Counties in North Carolina by real GDP growth

Mitchell County had the highest real GDP growth of 100 counties in 2023, at 24.6%. Jones County had the lowest, at -11.9%. The median was 2.2% and the figure for North Carolina was 4%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Highest24.6Mitchell County
Lowest-11.9Jones County
Median2.2100 counties
North Carolina4History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Mitchell CountyMitchell County: 24.6 %24.6Caswell CountyCaswell County: 11.8 %11.8Chatham CountyChatham County: 9.8 %9.8Yancey CountyYancey County: 8.1 %8.1Graham CountyGraham County: 7.9 %7.9Macon CountyMacon County: 7.9 %7.9Stanly CountyStanly County: 7.4 %7.4Clay CountyClay County: 7.3 %7.3Henderson CountyHenderson County: 7.1 %7.1Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 6.3 %6.3Cabarrus CountyCabarrus County: 6.1 %6.1Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 5.9 %5.9Carteret CountyCarteret County: 5.7 %5.7Wake CountyWake County: 5.5 %5.5New Hanover CountyNew Hanover County: 4.9 %4.9Tyrrell CountyTyrrell County: 4.8 %4.8Union CountyUnion County: 4.8 %4.8Ashe CountyAshe County: 4.7 %4.7Avery CountyAvery County: 4.7 %4.7Chowan CountyChowan County: 4.6 %4.6Madison CountyMadison County: 4.3 %4.3Transylvania CountyTransylvania County: 4.3 %4.3Franklin CountyFranklin County: 4.2 %4.2Harnett CountyHarnett County: 4 %4Lee CountyLee County: 4 %4Buncombe CountyBuncombe County: 3.9 %3.9Stokes CountyStokes County: 3.9 %3.9Camden CountyCamden County: 3.8 %3.8Durham CountyDurham County: 3.7 %3.7Hertford CountyHertford County: 3.7 %3.7Davie CountyDavie County: 3.6 %3.6Johnston CountyJohnston County: 3.6 %3.6Polk CountyPolk County: 3.6 %3.6Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 3.5 %3.5McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 3.5 %3.5Orange CountyOrange County: 3.4 %3.4Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 3.3 %3.3Granville CountyGranville County: 3.2 %3.2Pamlico CountyPamlico County: 3.2 %3.2Rowan CountyRowan County: 3.1 %3.1
%. Source: BEA. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Mitchell County24.6+31.9 pts
2Caswell County11.8+15.2 pts
3Chatham County9.8+1.5 pts
4Yancey County8.1+9.3 pts
5Graham County7.9+13.6 pts
5Macon County7.9+2.7 pts
7Stanly County7.4+4.6 pts
8Clay County7.3+1.4 pts
9Henderson County7.1+2.8 pts
10Brunswick County6.3+2.3 pts
11Cabarrus County6.1+2.5 pts
12Mecklenburg County5.9+1.6 pts
13Carteret County5.7+1.6 pts
14Wake County5.5+0.4 pts
15New Hanover County4.9+1.4 pts
16Tyrrell County4.8+16.1 pts
16Union County4.8-3.8 pts
18Ashe County4.7+5.3 pts
18Avery County4.7+3.5 pts
20Chowan County4.6+0.3 pts
21Madison County4.3+2.4 pts
21Transylvania County4.3-0.7 pts
23Franklin County4.2+1.1 pts
24Harnett County4+2.1 pts
24Lee County4+2.6 pts
26Buncombe County3.9+1 pts
26Stokes County3.9-0.7 pts
28Camden County3.8+8.1 pts
29Durham County3.7-0.5 pts
29Hertford County3.7+4.6 pts
31Davie County3.6+4.8 pts
31Johnston County3.6-2.4 pts
31Polk County3.6+0.3 pts
34Cherokee County3.5-0.2 pts
34McDowell County3.5-3.9 pts
36Orange County3.4-2.1 pts
37Cleveland County3.3-1.7 pts
38Granville County3.2-0.3 pts
38Pamlico County3.2+5.8 pts
40Rowan County3.1+2.7 pts
41Lincoln County3-2 pts
41Montgomery County3+0.5 pts
43Davidson County2.8+0.6 pts
44Craven County2.7+4.6 pts
44Nash County2.7+1.5 pts
44Watauga County2.7-0.6 pts
47Alamance County2.5+2.5 pts
48Guilford County2.4-1.1 pts
49Gaston County2.3-1.9 pts
49Iredell County2.3+0.9 pts
51Haywood County2.1+1.7 pts
51Moore County2.1-6.6 pts
53Rutherford County1.9-0.1 pts
54Yadkin County1.7+1.2 pts
55Forsyth County1.6-1.4 pts
55Pasquotank County1.6-1.4 pts
57Wilson County1.5+0.4 pts
58Washington County1.4+11 pts
59Halifax County1.3+2.7 pts
59Martin County1.3+7.9 pts
59Onslow County1.3-0.1 pts
59Pitt County1.3-1.8 pts
63Cumberland County1.2+1 pts
63Pender County1.2-0.1 pts
65Surry County1.1-0.5 pts
65Vance County1.1+2.2 pts
67Burke County1-3.7 pts
67Warren County1+8.8 pts
69Currituck County0.8-2.1 pts
70Caldwell County0.70 pts
70Perquimans County0.7-1.1 pts
72Beaufort County0.6+1.5 pts
72Edgecombe County0.6+4.7 pts
74Wayne County0.5-0.1 pts
75Jackson County0.1-1.8 pts
76Person County-0.1-3.1 pts
77Hoke County-0.8-10.8 pts
77Swain County-0.8-0.6 pts
79Randolph County-0.9-0.8 pts
80Catawba County-1-3.1 pts
81Alleghany County-1.1-3.1 pts
82Rockingham County-1.2-3.8 pts
83Dare County-1.4-0.2 pts
84Richmond County-1.5-9.8 pts
85Columbus County-1.6-1 pts
85Scotland County-1.6-5.4 pts
87Robeson County-1.8-5.5 pts
88Lenoir County-2.3-5.8 pts
89Northampton County-3.7-2.2 pts
90Wilkes County-3.9-6.9 pts
91Alexander County-4.2-10.4 pts
92Bladen County-4.3-9.5 pts
93Anson County-5.4-18.3 pts
94Greene County-6.3-7.6 pts
95Gates County-6.9-1.8 pts
96Hyde County-7.1-10.9 pts
97Duplin County-7.9-14 pts
98Bertie County-8.2-11.6 pts
99Sampson County-10.5-14.3 pts
100Jones County-11.9-18.3 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?

Mitchell County, with 24.6% in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest real GDP growth?

Jones County, with -11.9% in 2023.

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