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 2017, at 29%. Camden County had the lowest, at 8%. The median was 16.3% and the figure for North Carolina was 14.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest29Robeson County
Lowest8Camden County
Median16.3100 counties
North Carolina14.7History

Top 40 counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Robeson CountyRobeson County: 29 %29Halifax CountyHalifax County: 28.1 %28.1Greene CountyGreene County: 27.6 %27.6Bertie CountyBertie County: 27.2 %27.2Scotland CountyScotland County: 26.4 %26.4Edgecombe CountyEdgecombe County: 25.5 %25.5Richmond CountyRichmond County: 24.8 %24.8Washington CountyWashington County: 24.8 %24.8Lenoir CountyLenoir County: 24.7 %24.7Hertford CountyHertford County: 24.4 %24.4Tyrrell CountyTyrrell County: 24.4 %24.4Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 24.3 %24.3Vance CountyVance County: 23.4 %23.4Columbus CountyColumbus County: 23.1 %23.1Jones CountyJones County: 22.3 %22.3Anson CountyAnson County: 22.2 %22.2Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 22 %22Hyde CountyHyde County: 21.9 %21.9Pitt CountyPitt County: 21.7 %21.7Alleghany CountyAlleghany County: 20.9 %20.9Warren CountyWarren County: 20.9 %20.9Bladen CountyBladen County: 20.7 %20.7Duplin CountyDuplin County: 20.7 %20.7Sampson CountySampson County: 20.7 %20.7Martin CountyMartin County: 20.5 %20.5Watauga CountyWatauga County: 20.5 %20.5Wayne CountyWayne County: 20.3 %20.3Pasquotank CountyPasquotank County: 20.2 %20.2Caswell CountyCaswell County: 19.3 %19.3Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 18.8 %18.8Avery CountyAvery County: 18.6 %18.6Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 18.6 %18.6Wilkes CountyWilkes County: 18.5 %18.5Graham CountyGraham County: 18.1 %18.1Wilson CountyWilson County: 18.1 %18.1Perquimans CountyPerquimans County: 18 %18Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 17.8 %17.8Chowan CountyChowan County: 17.6 %17.6Madison CountyMadison County: 17.6 %17.6Pamlico CountyPamlico County: 17.4 %17.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Robeson County29+1.2 pts
2Halifax County28.1+1.1 pts
3Greene County27.6+3.9 pts
4Bertie County27.2+2.8 pts
5Scotland County26.4-1.2 pts
6Edgecombe County25.5+1.6 pts
7Richmond County24.8-0.1 pts
7Washington County24.8-1.3 pts
9Lenoir County24.7+4.1 pts
10Hertford County24.4-1.7 pts
10Tyrrell County24.4-2.9 pts
12Northampton County24.3+1.9 pts
13Vance County23.4-0.8 pts
14Columbus County23.1-1.5 pts
15Jones County22.3+0.8 pts
16Anson County22.2-2.9 pts
17Beaufort County22+3 pts
18Hyde County21.9-0.4 pts
19Pitt County21.7+0.2 pts
20Alleghany County20.9+0.3 pts
20Warren County20.9-5.5 pts
22Bladen County20.7-5.7 pts
22Duplin County20.7-0.6 pts
22Sampson County20.7+1.1 pts
25Martin County20.5-2 pts
25Watauga County20.5-3.8 pts
27Wayne County20.3-0.3 pts
28Pasquotank County20.2+3.2 pts
29Caswell County19.3-0.4 pts
30Cleveland County18.8-1.8 pts
31Avery County18.6-1.1 pts
31Cumberland County18.6-0.2 pts
33Wilkes County18.5+1.7 pts
34Graham County18.1-1.8 pts
34Wilson County18.1-4.2 pts
36Perquimans County18+1.1 pts
37Montgomery County17.8-3.6 pts
38Chowan County17.6-1.3 pts
38Madison County17.6-1.2 pts
40Pamlico County17.4-1.1 pts
41Cherokee County17.2-1.2 pts
42Jackson County17-3.9 pts
43Mitchell County16.7+0.3 pts
44Burke County16.6-1.1 pts
44Forsyth County16.6-0.9 pts
46Yancey County16.5-2.6 pts
47Harnett County16.4+0.3 pts
48Caldwell County16.3-0.8 pts
48Craven County16.3+1 pts
48Rockingham County16.3-1.8 pts
51Macon County16.2-0.2 pts
51McDowell County16.2-2.2 pts
53Rutherford County16.1-2.5 pts
53Surry County16.1-0.9 pts
55Ashe County15.9-0.2 pts
55Hoke County15.9-3.6 pts
57Nash County15.8-0.7 pts
57Randolph County15.8+1.4 pts
57Swain County15.8-0.9 pts
60Durham County15.7-0.4 pts
60Franklin County15.7+0.4 pts
60Gates County15.7+0.5 pts
63New Hanover County15.5-1.8 pts
64Clay County15.4+0.1 pts
65Rowan County15.3-1.2 pts
66Davidson County15.2-0.2 pts
66Transylvania County15.2-1.4 pts
68Gaston County15.1-0.6 pts
68Johnston County15.1+1.9 pts
68Person County15.1-0.3 pts
71Lee County14.8-2.1 pts
72Guilford County14.5-3.8 pts
72Haywood County14.5-1.4 pts
74Alamance County14.4-1.7 pts
75Stokes County14.1+1.7 pts
76Onslow County13.5-0.2 pts
77Orange County13.4+0.6 pts
77Yadkin County13.4-0.6 pts
79Carteret County13.3+1 pts
80Granville County12.6-2.6 pts
80Pender County12.6-2.4 pts
82Catawba County12.5-0.2 pts
82Lincoln County12.5-0.2 pts
82Polk County12.5-2 pts
85Stanly County12.4-0.7 pts
86Davie County12.2+0.6 pts
87Brunswick County11.9-1.9 pts
88Alexander County11.7-3.3 pts
89Buncombe County11.5-2 pts
90Mecklenburg County11.4-0.9 pts
91Iredell County11.3+0.7 pts
92Cabarrus County11.1+0.1 pts
93Currituck County10.7+0.5 pts
93Henderson County10.7-1.5 pts
93Moore County10.7-0.7 pts
96Chatham County10.3-1.4 pts
97Dare County9.4-1.5 pts
98Union County9.1+0.1 pts
99Wake County8.9-0.3 pts
100Camden County8-0.7 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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Robeson County, with 29% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Camden County, with 8% in 2017.

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