Counties in North Carolina by gini index, 2024

Watauga County had the highest gini index of 100 counties in 2024, at 53.9 index. Gates County had the lowest, at 38.3 index. The median was 45.8 index and the figure for North Carolina was 47.7 index. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest53.9Watauga County
Lowest38.3Gates County
Median45.8100 counties
North Carolina47.7History

Top 40 counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

Watauga CountyWatauga County: 53.9 index53.9Scotland CountyScotland County: 53.5 index53.5Orange CountyOrange County: 51.4 index51.4Warren CountyWarren County: 51.3 index51.3Robeson CountyRobeson County: 50.8 index50.8Madison CountyMadison County: 50.2 index50.2Polk CountyPolk County: 49.9 index49.9Washington CountyWashington County: 49.8 index49.8Hertford CountyHertford County: 49.5 index49.5Bladen CountyBladen County: 49.4 index49.4Chatham CountyChatham County: 49.3 index49.3Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 49.2 index49.2Dare CountyDare County: 49.2 index49.2Alleghany CountyAlleghany County: 49.1 index49.1Jackson CountyJackson County: 48.8 index48.8Bertie CountyBertie County: 48.8 index48.8Hoke CountyHoke County: 48.7 index48.7Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 48.7 index48.7Yancey CountyYancey County: 48.7 index48.7Halifax CountyHalifax County: 48.4 index48.4Macon CountyMacon County: 48.3 index48.3New Hanover CountyNew Hanover County: 48.2 index48.2Pitt CountyPitt County: 48.1 index48.1Buncombe CountyBuncombe County: 48.1 index48.1Lenoir CountyLenoir County: 47.9 index47.9Guilford CountyGuilford County: 47.9 index47.9Mitchell CountyMitchell County: 47.9 index47.9Forsyth CountyForsyth County: 47.8 index47.8Person CountyPerson County: 47.8 index47.8Clay CountyClay County: 47.7 index47.7Richmond CountyRichmond County: 47.5 index47.5Surry CountySurry County: 47.5 index47.5Wilson CountyWilson County: 47.5 index47.5Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 47.3 index47.3Columbus CountyColumbus County: 47.3 index47.3Iredell CountyIredell County: 47.2 index47.2Carteret CountyCarteret County: 47.2 index47.2Chowan CountyChowan County: 46.9 index46.9Gaston CountyGaston County: 46.8 index46.8Rutherford CountyRutherford County: 46.7 index46.7
index. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024
index
Change on 2023
1Watauga County53.9+2.5
2Scotland County53.5+0.6
3Orange County51.4+0.2
4Warren County51.3-0.5
5Robeson County50.8-0.2
6Madison County50.2+2.6
7Polk County49.9+2
8Washington County49.8-0.4
9Hertford County49.5+1.4
10Bladen County49.4-1.8
11Chatham County49.3-0.2
12Mecklenburg County49.2-0.1
13Dare County49.2+6.9
14Alleghany County49.1-1.8
15Jackson County48.8-0.1
16Bertie County48.8-1
17Hoke County48.7+0.1
18Northampton County48.7-1
19Yancey County48.7-0.4
20Halifax County48.4-0.6
21Macon County48.3-0.4
22New Hanover County48.2+0.1
23Pitt County48.1+0.1
24Buncombe County48.1+0.5
25Lenoir County47.9+1.3
26Guilford County47.9-0
27Mitchell County47.9+1.7
28Forsyth County47.8+0.5
29Person County47.8-0.3
30Clay County47.7+0.8
31Richmond County47.5+0.9
31Surry County47.5+0.1
33Wilson County47.5-0.9
34Lincoln County47.3+1.6
35Columbus County47.3-0.2
36Iredell County47.2+1.1
37Carteret County47.2+0.9
38Chowan County46.9+1.1
39Gaston County46.8+0.5
40Rutherford County46.7+0.1
41Avery County46.6-1.9
42Beaufort County46.5-0.2
43Anson County46.4+1.3
44Durham County46.2-0.1
44Swain County46.2+1
46Transylvania County46.2+0.3
47Rockingham County46.1+0.8
47Yadkin County46.1-0.4
49Montgomery County46-1.5
50Catawba County45.9-0.5
51Edgecombe County45.70
52Pamlico County45.5+0.2
53Vance County45.4-0.5
54Nash County45.2+0.2
55Sampson County45.1-0.1
56Henderson County45+0.1
56Jones County45+2.2
56Wake County45+0.1
59Craven County45-1.3
60Wayne County44.90
61Cumberland County44.9+0.2
61Moore County44.9-0.3
63Martin County44.8+1.8
64Granville County44.7+1
65Union County44.5-0
66Rowan County44.5-0.6
67Caswell County44.4+1.9
68Cleveland County44.3-2
69Ashe County44.3-0.6
70Burke County44.3-0.2
71Cabarrus County44.2+0.4
72Alexander County44.2+0.5
73Harnett County44.2+1.2
74Davidson County44.1+0.5
75Pasquotank County44+0.8
76Brunswick County43.9-0.8
77Haywood County43.6+0.7
78Alamance County43.6+0.1
79Caldwell County43.5+0.7
80Davie County43.5+1.4
81Duplin County43.4+0.4
82Pender County43.2-0.3
83Stanly County43.1-1.5
84Franklin County42.9+1.3
85Tyrrell County42.3+0.2
86McDowell County42.2-0.6
87Lee County42.1-0.5
88Johnston County42.1-0.2
89Onslow County42+0.4
90Currituck County42+1.4
91Cherokee County42-1.2
92Randolph County41.9+0.4
93Stokes County41.8-0.3
94Wilkes County41.8-0.1
95Graham County40.8-2.1
96Camden County40.7+2.8
97Hyde County40.5+1.2
98Perquimans County39.8-1.4
99Greene County39.2-0.4
100Gates County38.3-2

Other periods

About this ranking

Income inequality on a 0 to 100 scale, where 0 is perfect equality.

Eurostat, equivalised disposable income after social transfers (EU-SILC), for the EU and its countries. For other countries use gini_index_world_bank, which is measured on a different basis. For the United States, ACS five-year estimate B19083 measures inequality in household money income before taxes. Census publishes a coefficient from 0 to 1; Invokely multiplies it by 100. The displayed year is the final year of the five-year period. Negative household incomes are treated as zero. This differs from the EU-SILC measure based on equivalised disposable income and should not be treated as directly comparable.

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. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B19083: Gini index of household income inequality (coefficient multiplied by 100). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b19083.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

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Questions

Which county has the highest gini index?

Watauga County, with 53.9 index in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest gini index?

Gates County, with 38.3 index in 2024.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B19083: Gini index of household income inequality (coefficient multiplied by 100). Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Gini index: other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings