Counties in North Carolina by real GDP growth

Hoke County had the highest real GDP growth of 100 counties in 2020, at 9.1%. Jones County had the lowest, at -20.4%. The median was -2.3% and the figure for North Carolina was -0.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Highest9.1Hoke County
Lowest-20.4Jones County
Median-2.3100 counties
North Carolina-0.6History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Hoke CountyHoke County: 9.1 %9.1Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 9 %9Chatham CountyChatham County: 7 %7Franklin CountyFranklin County: 6.8 %6.8Granville CountyGranville County: 6 %6Johnston CountyJohnston County: 5.3 %5.3Durham CountyDurham County: 4.9 %4.9Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 4.4 %4.4McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 3.8 %3.8Nash CountyNash County: 3.8 %3.8Iredell CountyIredell County: 2.9 %2.9Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 2 %2Caldwell CountyCaldwell County: 1.6 %1.6Gates CountyGates County: 1.6 %1.6Onslow CountyOnslow County: 1.6 %1.6Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 0.9 %0.9Lee CountyLee County: 0.8 %0.8Alamance CountyAlamance County: 0.4 %0.4Moore CountyMoore County: 0.4 %0.4Pasquotank CountyPasquotank County: 0.3 %0.3New Hanover CountyNew Hanover County: 0.2 %0.2Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 0 %0Camden CountyCamden County: -0.1 %-0.1Avery CountyAvery County: -0.2 %-0.2Rowan CountyRowan County: -0.3 %-0.3Perquimans CountyPerquimans County: -0.4 %-0.4Richmond CountyRichmond County: -0.4 %-0.4Macon CountyMacon County: -0.6 %-0.6Wake CountyWake County: -0.6 %-0.6Hertford CountyHertford County: -0.7 %-0.7Warren CountyWarren County: -0.8 %-0.8Swain CountySwain County: -0.9 %-0.9Henderson CountyHenderson County: -1.1 %-1.1Harnett CountyHarnett County: -1.2 %-1.2Cabarrus CountyCabarrus County: -1.4 %-1.4Pender CountyPender County: -1.4 %-1.4Alexander CountyAlexander County: -1.5 %-1.5Haywood CountyHaywood County: -1.5 %-1.5Transylvania CountyTransylvania County: -1.5 %-1.5Wilson CountyWilson County: -1.5 %-1.5
%. Source: BEA. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Hoke County9.1+10 pts
2Brunswick County9+9.7 pts
3Chatham County7+10.2 pts
4Franklin County6.8+3.9 pts
5Granville County6+6.8 pts
6Johnston County5.3+9.4 pts
7Durham County4.9+1.1 pts
8Montgomery County4.4-1.3 pts
9McDowell County3.8-8 pts
9Nash County3.8+9.6 pts
11Iredell County2.9-0.9 pts
12Mecklenburg County2-2 pts
13Caldwell County1.6+3.3 pts
13Gates County1.6-3.2 pts
13Onslow County1.60 pts
16Lincoln County0.9-3.2 pts
17Lee County0.8+5.1 pts
18Alamance County0.4-2.2 pts
18Moore County0.4-3 pts
20Pasquotank County0.3-0.5 pts
21New Hanover County0.2-4 pts
22Cumberland County0-2.7 pts
23Camden County-0.1-1.3 pts
24Avery County-0.2+1.6 pts
25Rowan County-0.3-2.7 pts
26Perquimans County-0.4-5.3 pts
26Richmond County-0.4+7.2 pts
28Macon County-0.6-10.3 pts
28Wake County-0.6-4.4 pts
30Hertford County-0.7-8.9 pts
31Warren County-0.8+1.2 pts
32Swain County-0.9-8.9 pts
33Henderson County-1.1-4.3 pts
34Harnett County-1.2-2.8 pts
35Cabarrus County-1.4-2.5 pts
35Pender County-1.4-6.1 pts
37Alexander County-1.5-1.2 pts
37Haywood County-1.5-6.5 pts
37Transylvania County-1.5-6.6 pts
37Wilson County-1.5+2.3 pts
41Davidson County-1.6-2.9 pts
41Davie County-1.6-1.4 pts
43Burke County-1.7+2.3 pts
43Martin County-1.7-0.3 pts
45Ashe County-1.8-0.2 pts
45Craven County-1.8-4.7 pts
47Wilkes County-2+0.8 pts
48Duplin County-2.1+0.6 pts
48Wayne County-2.1-2 pts
50Bladen County-2.2+4.2 pts
51Alleghany County-2.3+2.7 pts
51Union County-2.3-4.2 pts
53Gaston County-2.7-1.4 pts
54Currituck County-3-2 pts
55Catawba County-3.1-2.7 pts
55Mitchell County-3.1-6.1 pts
55Pitt County-3.1-1.6 pts
55Yancey County-3.1-4.1 pts
59Jackson County-3.2-8.8 pts
60Cherokee County-3.3-8.3 pts
60Orange County-3.3-4.9 pts
60Randolph County-3.3-3.8 pts
63Guilford County-3.4-2.2 pts
63Madison County-3.4-10.8 pts
65Columbus County-3.5-8.9 pts
65Washington County-3.5-5.5 pts
67Watauga County-3.7-5.7 pts
68Caswell County-3.8-2.4 pts
69Clay County-3.9-9.3 pts
70Robeson County-4-4.4 pts
70Vance County-4-0.2 pts
72Edgecombe County-4.1-1.9 pts
72Halifax County-4.1-5.7 pts
72Stanly County-4.1-3.8 pts
75Rutherford County-4.2-8.7 pts
75Surry County-4.2-3.3 pts
77Pamlico County-4.5-7.8 pts
78Tyrrell County-4.7-5.8 pts
79Polk County-4.8-9.8 pts
79Yadkin County-4.8-5.4 pts
81Cleveland County-4.9-9.3 pts
82Graham County-5.3-13.7 pts
82Scotland County-5.3-7.5 pts
84Hyde County-5.7-5.6 pts
85Sampson County-6-4.9 pts
86Rockingham County-6.1-3.9 pts
87Northampton County-6.2-9.9 pts
88Greene County-6.4-8.4 pts
89Lenoir County-6.5-4.4 pts
90Beaufort County-6.9+4.9 pts
90Stokes County-6.9-7.3 pts
92Buncombe County-7.1-10.9 pts
92Carteret County-7.1-9.9 pts
94Bertie County-7.6-6.5 pts
95Forsyth County-7.9-9.4 pts
96Anson County-8.2+2.8 pts
97Person County-8.7-13.3 pts
98Dare County-9.5-10.4 pts
99Chowan County-14.1-10.2 pts
100Jones County-20.4-38.9 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?

Hoke County, with 9.1% in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest real GDP growth?

Jones County, with -20.4% in 2020.

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