Counties in North Carolina by poverty rate

Robeson County had the highest poverty rate of 100 counties in 2016, at 27.8%. Camden County had the lowest, at 8.7%. The median was 17% and the figure for North Carolina was 15.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest27.8Robeson County
Lowest8.7Camden County
Median17100 counties
North Carolina15.4History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Robeson CountyRobeson County: 27.8 %27.8Scotland CountyScotland County: 27.6 %27.6Tyrrell CountyTyrrell County: 27.3 %27.3Halifax CountyHalifax County: 27 %27Bladen CountyBladen County: 26.4 %26.4Warren CountyWarren County: 26.4 %26.4Hertford CountyHertford County: 26.1 %26.1Washington CountyWashington County: 26.1 %26.1Anson CountyAnson County: 25.1 %25.1Richmond CountyRichmond County: 24.9 %24.9Columbus CountyColumbus County: 24.6 %24.6Bertie CountyBertie County: 24.4 %24.4Watauga CountyWatauga County: 24.3 %24.3Vance CountyVance County: 24.2 %24.2Edgecombe CountyEdgecombe County: 23.9 %23.9Greene CountyGreene County: 23.7 %23.7Martin CountyMartin County: 22.5 %22.5Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 22.4 %22.4Hyde CountyHyde County: 22.3 %22.3Wilson CountyWilson County: 22.3 %22.3Jones CountyJones County: 21.5 %21.5Pitt CountyPitt County: 21.5 %21.5Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 21.4 %21.4Duplin CountyDuplin County: 21.3 %21.3Jackson CountyJackson County: 20.9 %20.9Alleghany CountyAlleghany County: 20.6 %20.6Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 20.6 %20.6Lenoir CountyLenoir County: 20.6 %20.6Wayne CountyWayne County: 20.6 %20.6Graham CountyGraham County: 19.9 %19.9Avery CountyAvery County: 19.7 %19.7Caswell CountyCaswell County: 19.7 %19.7Sampson CountySampson County: 19.6 %19.6Hoke CountyHoke County: 19.5 %19.5Yancey CountyYancey County: 19.1 %19.1Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 19 %19Chowan CountyChowan County: 18.9 %18.9Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 18.8 %18.8Madison CountyMadison County: 18.8 %18.8Rutherford CountyRutherford County: 18.6 %18.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Robeson County27.8-2.8 pts
2Scotland County27.6-1.4 pts
3Tyrrell County27.3+2.3 pts
4Halifax County27-0.9 pts
5Bladen County26.4+1 pts
5Warren County26.4-0.9 pts
7Hertford County26.1-0.8 pts
7Washington County26.1+2.7 pts
9Anson County25.1-0.1 pts
10Richmond County24.9-3.8 pts
11Columbus County24.6+0.6 pts
12Bertie County24.4-0.4 pts
13Watauga County24.3-1 pts
14Vance County24.2-0.4 pts
15Edgecombe County23.9-3.9 pts
16Greene County23.7-1.7 pts
17Martin County22.50 pts
18Northampton County22.4-4.4 pts
19Hyde County22.3-0.7 pts
19Wilson County22.3+2.4 pts
21Jones County21.5+0.1 pts
21Pitt County21.5-4.4 pts
23Montgomery County21.4+1.5 pts
24Duplin County21.3-3.6 pts
25Jackson County20.90 pts
26Alleghany County20.6-2.3 pts
26Cleveland County20.6+0.8 pts
26Lenoir County20.6-2.1 pts
26Wayne County20.6+2.2 pts
30Graham County19.9-1.1 pts
31Avery County19.70 pts
31Caswell County19.7-0.4 pts
33Sampson County19.6-1.8 pts
34Hoke County19.5-0.4 pts
35Yancey County19.1-0.2 pts
36Beaufort County19-0.2 pts
37Chowan County18.9-0.5 pts
38Cumberland County18.80 pts
38Madison County18.8-2.1 pts
40Rutherford County18.6-0.6 pts
41Pamlico County18.5+3.9 pts
42Cherokee County18.4+0.1 pts
42McDowell County18.4-0.4 pts
44Guilford County18.3+2.6 pts
45Rockingham County18.1-0.3 pts
46Burke County17.7+1 pts
47Forsyth County17.5-0.6 pts
48New Hanover County17.30 pts
49Caldwell County17.1+0.9 pts
50Pasquotank County17-2.1 pts
50Surry County17-1.2 pts
52Lee County16.9-0.2 pts
52Perquimans County16.9-0.7 pts
54Wilkes County16.8-1.9 pts
55Swain County16.7+0.5 pts
56Transylvania County16.6+1.2 pts
57Nash County16.5-1.6 pts
57Rowan County16.5-0.8 pts
59Macon County16.4-0.5 pts
59Mitchell County16.4-0.3 pts
61Alamance County16.1-2.8 pts
61Ashe County16.1-4.1 pts
61Durham County16.1-1 pts
61Harnett County16.1-1.6 pts
65Haywood County15.9-1.7 pts
66Gaston County15.7-1.6 pts
67Davidson County15.4+1.3 pts
67Person County15.4-0.9 pts
69Clay County15.3-2.1 pts
69Craven County15.3+0.3 pts
69Franklin County15.3-0.7 pts
72Gates County15.2-1.5 pts
72Granville County15.2-0.8 pts
74Alexander County15-0.5 pts
74Pender County15+0.2 pts
76Polk County14.5+1 pts
77Randolph County14.4-2 pts
78Yadkin County14-2.3 pts
79Brunswick County13.8-0.5 pts
80Onslow County13.7-1.6 pts
81Buncombe County13.5-1.7 pts
82Johnston County13.2+0.2 pts
83Stanly County13.1-4 pts
84Orange County12.8-1.5 pts
85Catawba County12.7-2.4 pts
85Lincoln County12.7-0.7 pts
87Stokes County12.4-2.9 pts
88Carteret County12.3-1.5 pts
88Mecklenburg County12.3-2 pts
90Henderson County12.2-0.9 pts
91Chatham County11.7+0.1 pts
92Davie County11.6-0.7 pts
93Moore County11.4-1.8 pts
94Cabarrus County11+0.2 pts
95Dare County10.9+0.6 pts
96Iredell County10.6-3.6 pts
97Currituck County10.2-0.2 pts
98Wake County9.2-1.9 pts
99Union County9-0.7 pts
100Camden County8.7-1 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/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Robeson County, with 27.8% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Camden County, with 8.7% in 2016.

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