Counties in North Carolina by real GDP growth

Jones County had the highest real GDP growth of 100 counties in 2019, at 18.5%. Beaufort County had the lowest, at -11.8%. The median was 1.3% and the figure for North Carolina was 2%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Highest18.5Jones County
Lowest-11.8Beaufort County
Median1.3100 counties
North Carolina2History

Top 40 counties, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

Jones CountyJones County: 18.5 %18.5McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 11.8 %11.8Macon CountyMacon County: 9.7 %9.7Graham CountyGraham County: 8.4 %8.4Hertford CountyHertford County: 8.2 %8.2Swain CountySwain County: 8 %8Madison CountyMadison County: 7.4 %7.4Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 5.7 %5.7Jackson CountyJackson County: 5.6 %5.6Clay CountyClay County: 5.4 %5.4Columbus CountyColumbus County: 5.4 %5.4Transylvania CountyTransylvania County: 5.1 %5.1Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 5 %5Haywood CountyHaywood County: 5 %5Polk CountyPolk County: 5 %5Perquimans CountyPerquimans County: 4.9 %4.9Gates CountyGates County: 4.8 %4.8Pender CountyPender County: 4.7 %4.7Person CountyPerson County: 4.6 %4.6Rutherford CountyRutherford County: 4.5 %4.5Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 4.4 %4.4New Hanover CountyNew Hanover County: 4.2 %4.2Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 4.1 %4.1Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 4 %4Buncombe CountyBuncombe County: 3.8 %3.8Durham CountyDurham County: 3.8 %3.8Iredell CountyIredell County: 3.8 %3.8Wake CountyWake County: 3.8 %3.8Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 3.7 %3.7Moore CountyMoore County: 3.4 %3.4Pamlico CountyPamlico County: 3.3 %3.3Henderson CountyHenderson County: 3.2 %3.2Mitchell CountyMitchell County: 3 %3Craven CountyCraven County: 2.9 %2.9Franklin CountyFranklin County: 2.9 %2.9Carteret CountyCarteret County: 2.8 %2.8Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 2.7 %2.7Alamance CountyAlamance County: 2.6 %2.6Rowan CountyRowan County: 2.4 %2.4Scotland CountyScotland County: 2.2 %2.2
%. Source: BEA. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Jones County18.5+37.2 pts
2McDowell County11.8+10.9 pts
3Macon County9.7+1.8 pts
4Graham County8.4+5.9 pts
5Hertford County8.2+10.9 pts
6Swain County8+8.8 pts
7Madison County7.4+10.3 pts
8Montgomery County5.7+9.4 pts
9Jackson County5.6+4.5 pts
10Clay County5.4+0.1 pts
10Columbus County5.4+8.5 pts
12Transylvania County5.1-9.2 pts
13Cherokee County5+2.2 pts
13Haywood County5+3.3 pts
13Polk County5+8.5 pts
16Perquimans County4.9+11.3 pts
17Gates County4.8+8.7 pts
18Pender County4.7+4.3 pts
19Person County4.6+6.7 pts
20Rutherford County4.5+3.2 pts
21Cleveland County4.4+3.7 pts
22New Hanover County4.2+0.9 pts
23Lincoln County4.1+1.9 pts
24Mecklenburg County4+2.4 pts
25Buncombe County3.8-1.2 pts
25Durham County3.8-2.6 pts
25Iredell County3.8+0.7 pts
25Wake County3.8-1.9 pts
29Northampton County3.7+5.3 pts
30Moore County3.4+1.2 pts
31Pamlico County3.3+5.5 pts
32Henderson County3.2+4 pts
33Mitchell County3-3.5 pts
34Craven County2.9+4.3 pts
34Franklin County2.9+4 pts
36Carteret County2.8+4.4 pts
37Cumberland County2.7+2.4 pts
38Alamance County2.6+2 pts
39Rowan County2.4+0.7 pts
40Scotland County2.2-0.8 pts
41Greene County2+8.8 pts
41Washington County2+0.4 pts
41Watauga County2-1.4 pts
44Union County1.9-1.4 pts
45Halifax County1.6+3.1 pts
45Harnett County1.6-0.6 pts
45Onslow County1.6+0.7 pts
45Orange County1.6-2.6 pts
49Forsyth County1.5+3.3 pts
50Davidson County1.3+2.3 pts
51Camden County1.2+5.2 pts
52Cabarrus County1.1+1.6 pts
52Tyrrell County1.1+12.2 pts
54Yancey County1-13.7 pts
55Dare County0.9-1.4 pts
56Pasquotank County0.8+3 pts
57Yadkin County0.6+6.8 pts
58Randolph County0.5+0.4 pts
59Robeson County0.4-1.5 pts
59Stokes County0.4+9.7 pts
61Hyde County-0.1-5.5 pts
61Wayne County-0.1+0.4 pts
63Davie County-0.2+1.5 pts
64Alexander County-0.3+1.2 pts
64Stanly County-0.30 pts
66Catawba County-0.4+0.3 pts
67Brunswick County-0.7-0.8 pts
68Granville County-0.8+0.3 pts
69Hoke County-0.9-11.4 pts
69Surry County-0.9-3.4 pts
71Currituck County-1-4.5 pts
72Bertie County-1.1+4.1 pts
72Sampson County-1.1+6.7 pts
74Guilford County-1.2-1.8 pts
75Gaston County-1.3-5.1 pts
76Caswell County-1.4+3.6 pts
76Martin County-1.4+2.2 pts
78Pitt County-1.5+1.2 pts
79Ashe County-1.6-5 pts
80Caldwell County-1.7-0.9 pts
81Avery County-1.8-5.8 pts
82Warren County-2-5.1 pts
83Lenoir County-2.1+3.3 pts
84Edgecombe County-2.2-0.4 pts
84Rockingham County-2.2-1.6 pts
86Duplin County-2.7+2.5 pts
87Wilkes County-2.8-1 pts
88Chatham County-3.2-4.5 pts
89Vance County-3.8-1.9 pts
89Wilson County-3.8-5.2 pts
91Chowan County-3.9-2.3 pts
92Burke County-4-0.9 pts
93Johnston County-4.1-7 pts
94Lee County-4.3-7.3 pts
95Alleghany County-5-3.4 pts
96Nash County-5.8+0.1 pts
97Bladen County-6.4-5.2 pts
98Richmond County-7.6-11.3 pts
99Anson County-11-17.1 pts
100Beaufort County-11.8-7.3 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?

Jones County, with 18.5% in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest real GDP growth?

Beaufort County, with -11.8% in 2019.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. 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