Counties in North Carolina by real GDP growth

Yancey County had the highest real GDP growth of 100 counties in 2018, at 14.7%. Jones County had the lowest, at -18.7%. The median was -0.1% and the figure for North Carolina was 1.8%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Highest14.7Yancey County
Lowest-18.7Jones County
Median-0.1100 counties
North Carolina1.8History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Yancey CountyYancey County: 14.7 %14.7Transylvania CountyTransylvania County: 14.3 %14.3Hoke CountyHoke County: 10.5 %10.5Macon CountyMacon County: 7.9 %7.9Mitchell CountyMitchell County: 6.5 %6.5Durham CountyDurham County: 6.4 %6.4Anson CountyAnson County: 6.1 %6.1Wake CountyWake County: 5.7 %5.7Hyde CountyHyde County: 5.4 %5.4Clay CountyClay County: 5.3 %5.3Buncombe CountyBuncombe County: 5 %5Orange CountyOrange County: 4.2 %4.2Avery CountyAvery County: 4 %4Gaston CountyGaston County: 3.8 %3.8Richmond CountyRichmond County: 3.7 %3.7Currituck CountyCurrituck County: 3.5 %3.5Ashe CountyAshe County: 3.4 %3.4Watauga CountyWatauga County: 3.4 %3.4New Hanover CountyNew Hanover County: 3.3 %3.3Union CountyUnion County: 3.3 %3.3Iredell CountyIredell County: 3.1 %3.1Warren CountyWarren County: 3.1 %3.1Lee CountyLee County: 3 %3Scotland CountyScotland County: 3 %3Johnston CountyJohnston County: 2.9 %2.9Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 2.8 %2.8Graham CountyGraham County: 2.5 %2.5Surry CountySurry County: 2.5 %2.5Dare CountyDare County: 2.3 %2.3Harnett CountyHarnett County: 2.2 %2.2Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 2.2 %2.2Moore CountyMoore County: 2.2 %2.2Robeson CountyRobeson County: 1.9 %1.9Haywood CountyHaywood County: 1.7 %1.7Rowan CountyRowan County: 1.7 %1.7Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 1.6 %1.6Washington CountyWashington County: 1.6 %1.6Wilson CountyWilson County: 1.4 %1.4Chatham CountyChatham County: 1.3 %1.3Rutherford CountyRutherford County: 1.3 %1.3
%. Source: BEA. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Yancey County14.7+17.9 pts
2Transylvania County14.3-19.9 pts
3Hoke County10.5+7.7 pts
4Macon County7.9+2.9 pts
5Mitchell County6.5+3.9 pts
6Durham County6.4+9.6 pts
7Anson County6.1+5.2 pts
8Wake County5.7+1.6 pts
9Hyde County5.4+6.9 pts
10Clay County5.3+3.2 pts
11Buncombe County5-2.2 pts
12Orange County4.2+1.3 pts
13Avery County4+3.8 pts
14Gaston County3.8+0.1 pts
15Richmond County3.7+4.7 pts
16Currituck County3.5-10.6 pts
17Ashe County3.4+1.7 pts
17Watauga County3.4+1 pts
19New Hanover County3.3+3 pts
19Union County3.3-3.4 pts
21Iredell County3.1+0.6 pts
21Warren County3.1+6.4 pts
23Lee County3+6.2 pts
23Scotland County3+14.5 pts
25Johnston County2.9-9.1 pts
26Cherokee County2.8-1.2 pts
27Graham County2.5-0.4 pts
27Surry County2.5+0.6 pts
29Dare County2.3-0.9 pts
30Harnett County2.2-1 pts
30Lincoln County2.2-4 pts
30Moore County2.2+0.2 pts
33Robeson County1.9-7 pts
34Haywood County1.7-2 pts
34Rowan County1.7+1.7 pts
36Mecklenburg County1.6-1.2 pts
36Washington County1.6+5.8 pts
38Wilson County1.4+6.2 pts
39Chatham County1.3+2.3 pts
39Rutherford County1.30 pts
41Jackson County1.1-3.4 pts
42McDowell County0.9+2.8 pts
42Onslow County0.9-1.3 pts
44Cleveland County0.7-10.1 pts
45Alamance County0.6+2.2 pts
45Guilford County0.6-0.1 pts
47Pender County0.4-3 pts
48Cumberland County0.3+8 pts
49Brunswick County0.1-0.8 pts
49Randolph County0.1-1.4 pts
51Stanly County-0.3-2.2 pts
52Cabarrus County-0.5-9.1 pts
52Wayne County-0.5-1.4 pts
54Rockingham County-0.6+2.4 pts
55Catawba County-0.7-4.9 pts
56Caldwell County-0.8-4.5 pts
56Henderson County-0.8+1.5 pts
56Swain County-0.8-5.3 pts
59Davidson County-1-4.4 pts
60Franklin County-1.1+1.6 pts
60Granville County-1.1-21.9 pts
62Bladen County-1.2-7 pts
63Craven County-1.4-2.4 pts
64Alexander County-1.5-5.7 pts
64Halifax County-1.5-2.8 pts
66Alleghany County-1.6+2.9 pts
66Carteret County-1.6-7.1 pts
66Chowan County-1.6-11.7 pts
66Northampton County-1.6-5.6 pts
70Davie County-1.7-16.3 pts
71Edgecombe County-1.8-4.5 pts
71Forsyth County-1.8-4.1 pts
71Wilkes County-1.8-5.6 pts
74Vance County-1.9-1.6 pts
75Person County-2.1-0.6 pts
76Pamlico County-2.2-5.6 pts
76Pasquotank County-2.2-6.2 pts
78Hertford County-2.7-5.9 pts
78Pitt County-2.7-5.5 pts
80Madison County-2.9-6.2 pts
81Burke County-3.1-3.6 pts
81Columbus County-3.1-4.1 pts
83Polk County-3.5-6.7 pts
84Martin County-3.6-2.9 pts
85Montgomery County-3.7-7 pts
86Gates County-3.9-18.6 pts
87Camden County-4-4.8 pts
88Beaufort County-4.5+3.2 pts
89Caswell County-5-9.5 pts
90Bertie County-5.2-5.9 pts
90Duplin County-5.2-7 pts
92Lenoir County-5.4-7.6 pts
93Nash County-5.9+14.8 pts
94Yadkin County-6.2-8.5 pts
95Perquimans County-6.4-29.4 pts
96Greene County-6.8-5.6 pts
97Sampson County-7.8-11.4 pts
98Stokes County-9.3-4.6 pts
99Tyrrell County-11.1-16.3 pts
100Jones County-18.7-29.7 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?

Yancey County, with 14.7% in 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest real GDP growth?

Jones County, with -18.7% in 2018.

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