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

Counties in North Carolina by poverty rate

Robeson County had the highest poverty rate of 100 counties in 2015, at 30.6%. Union County had the lowest, at 9.7%. The median was 17.9% and the figure for North Carolina was 16.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest30.6Robeson County
Lowest9.7Union County
Median17.9100 counties
North Carolina16.4History

Top 40 counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Robeson CountyRobeson County: 30.6 %30.6Scotland CountyScotland County: 29 %29Richmond CountyRichmond County: 28.7 %28.7Halifax CountyHalifax County: 27.9 %27.9Edgecombe CountyEdgecombe County: 27.8 %27.8Warren CountyWarren County: 27.3 %27.3Hertford CountyHertford County: 26.9 %26.9Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 26.8 %26.8Pitt CountyPitt County: 25.9 %25.9Bladen CountyBladen County: 25.4 %25.4Greene CountyGreene County: 25.4 %25.4Watauga CountyWatauga County: 25.3 %25.3Anson CountyAnson County: 25.2 %25.2Tyrrell CountyTyrrell County: 25 %25Duplin CountyDuplin County: 24.9 %24.9Bertie CountyBertie County: 24.8 %24.8Vance CountyVance County: 24.6 %24.6Columbus CountyColumbus County: 24 %24Washington CountyWashington County: 23.4 %23.4Hyde CountyHyde County: 23 %23Alleghany CountyAlleghany County: 22.9 %22.9Lenoir CountyLenoir County: 22.7 %22.7Martin CountyMartin County: 22.5 %22.5Jones CountyJones County: 21.4 %21.4Sampson CountySampson County: 21.4 %21.4Graham CountyGraham County: 21 %21Jackson CountyJackson County: 20.9 %20.9Madison CountyMadison County: 20.9 %20.9Ashe CountyAshe County: 20.2 %20.2Caswell CountyCaswell County: 20.1 %20.1Hoke CountyHoke County: 19.9 %19.9Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 19.9 %19.9Wilson CountyWilson County: 19.9 %19.9Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 19.8 %19.8Avery CountyAvery County: 19.7 %19.7Chowan CountyChowan County: 19.4 %19.4Yancey CountyYancey County: 19.3 %19.3Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 19.2 %19.2Rutherford CountyRutherford County: 19.2 %19.2Pasquotank CountyPasquotank County: 19.1 %19.1
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Robeson County30.6
2Scotland County29
3Richmond County28.7
4Halifax County27.9
5Edgecombe County27.8
6Warren County27.3
7Hertford County26.9
8Northampton County26.8
9Pitt County25.9
10Bladen County25.4
10Greene County25.4
12Watauga County25.3
13Anson County25.2
14Tyrrell County25
15Duplin County24.9
16Bertie County24.8
17Vance County24.6
18Columbus County24
19Washington County23.4
20Hyde County23
21Alleghany County22.9
22Lenoir County22.7
23Martin County22.5
24Jones County21.4
24Sampson County21.4
26Graham County21
27Jackson County20.9
27Madison County20.9
29Ashe County20.2
30Caswell County20.1
31Hoke County19.9
31Montgomery County19.9
31Wilson County19.9
34Cleveland County19.8
35Avery County19.7
36Chowan County19.4
37Yancey County19.3
38Beaufort County19.2
38Rutherford County19.2
40Pasquotank County19.1
41Alamance County18.9
42Cumberland County18.8
42McDowell County18.8
44Wilkes County18.7
45Rockingham County18.4
45Wayne County18.4
47Cherokee County18.3
48Surry County18.2
49Forsyth County18.1
49Nash County18.1
51Harnett County17.7
52Haywood County17.6
52Perquimans County17.6
54Clay County17.4
55Gaston County17.3
55New Hanover County17.3
55Rowan County17.3
58Durham County17.1
58Lee County17.1
58Stanly County17.1
61Macon County16.9
62Burke County16.7
62Gates County16.7
62Mitchell County16.7
65Randolph County16.4
66Person County16.3
66Yadkin County16.3
68Caldwell County16.2
68Swain County16.2
70Franklin County16
70Granville County16
72Guilford County15.7
73Alexander County15.5
74Transylvania County15.4
75Onslow County15.3
75Stokes County15.3
77Buncombe County15.2
78Catawba County15.1
79Craven County15
80Pender County14.8
81Pamlico County14.6
82Brunswick County14.3
82Mecklenburg County14.3
82Orange County14.3
85Iredell County14.2
86Davidson County14.1
87Carteret County13.8
88Polk County13.5
89Lincoln County13.4
90Moore County13.2
91Henderson County13.1
92Johnston County13
93Davie County12.3
94Chatham County11.6
95Wake County11.1
96Cabarrus County10.8
97Currituck County10.4
98Dare County10.3
99Camden County9.7
99Union County9.7

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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Robeson County, with 30.6% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Union County, with 9.7% in 2015.

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