Counties in North Carolina by poverty rate

Robeson County had the highest poverty rate of 100 counties in 2022, at 26.1%. Union County had the lowest, at 7.1%. The median was 14.8% and the figure for North Carolina was 12.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest26.1Robeson County
Lowest7.1Union County
Median14.8100 counties
North Carolina12.8History

Top 40 counties, 2022

CSVChart (SVG)

Robeson CountyRobeson County: 26.1 %26.1Greene CountyGreene County: 25.3 %25.3Scotland CountyScotland County: 24.1 %24.1Bertie CountyBertie County: 23.8 %23.8Hertford CountyHertford County: 22.8 %22.8Richmond CountyRichmond County: 22.6 %22.6Anson CountyAnson County: 22.4 %22.4Lenoir CountyLenoir County: 21.3 %21.3Washington CountyWashington County: 21.1 %21.1Watauga CountyWatauga County: 21 %21Columbus CountyColumbus County: 20.9 %20.9Edgecombe CountyEdgecombe County: 20.8 %20.8Hyde CountyHyde County: 20.8 %20.8Warren CountyWarren County: 20.7 %20.7Martin CountyMartin County: 20.4 %20.4Duplin CountyDuplin County: 20.2 %20.2Sampson CountySampson County: 20.1 %20.1Vance CountyVance County: 20.1 %20.1Tyrrell CountyTyrrell County: 19.7 %19.7Wilson CountyWilson County: 19.7 %19.7Halifax CountyHalifax County: 19.6 %19.6Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 19.6 %19.6Pitt CountyPitt County: 19.5 %19.5Wilkes CountyWilkes County: 19.1 %19.1Bladen CountyBladen County: 18.5 %18.5Wayne CountyWayne County: 18 %18Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 17.7 %17.7Jackson CountyJackson County: 17.6 %17.6Surry CountySurry County: 17.3 %17.3Jones CountyJones County: 17.1 %17.1Rockingham CountyRockingham County: 17 %17Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 16.7 %16.7Caswell CountyCaswell County: 16.6 %16.6Guilford CountyGuilford County: 16.4 %16.4Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 16.4 %16.4Rutherford CountyRutherford County: 16.4 %16.4Chowan CountyChowan County: 16.3 %16.3Caldwell CountyCaldwell County: 16.2 %16.2McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 16.1 %16.1Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 15.9 %15.9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Robeson County26.1-1.8 pts
2Greene County25.3+2 pts
3Scotland County24.1-0.3 pts
4Bertie County23.8+3.1 pts
5Hertford County22.8-1.7 pts
6Richmond County22.6-3.6 pts
7Anson County22.4+1.2 pts
8Lenoir County21.3+0.2 pts
9Washington County21.1+0.4 pts
10Watauga County21-0.8 pts
11Columbus County20.9-2.5 pts
12Edgecombe County20.8-1.6 pts
12Hyde County20.8-0.2 pts
14Warren County20.7+0.8 pts
15Martin County20.4+0.3 pts
16Duplin County20.2+1.1 pts
17Sampson County20.1-0.3 pts
17Vance County20.1-0.7 pts
19Tyrrell County19.7-1.4 pts
19Wilson County19.7+0.9 pts
21Halifax County19.6-7.7 pts
21Northampton County19.6-4 pts
23Pitt County19.5-2.1 pts
24Wilkes County19.1+2 pts
25Bladen County18.5-3.1 pts
26Wayne County18-0.7 pts
27Beaufort County17.7-2.4 pts
28Jackson County17.6-1.1 pts
29Surry County17.3+1.2 pts
30Jones County17.1-0.5 pts
31Rockingham County17-1.1 pts
32Cleveland County16.7-1.3 pts
33Caswell County16.6-4.1 pts
34Guilford County16.4+2.9 pts
34Montgomery County16.4-1.2 pts
34Rutherford County16.4-1.1 pts
37Chowan County16.3-1.3 pts
38Caldwell County16.2+1.4 pts
39McDowell County16.1+1.6 pts
40Cumberland County15.9+0.1 pts
41Lee County15.8+0.7 pts
42Mitchell County15.7+0.7 pts
43Alleghany County15.6-2.2 pts
44Pamlico County15.5+0.2 pts
45Pasquotank County15.40 pts
46Cherokee County15.1+1.2 pts
47Madison County15-0.3 pts
48Rowan County14.9-2.1 pts
49Avery County14.8-2.2 pts
49Graham County14.8-2.3 pts
49Yancey County14.8-2.6 pts
52Forsyth County14.7+0.4 pts
53Hoke County14.6-0.9 pts
54Nash County14.5-0.3 pts
55Ashe County14.4+0.2 pts
56Gates County14.2+0.7 pts
56Randolph County14.2+0.7 pts
58Craven County13.9+1.3 pts
59Alexander County13.8+1.2 pts
59Person County13.8-3.7 pts
61Clay County13.6-0.2 pts
62Swain County13.5-3.9 pts
63Perquimans County13.4-2.1 pts
63Transylvania County13.4+0.9 pts
65Harnett County13.30 pts
65Orange County13.3+1.1 pts
67Polk County13+0.7 pts
68Stanly County12.9-1.6 pts
69Alamance County12.7+0.2 pts
70Burke County12.6-1.7 pts
71Davidson County12.5-1.1 pts
72Macon County12.4-1.8 pts
72Onslow County12.4-1.5 pts
74Buncombe County12.3+0.6 pts
74Catawba County12.3-1.2 pts
74Henderson County12.3+0.3 pts
77Carteret County12.1+0.3 pts
77Yadkin County12.1-0.6 pts
79Gaston County12-2.9 pts
80New Hanover County11.7-0.2 pts
81Haywood County11.6-2.1 pts
82Davie County11.4+1.7 pts
82Granville County11.4-2.6 pts
84Durham County11.1-2.3 pts
85Franklin County10.9-1.6 pts
86Pender County10.5-0.3 pts
86Stokes County10.5-2.6 pts
88Mecklenburg County10.3+0.1 pts
89Johnston County10-1.8 pts
90Moore County9.8+0.6 pts
91Iredell County9.4-0.1 pts
92Lincoln County9+0.2 pts
93Chatham County8.9-3.3 pts
93Currituck County8.9+0.3 pts
95Brunswick County8.5-1.3 pts
96Cabarrus County8-1.4 pts
97Dare County7.9-0.8 pts
98Wake County7.5-1.9 pts
99Camden County7.4-0.6 pts
100Union County7.1-0.6 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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Robeson County, with 26.1% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Union County, with 7.1% in 2022.

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