Data / Rankings / Labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Counties in North Carolina

Counties in North Carolina by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Mecklenburg County had the highest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 100 counties in 2022, at 71.5%. Hyde County had the lowest, at 40.7%. The median was 57.3% and the figure for North Carolina was 62.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest71.5Mecklenburg County
Lowest40.7Hyde County
Median57.3100 counties
North Carolina62.6History

Map of counties, 2022

Alamance County: 62.8 %Alexander County: 58.1 %Alleghany County: 49.4 %Anson County: 50.8 %Ashe County: 54 %Avery County: 45.3 %Beaufort County: 55.3 %Bertie County: 44.4 %Bladen County: 47.7 %Brunswick County: 48.9 %Buncombe County: 60.5 %Burke County: 57.1 %Cabarrus County: 67.8 %Caldwell County: 58.1 %Camden County: 62.8 %Carteret County: 55.4 %Caswell County: 53.2 %Catawba County: 61.3 %Chatham County: 57.2 %Cherokee County: 48.4 %Chowan County: 54.2 %Clay County: 46.9 %Cleveland County: 57.9 %Columbus County: 48.1 %Craven County: 58.5 %Cumberland County: 64.4 %Currituck County: 65.3 %Dare County: 65.1 %Davidson County: 58.7 %Davie County: 58.9 %Duplin County: 58.9 %Durham County: 67.5 %Edgecombe County: 56.6 %Forsyth County: 61.7 %Franklin County: 61.8 %Gaston County: 62.5 %Gates County: 58.5 %Graham County: 51.5 %Granville County: 56.1 %Greene County: 50.6 %Guilford County: 64.2 %Halifax County: 50.7 %Harnett County: 59.6 %Haywood County: 55.5 %Henderson County: 58 %Hertford County: 51.5 %Hoke County: 58.3 %Hyde County: 40.7 %Iredell County: 64.9 %Jackson County: 56.2 %Johnston County: 66 %Jones County: 52.2 %Lee County: 60.5 %Lenoir County: 55.4 %Lincoln County: 62.1 %McDowell County: 53.9 %Macon County: 52 %Madison County: 54.4 %Martin County: 55.8 %Mecklenburg County: 71.5 %Mitchell County: 55.2 %Montgomery County: 54 %Moore County: 57.9 %Nash County: 60.1 %New Hanover County: 64.6 %Northampton County: 50.1 %Onslow County: 70 %Orange County: 61.9 %Pamlico County: 43.4 %Pasquotank County: 60.3 %Pender County: 60.5 %Perquimans County: 49.3 %Person County: 60.6 %Pitt County: 63.2 %Polk County: 53.2 %Randolph County: 60.1 %Richmond County: 57.9 %Robeson County: 51 %Rockingham County: 56 %Rowan County: 60.3 %Rutherford County: 53.3 %Sampson County: 56.7 %Scotland County: 52.4 %Stanly County: 59.3 %Stokes County: 55.5 %Surry County: 57.5 %Swain County: 55.2 %Transylvania County: 51.8 %Tyrrell County: 43.2 %Union County: 67.7 %Vance County: 57.9 %Wake County: 69.9 %Warren County: 49.2 %Washington County: 49.3 %Watauga County: 59.8 %Wayne County: 60.9 %Wilkes County: 56 %Wilson County: 58.8 %Yadkin County: 58.7 %Yancey County: 53.8 %
  • Under 51
  • 51 to 54
  • 54 to 57
  • 57 to 59
  • 59 to 62
  • 62 and over
%, 2022. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2022

Mecklenburg County: 71.5 %Mecklenburg County71.5Onslow County: 70 %Onslow County70Wake County: 69.9 %Wake County69.9Cabarrus County: 67.8 %Cabarrus County67.8Union County: 67.7 %Union County67.7Durham County: 67.5 %Durham County67.5Johnston County: 66 %Johnston County66Currituck County: 65.3 %Currituck County65.3Dare County: 65.1 %Dare County65.1Iredell County: 64.9 %Iredell County64.9New Hanover County: 64.6 %New Hanover County64.6Cumberland County: 64.4 %Cumberland County64.4Guilford County: 64.2 %Guilford County64.2Pitt County: 63.2 %Pitt County63.2Camden County: 62.8 %Camden County62.8Alamance County: 62.8 %Alamance County62.8Gaston County: 62.5 %Gaston County62.5Lincoln County: 62.1 %Lincoln County62.1Orange County: 61.9 %Orange County61.9Franklin County: 61.8 %Franklin County61.8Forsyth County: 61.7 %Forsyth County61.7Catawba County: 61.3 %Catawba County61.3Wayne County: 60.9 %Wayne County60.9Person County: 60.6 %Person County60.6Buncombe County: 60.5 %Buncombe County60.5Lee County: 60.5 %Lee County60.5Pender County: 60.5 %Pender County60.5Rowan County: 60.3 %Rowan County60.3Pasquotank County: 60.3 %Pasquotank County60.3Nash County: 60.1 %Nash County60.1Randolph County: 60.1 %Randolph County60.1Watauga County: 59.8 %Watauga County59.8Harnett County: 59.6 %Harnett County59.6Stanly County: 59.3 %Stanly County59.3Davie County: 58.9 %Davie County58.9Duplin County: 58.9 %Duplin County58.9Wilson County: 58.8 %Wilson County58.8Davidson County: 58.7 %Davidson County58.7Yadkin County: 58.7 %Yadkin County58.7Gates County: 58.5 %Gates County58.5Mecklenburg County: 71.5 %Mecklenburg County71.5Onslow County: 70 %Onslow County70Wake County: 69.9 %Wake County69.9Cabarrus County: 67.8 %Cabarrus County67.8Union County: 67.7 %Union County67.7Durham County: 67.5 %Durham County67.5Johnston County: 66 %Johnston County66Currituck County: 65.3 %Currituck County65.3Dare County: 65.1 %Dare County65.1Iredell County: 64.9 %Iredell County64.9New Hanover County: 64.6 %New Hanover County64.6Cumberland County: 64.4 %Cumberland County64.4Guilford County: 64.2 %Guilford County64.2Pitt County: 63.2 %Pitt County63.2Camden County: 62.8 %Camden County62.8Alamance County: 62.8 %Alamance County62.8Gaston County: 62.5 %Gaston County62.5Lincoln County: 62.1 %Lincoln County62.1Orange County: 61.9 %Orange County61.9Franklin County: 61.8 %Franklin County61.8Forsyth County: 61.7 %Forsyth County61.7Catawba County: 61.3 %Catawba County61.3Wayne County: 60.9 %Wayne County60.9Person County: 60.6 %Person County60.6Buncombe County: 60.5 %Buncombe County60.5Lee County: 60.5 %Lee County60.5Pender County: 60.5 %Pender County60.5Rowan County: 60.3 %Rowan County60.3Pasquotank County: 60.3 %Pasquotank County60.3Nash County: 60.1 %Nash County60.1Randolph County: 60.1 %Randolph County60.1Watauga County: 59.8 %Watauga County59.8Harnett County: 59.6 %Harnett County59.6Stanly County: 59.3 %Stanly County59.3Davie County: 58.9 %Davie County58.9Duplin County: 58.9 %Duplin County58.9Wilson County: 58.8 %Wilson County58.8Davidson County: 58.7 %Davidson County58.7Yadkin County: 58.7 %Yadkin County58.7Gates County: 58.5 %Gates County58.5
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Mecklenburg County71.5+0.1 pts
2Onslow County70-0.5 pts
3Wake County69.9-0.2 pts
4Cabarrus County67.8-0.3 pts
5Union County67.7+0.1 pts
6Durham County67.5+0.9 pts
7Johnston County66+0.6 pts
8Currituck County65.3-0.3 pts
9Dare County65.1-0.5 pts
10Iredell County64.9-0.1 pts
11New Hanover County64.6+0.6 pts
12Cumberland County64.4-0.2 pts
13Guilford County64.2-0.3 pts
14Pitt County63.2+0.1 pts
15Camden County62.8+0.6 pts
16Alamance County62.8+1 pts
17Gaston County62.5-0.3 pts
18Lincoln County62.1+0.2 pts
19Orange County61.9-0.1 pts
20Franklin County61.8+0.5 pts
21Forsyth County61.7-0.3 pts
22Catawba County61.3-0.7 pts
23Wayne County60.9-0.2 pts
24Person County60.6-0.9 pts
25Buncombe County60.5-0.4 pts
26Lee County60.5-1 pts
27Pender County60.5+0.5 pts
28Rowan County60.3+0.1 pts
29Pasquotank County60.3-0.1 pts
30Nash County60.1-0 pts
31Randolph County60.1+0.3 pts
32Watauga County59.8-0 pts
33Harnett County59.6-0.8 pts
34Stanly County59.3-0 pts
35Davie County58.9+0.1 pts
36Duplin County58.9-0.8 pts
37Wilson County58.8-0.5 pts
38Davidson County58.7+0.2 pts
39Yadkin County58.7+0.3 pts
40Gates County58.5+0.8 pts
41Craven County58.5-0.4 pts
42Hoke County58.3-0.4 pts
43Alexander County58.1+0.9 pts
44Caldwell County58.1+0.5 pts
45Henderson County58-0.1 pts
46Richmond County57.9+0.3 pts
46Vance County57.9-0.8 pts
48Moore County57.9-0 pts
49Cleveland County57.9+0.3 pts
50Surry County57.5-0.3 pts
51Chatham County57.2-0.7 pts
52Burke County57.1+0.5 pts
53Sampson County56.7-1.1 pts
54Edgecombe County56.6+1 pts
55Jackson County56.2+1.1 pts
56Granville County56.1-1.8 pts
57Wilkes County56+1 pts
58Rockingham County56-0.7 pts
59Martin County55.8-0.9 pts
60Haywood County55.5+0.2 pts
61Stokes County55.5-1.4 pts
62Lenoir County55.4-1 pts
63Carteret County55.4-1.3 pts
64Beaufort County55.3+1.3 pts
65Swain County55.2+0.8 pts
66Mitchell County55.2+0.9 pts
67Madison County54.4+0.2 pts
68Chowan County54.2+1.7 pts
69Montgomery County54+1.9 pts
70Ashe County54-3.1 pts
71McDowell County53.9-1.6 pts
72Yancey County53.8+0.2 pts
73Rutherford County53.3+0.5 pts
74Polk County53.2-0.5 pts
75Caswell County53.2+0.2 pts
76Scotland County52.4-0.1 pts
77Jones County52.20 pts
78Macon County52+0.4 pts
79Transylvania County51.8-1.3 pts
80Hertford County51.5+1.3 pts
81Graham County51.5+0.4 pts
82Robeson County510 pts
83Anson County50.8-2.8 pts
84Halifax County50.7+1.2 pts
85Greene County50.6-1.4 pts
86Northampton County50.1+1.5 pts
87Alleghany County49.4+0.6 pts
88Perquimans County49.3-2.1 pts
89Washington County49.3+2.5 pts
90Warren County49.2-0.1 pts
91Brunswick County48.9+0.2 pts
92Cherokee County48.4+0.5 pts
93Columbus County48.10 pts
94Bladen County47.7-1.8 pts
95Clay County46.9-2.9 pts
96Avery County45.3-0.9 pts
97Bertie County44.4-1.5 pts
98Pamlico County43.4-0.5 pts
99Tyrrell County43.2-1.1 pts
100Hyde County40.7-4 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 16 and over in the labor force (employed, unemployed or in the Armed Forces) as a percentage of all people aged 16 and over, including people in group quarters. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The Census Bureau definition used in its data profiles. It differs from the BLS labor_force_participation_rate, which counts the civilian noninstitutional population only.

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 B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in North Carolina by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in North Carolina by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties?period=2022. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in North Carolina by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties?period=2022.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in North Carolina by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_carolina_2022,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in North Carolina by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties?period=2022. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in North Carolina by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties?period=2022.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Mecklenburg County, with 71.5% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Hyde County, with 40.7% in 2022.

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 B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings