Counties in North Carolina by poverty rate

Bladen County had the highest poverty rate of 100 counties in 2018, at 29.1%. Union County had the lowest, at 7%. The median was 16.1% and the figure for North Carolina was 14.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest29.1Bladen County
Median16.1100 counties
North Carolina14.1History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Bladen CountyBladen County: 29.1 %29.1Scotland CountyScotland County: 26.9 %26.9Vance CountyVance County: 26.3 %26.3Columbus CountyColumbus County: 25.3 %25.3Tyrrell CountyTyrrell County: 25.2 %25.2Robeson CountyRobeson County: 24.5 %24.5Bertie CountyBertie County: 23.5 %23.5Greene CountyGreene County: 23.5 %23.5Hertford CountyHertford County: 23.2 %23.2Pitt CountyPitt County: 23.2 %23.2Edgecombe CountyEdgecombe County: 22.9 %22.9Sampson CountySampson County: 22.8 %22.8Hyde CountyHyde County: 22.2 %22.2Lenoir CountyLenoir County: 22.1 %22.1Halifax CountyHalifax County: 22 %22Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 21.4 %21.4Watauga CountyWatauga County: 21.2 %21.2Washington CountyWashington County: 21.1 %21.1Wilson CountyWilson County: 21.1 %21.1Anson CountyAnson County: 20.5 %20.5Duplin CountyDuplin County: 20.4 %20.4Martin CountyMartin County: 20.3 %20.3Wayne CountyWayne County: 20.2 %20.2Richmond CountyRichmond County: 19.9 %19.9Warren CountyWarren County: 19.8 %19.8Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 19.1 %19.1Rutherford CountyRutherford County: 19.1 %19.1Graham CountyGraham County: 18.9 %18.9Wilkes CountyWilkes County: 18.9 %18.9Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 18.8 %18.8Alleghany CountyAlleghany County: 18.7 %18.7Pasquotank CountyPasquotank County: 18.2 %18.2Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 18.1 %18.1Hoke CountyHoke County: 18 %18Rockingham CountyRockingham County: 17.9 %17.9Yancey CountyYancey County: 17.8 %17.8Chowan CountyChowan County: 17.2 %17.2Caswell CountyCaswell County: 17.1 %17.1Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 17 %17Madison CountyMadison County: 17 %17
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Bladen County29.1+8.4 pts
2Scotland County26.9+0.5 pts
3Vance County26.3+2.9 pts
4Columbus County25.3+2.2 pts
5Tyrrell County25.2+0.8 pts
6Robeson County24.5-4.5 pts
7Bertie County23.5-3.7 pts
7Greene County23.5-4.1 pts
9Hertford County23.2-1.2 pts
9Pitt County23.2+1.5 pts
11Edgecombe County22.9-2.6 pts
12Sampson County22.8+2.1 pts
13Hyde County22.2+0.3 pts
14Lenoir County22.1-2.6 pts
15Halifax County22-6.1 pts
16Northampton County21.4-2.9 pts
17Watauga County21.2+0.7 pts
18Washington County21.1-3.7 pts
18Wilson County21.1+3 pts
20Anson County20.5-1.7 pts
21Duplin County20.4-0.3 pts
22Martin County20.3-0.2 pts
23Wayne County20.2-0.1 pts
24Richmond County19.9-4.9 pts
25Warren County19.8-1.1 pts
26Cleveland County19.1+0.3 pts
26Rutherford County19.1+3 pts
28Graham County18.9+0.8 pts
28Wilkes County18.9+0.4 pts
30Cherokee County18.8+1.6 pts
31Alleghany County18.7-2.2 pts
32Pasquotank County18.2-2 pts
33Beaufort County18.1-3.9 pts
34Hoke County18+2.1 pts
35Rockingham County17.9+1.6 pts
36Yancey County17.8+1.3 pts
37Chowan County17.2-0.4 pts
38Caswell County17.1-2.2 pts
39Cumberland County17-1.6 pts
39Madison County17-0.6 pts
41Ashe County16.9+1 pts
42Avery County16.8-1.8 pts
43Jackson County16.7-0.3 pts
43Montgomery County16.7-1.1 pts
45Pamlico County16.6-0.8 pts
46Forsyth County16.4-0.2 pts
47Macon County16.3+0.1 pts
47Rowan County16.3+1 pts
49Jones County16.2-6.1 pts
50Mitchell County16.1-0.6 pts
51Surry County16-0.1 pts
52Caldwell County15.9-0.4 pts
53Perquimans County15.8-2.2 pts
54Lee County15.7+0.9 pts
55Guilford County15.4+0.9 pts
55McDowell County15.4-0.8 pts
57New Hanover County15.3-0.2 pts
58Gates County15.2-0.5 pts
58Swain County15.2-0.6 pts
60Onslow County15.1+1.6 pts
60Pender County15.1+2.5 pts
62Davidson County15-0.2 pts
63Craven County14.9-1.4 pts
64Person County14.8-0.3 pts
65Clay County14.6-0.8 pts
66Harnett County14.4-2 pts
67Gaston County14.2-0.9 pts
67Nash County14.2-1.6 pts
69Burke County14-2.6 pts
70Randolph County13.8-2 pts
71Alamance County13.5-0.9 pts
71Durham County13.5-2.2 pts
73Stanly County13.2+0.8 pts
74Haywood County13.1-1.4 pts
75Alexander County13+1.3 pts
75Catawba County13+0.5 pts
75Granville County13+0.4 pts
75Yadkin County13-0.4 pts
79Transylvania County12.8-2.4 pts
80Franklin County12.7-3 pts
81Orange County12.4-1 pts
82Stokes County12.1-2 pts
83Polk County11.8-0.7 pts
84Johnston County11.7-3.4 pts
84Mecklenburg County11.7+0.3 pts
86Buncombe County11.50 pts
87Davie County10.8-1.4 pts
88Brunswick County10.5-1.4 pts
88Moore County10.5-0.2 pts
90Lincoln County10.3-2.2 pts
91Carteret County9.8-3.5 pts
92Currituck County9.7-1 pts
92Henderson County9.7-1 pts
94Iredell County9.5-1.8 pts
95Chatham County9.3-1 pts
96Cabarrus County9-2.1 pts
97Wake County8.4-0.5 pts
98Camden County8.3+0.3 pts
98Dare County8.3-1.1 pts
100Union County7-2.1 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in North Carolina by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Bladen County, with 29.1% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Union County, with 7% in 2018.

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