County-0.1-3.6 pts
65Person County-0.1+10.4 pts
67Madison County-0.2-0.8 pts
68Halifax County-0.40 pts
69Alleghany County-0.5-1.4 pts
70Randolph County-0.7-3.1 pts
71Anson County-0.8-7.9 pts
72Columbus County-0.9+0.3 pts
72Gates County-0.9-0.7 pts
74Nash County-1-14.8 pts
75Guilford County-1.1-4.1 pts
75Yadkin County-1.1-6.8 pts
77Rockingham County-1.2+1 pts
78Pasquotank County-1.3-3 pts
79Washington County-1.6+0.3 pts
80Montgomery County-1.8-6.7 pts
81Wilson County-1.9-1.1 pts
82Lee County-20 pts
83Bladen County-2.5-2.7 pts
84Hyde County-2.6-2.2 pts
85Durham County-3-0.6 pts
86Duplin County-3.3-0.9 pts
87Martin County-3.4-1.7 pts
88Perquimans County-3.6-2.2 pts
89Warren County-3.7+3.1 pts
90Sampson County-3.8-2.7 pts
91Onslow County-4.2-2.7 pts
92Currituck County-4.5-5.2 pts
93Stokes County-5-0.4 pts
94Bertie County-5.2-8.7 pts
95Clay County-5.7-8.8 pts
96Cherokee County-6.5-9.3 pts
97Camden County-8.7-8.1 pts
98Craven County-8.9-9.7 pts
99Graham County-9.2-12.2 pts
100Scotland County-26.4-45.5 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Annual percentage change of GDP in chain-linked volumes, or at constant prices in the World Bank series.

Each value comes from one official source for that place: national statistics offices, Eurostat, for the United States the Bureau of Economic Analysis or, for other countries and the World, the World Bank. Annual values compare one calendar year with the previous one; quarterly values compare a quarter with the same quarter a year earlier. Past values can be revised. United States figures come from BEA tables SAGDP11 for the nation and states and CAGDP11 for counties. Growth in small counties can swing widely from year to year.

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. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAGDP11: annual percent change in real GDP, all industry total, individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAGDP11.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest real GDP growth?

Transylvania County, with 17.2% in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest real GDP growth?

Scotland County, with -26.4% in 2016.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP11: annual percent change in real GDP, all industry total, individual counties and county equivalents. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Real GDP growth: other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings