Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in North Carolina

Counties in North Carolina by poverty rate, 2024

Robeson County had the highest poverty rate of 100 counties in 2024, at 23.7%. Camden County had the lowest, at 7.5%. The median was 14.4% and the figure for North Carolina was 12.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest23.7Robeson County
Lowest7.5Camden County
Median14.4100 counties
North Carolina12.6History

Top 40 counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

Robeson CountyRobeson County: 23.7 %23.7Hertford CountyHertford County: 22.9 %22.9Scotland CountyScotland County: 22.9 %22.9Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 22.5 %22.5Richmond CountyRichmond County: 21.5 %21.5Anson CountyAnson County: 21.3 %21.3Duplin CountyDuplin County: 21.1 %21.1Edgecombe CountyEdgecombe County: 21.1 %21.1Watauga CountyWatauga County: 20.8 %20.8Hyde CountyHyde County: 20.7 %20.7Bladen CountyBladen County: 20.6 %20.6Bertie CountyBertie County: 20.1 %20.1Warren CountyWarren County: 20.1 %20.1Greene CountyGreene County: 19.9 %19.9Washington CountyWashington County: 19.9 %19.9Pitt CountyPitt County: 19.8 %19.8Martin CountyMartin County: 19.7 %19.7Tyrrell CountyTyrrell County: 19.5 %19.5Columbus CountyColumbus County: 19.3 %19.3Wayne CountyWayne County: 19.3 %19.3Lenoir CountyLenoir County: 19.1 %19.1Sampson CountySampson County: 19.1 %19.1Halifax CountyHalifax County: 18.8 %18.8Vance CountyVance County: 18.1 %18.1Pamlico CountyPamlico County: 17.6 %17.6Wilson CountyWilson County: 17.6 %17.6Jones CountyJones County: 17.3 %17.3Rockingham CountyRockingham County: 17.2 %17.2Jackson CountyJackson County: 16.9 %16.9Caswell CountyCaswell County: 16.8 %16.8Surry CountySurry County: 16.7 %16.7Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 16.5 %16.5Graham CountyGraham County: 16.4 %16.4Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 16.3 %16.3Hoke CountyHoke County: 16.2 %16.2Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 16.1 %16.1Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 16 %16Chowan CountyChowan County: 15.9 %15.9Avery CountyAvery County: 15.8 %15.8Swain CountySwain County: 15.6 %15.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Robeson County23.7-4 pts
2Hertford County22.9+0.2 pts
2Scotland County22.9-5.7 pts
4Northampton County22.5+1.8 pts
5Richmond County21.5-1.1 pts
6Anson County21.3-2.8 pts
7Duplin County21.1+1.3 pts
7Edgecombe County21.1-1.5 pts
9Watauga County20.8+2.2 pts
10Hyde County20.7-2.6 pts
11Bladen County20.6+1.3 pts
12Bertie County20.1-4.2 pts
12Warren County20.1-0.2 pts
14Greene County19.9-2.1 pts
14Washington County19.9-2.7 pts
16Pitt County19.8+0.4 pts
17Martin County19.70 pts
18Tyrrell County19.5-1.9 pts
19Columbus County19.3-0.8 pts
19Wayne County19.3+2.2 pts
21Lenoir County19.1-4 pts
21Sampson County19.1+0.6 pts
23Halifax County18.8-6.7 pts
24Vance County18.1-5.1 pts
25Pamlico County17.6+2.6 pts
25Wilson County17.6-1.2 pts
27Jones County17.3-1.8 pts
28Rockingham County17.2+3.6 pts
29Jackson County16.9-0.1 pts
30Caswell County16.8+0.3 pts
31Surry County16.7+2.8 pts
32Cumberland County16.5+1.2 pts
33Graham County16.4-0.5 pts
34Cleveland County16.3-0.9 pts
35Hoke County16.2-2.3 pts
36Beaufort County16.1-3.2 pts
37Montgomery County16+0.4 pts
38Chowan County15.9+0.8 pts
39Avery County15.8-0.1 pts
40Swain County15.60 pts
41Ashe County15.5+0.2 pts
41McDowell County15.5+0.4 pts
43Cherokee County15.4+0.8 pts
44Pasquotank County15.3-0.2 pts
44Wilkes County15.3-1 pts
46Alleghany County15.1-1.2 pts
47Madison County14.9+1.1 pts
48Rutherford County14.8-0.4 pts
49Yadkin County14.5+1.6 pts
49Yancey County14.5-1.4 pts
51Gates County14.3+0.3 pts
51Person County14.30 pts
53Rowan County14.1-0.5 pts
54Burke County14-1.9 pts
54Caldwell County14+0.4 pts
56Alamance County13.8+1.3 pts
56Perquimans County13.8-1.3 pts
58Haywood County13.6+2.6 pts
59Granville County13.5+2.1 pts
59Guilford County13.5-1.3 pts
59Lee County13.5-1.2 pts
59Mitchell County13.5-1.3 pts
63Forsyth County13.3-1.5 pts
64Harnett County13.2-0.5 pts
65Catawba County13+1.1 pts
66Craven County12.7-2.8 pts
67Franklin County12.6+1.3 pts
67Stanly County12.6+1.6 pts
69Nash County12.5-1.9 pts
69Randolph County12.5-3 pts
71Buncombe County12.4-0.5 pts
71Gaston County12.4-1.1 pts
71Orange County12.4+0.7 pts
74Polk County12.3-0.5 pts
75Alexander County12.2-0.2 pts
75Macon County12.2-1.3 pts
77Transylvania County12-0.5 pts
78Stokes County11.8+1.3 pts
79New Hanover County11.7-0.4 pts
80Clay County11.5-0.6 pts
80Onslow County11.5-0.9 pts
82Durham County11.3+0.7 pts
83Davidson County11.2-2.8 pts
84Moore County10.9+0.4 pts
85Mecklenburg County10.6+0.4 pts
86Davie County10.4+0.7 pts
86Pender County10.4-1 pts
88Henderson County9.8-0.8 pts
89Lincoln County9.7-1 pts
90Iredell County9.6+0.4 pts
90Johnston County9.6-1.2 pts
92Carteret County9.5-1.1 pts
93Brunswick County9-1.3 pts
94Chatham County8.7+0.3 pts
95Wake County8.6+1.4 pts
96Cabarrus County8.5-0.6 pts
97Dare County8.4-0.5 pts
98Currituck County8.1+0.3 pts
99Union County7.6-0.8 pts
100Camden County7.5-0.5 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People living in families or alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), all ages.

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

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. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Robeson County, with 23.7% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Camden County, with 7.5% 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, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings