Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Counties in North Carolina

Counties in North Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024

Robeson County had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 100 counties in 2024, at 27.2%. Camden County had the lowest, at 6.1%. The median was 14.6% and the figure for North Carolina was 13%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest27.2Robeson County
Lowest6.1Camden County
Median14.6100 counties
North Carolina13History

Map of counties, 2024

Alamance County: 13.4 %Alexander County: 12.6 %Alleghany County: 16 %Anson County: 21.7 %Ashe County: 13.5 %Avery County: 10.2 %Beaufort County: 17.8 %Bertie County: 16.1 %Bladen County: 22 %Brunswick County: 9.2 %Buncombe County: 11.8 %Burke County: 15.6 %Cabarrus County: 9.3 %Caldwell County: 13.4 %Camden County: 6.1 %Carteret County: 10.1 %Caswell County: 18.6 %Catawba County: 12.7 %Chatham County: 11.1 %Cherokee County: 12.4 %Chowan County: 19.1 %Clay County: 12.9 %Cleveland County: 16.6 %Columbus County: 18.2 %Craven County: 13.7 %Cumberland County: 16.7 %Currituck County: 7.5 %Dare County: 6.6 %Davidson County: 12.9 %Davie County: 9.4 %Duplin County: 20.5 %Durham County: 11.5 %Edgecombe County: 21.7 %Forsyth County: 14.5 %Franklin County: 11.1 %Gaston County: 13.5 %Gates County: 9.4 %Graham County: 6.7 %Granville County: 15.2 %Greene County: 21.1 %Guilford County: 14.6 %Halifax County: 22.8 %Harnett County: 13.8 %Haywood County: 13.1 %Henderson County: 11.6 %Hertford County: 22.9 %Hoke County: 17.1 %Hyde County: 22.2 %Iredell County: 10 %Jackson County: 18 %Johnston County: 10.6 %Jones County: 18.4 %Lee County: 16.5 %Lenoir County: 22 %Lincoln County: 11.3 %McDowell County: 14.8 %Macon County: 11.6 %Madison County: 12.1 %Martin County: 20.4 %Mecklenburg County: 10.4 %Mitchell County: 12.9 %Montgomery County: 15.4 %Moore County: 10.1 %Nash County: 11.8 %New Hanover County: 12.3 %Northampton County: 21.1 %Onslow County: 11.6 %Orange County: 12.5 %Pamlico County: 15.2 %Pasquotank County: 11 %Pender County: 9.7 %Perquimans County: 9.8 %Person County: 17.5 %Pitt County: 19.8 %Polk County: 14 %Randolph County: 14.5 %Richmond County: 25.2 %Robeson County: 27.2 %Rockingham County: 16.3 %Rowan County: 16 %Rutherford County: 16.8 %Sampson County: 21.8 %Scotland County: 25.8 %Stanly County: 15.3 %Stokes County: 11.2 %Surry County: 16.8 %Swain County: 19.1 %Transylvania County: 13.2 %Tyrrell County: 18.7 %Union County: 7.7 %Vance County: 19.8 %Wake County: 8.1 %Warren County: 21.1 %Washington County: 24.1 %Watauga County: 25.5 %Wayne County: 17.3 %Wilkes County: 16.7 %Wilson County: 19.8 %Yadkin County: 14 %Yancey County: 15.2 %
  • Under 10
  • 10 to 13
  • 13 to 15
  • 15 to 17
  • 17 to 20
  • 20 and over
%, 2024. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2024

Robeson County: 27.2 %Robeson County27.2Scotland County: 25.8 %Scotland County25.8Watauga County: 25.5 %Watauga County25.5Richmond County: 25.2 %Richmond County25.2Washington County: 24.1 %Washington County24.1Hertford County: 22.9 %Hertford County22.9Halifax County: 22.8 %Halifax County22.8Hyde County: 22.2 %Hyde County22.2Bladen County: 22 %Bladen County22Lenoir County: 22 %Lenoir County22Sampson County: 21.8 %Sampson County21.8Anson County: 21.7 %Anson County21.7Edgecombe County: 21.7 %Edgecombe County21.7Northampton County: 21.1 %Northampton County21.1Warren County: 21.1 %Warren County21.1Greene County: 21.1 %Greene County21.1Duplin County: 20.5 %Duplin County20.5Martin County: 20.4 %Martin County20.4Pitt County: 19.8 %Pitt County19.8Wilson County: 19.8 %Wilson County19.8Vance County: 19.8 %Vance County19.8Swain County: 19.1 %Swain County19.1Chowan County: 19.1 %Chowan County19.1Tyrrell County: 18.7 %Tyrrell County18.7Caswell County: 18.6 %Caswell County18.6Jones County: 18.4 %Jones County18.4Columbus County: 18.2 %Columbus County18.2Jackson County: 18 %Jackson County18Beaufort County: 17.8 %Beaufort County17.8Person County: 17.5 %Person County17.5Wayne County: 17.3 %Wayne County17.3Hoke County: 17.1 %Hoke County17.1Surry County: 16.8 %Surry County16.8Rutherford County: 16.8 %Rutherford County16.8Wilkes County: 16.7 %Wilkes County16.7Cumberland County: 16.7 %Cumberland County16.7Cleveland County: 16.6 %Cleveland County16.6Lee County: 16.5 %Lee County16.5Rockingham County: 16.3 %Rockingham County16.3Bertie County: 16.1 %Bertie County16.1Robeson County: 27.2 %Robeson County27.2Scotland County: 25.8 %Scotland County25.8Watauga County: 25.5 %Watauga County25.5Richmond County: 25.2 %Richmond County25.2Washington County: 24.1 %Washington County24.1Hertford County: 22.9 %Hertford County22.9Halifax County: 22.8 %Halifax County22.8Hyde County: 22.2 %Hyde County22.2Bladen County: 22 %Bladen County22Lenoir County: 22 %Lenoir County22Sampson County: 21.8 %Sampson County21.8Anson County: 21.7 %Anson County21.7Edgecombe County: 21.7 %Edgecombe County21.7Northampton County: 21.1 %Northampton County21.1Warren County: 21.1 %Warren County21.1Greene County: 21.1 %Greene County21.1Duplin County: 20.5 %Duplin County20.5Martin County: 20.4 %Martin County20.4Pitt County: 19.8 %Pitt County19.8Wilson County: 19.8 %Wilson County19.8Vance County: 19.8 %Vance County19.8Swain County: 19.1 %Swain County19.1Chowan County: 19.1 %Chowan County19.1Tyrrell County: 18.7 %Tyrrell County18.7Caswell County: 18.6 %Caswell County18.6Jones County: 18.4 %Jones County18.4Columbus County: 18.2 %Columbus County18.2Jackson County: 18 %Jackson County18Beaufort County: 17.8 %Beaufort County17.8Person County: 17.5 %Person County17.5Wayne County: 17.3 %Wayne County17.3Hoke County: 17.1 %Hoke County17.1Surry County: 16.8 %Surry County16.8Rutherford County: 16.8 %Rutherford County16.8Wilkes County: 16.7 %Wilkes County16.7Cumberland County: 16.7 %Cumberland County16.7Cleveland County: 16.6 %Cleveland County16.6Lee County: 16.5 %Lee County16.5Rockingham County: 16.3 %Rockingham County16.3Bertie County: 16.1 %Bertie County16.1
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Robeson County27.2-1.5 pts
2Scotland County25.8-0.8 pts
3Watauga County25.5+0.8 pts
4Richmond County25.20 pts
5Washington County24.1-0.6 pts
6Hertford County22.9+1.5 pts
7Halifax County22.8-2.3 pts
8Hyde County22.2-0.2 pts
9Bladen County22+0.7 pts
10Lenoir County22-0.5 pts
11Sampson County21.8+1.6 pts
12Anson County21.7+0.5 pts
12Edgecombe County21.7-0.1 pts
14Northampton County21.1+1.1 pts
15Warren County21.1-1.1 pts
16Greene County21.1-1.3 pts
17Duplin County20.5+2.6 pts
18Martin County20.4+0.7 pts
19Pitt County19.8+0.4 pts
20Wilson County19.8-1.2 pts
21Vance County19.8+0.8 pts
22Swain County19.1-1.9 pts
23Chowan County19.1-1.4 pts
24Tyrrell County18.7-2.1 pts
25Caswell County18.6+2.9 pts
26Jones County18.4-2.9 pts
27Columbus County18.2-0.6 pts
28Jackson County18-1.3 pts
29Beaufort County17.8-0.2 pts
30Person County17.5-1 pts
31Wayne County17.3+0.4 pts
32Hoke County17.1-0.3 pts
33Surry County16.8+0.1 pts
34Rutherford County16.8-0.9 pts
35Wilkes County16.7+0.3 pts
36Cumberland County16.7-0.5 pts
37Cleveland County16.6-0.6 pts
38Lee County16.5+1 pts
39Rockingham County16.3-0.6 pts
40Bertie County16.1-3.6 pts
41Rowan County16+0.2 pts
42Alleghany County16-1.4 pts
43Burke County15.6-2.3 pts
44Montgomery County15.4-0.7 pts
45Stanly County15.3+1 pts
46Granville County15.2+1.1 pts
47Yancey County15.2+0.3 pts
48Pamlico County15.2+2.8 pts
49McDowell County14.8+0.8 pts
50Guilford County14.6-0.6 pts
51Forsyth County14.5-0.2 pts
52Randolph County14.5-0.3 pts
53Polk County14+0.3 pts
54Yadkin County14+0.3 pts
55Harnett County13.8-0.8 pts
56Craven County13.7-0.2 pts
57Gaston County13.5+0.8 pts
58Ashe County13.5-0.6 pts
59Caldwell County13.4+0.7 pts
60Alamance County13.4-0.8 pts
61Transylvania County13.2-1 pts
62Haywood County13.1+1.9 pts
63Mitchell County12.9-0 pts
64Clay County12.9-0.6 pts
65Davidson County12.9-1 pts
66Catawba County12.7-0.1 pts
67Alexander County12.6+0.5 pts
68Orange County12.5+0.1 pts
69Cherokee County12.4-2.3 pts
70New Hanover County12.3-0.1 pts
71Madison County12.1+0.7 pts
72Buncombe County11.8+0.1 pts
72Nash County11.8-2.2 pts
74Macon County11.6-2.8 pts
75Onslow County11.6-0.1 pts
76Henderson County11.6-0.1 pts
77Durham County11.5-0.5 pts
78Lincoln County11.3+2.2 pts
79Stokes County11.2-0.8 pts
80Franklin County11.1+1 pts
81Chatham County11.1+0.6 pts
82Pasquotank County11+1 pts
83Johnston County10.6-0.6 pts
84Mecklenburg County10.4-0.1 pts
85Avery County10.2-0.8 pts
86Carteret County10.10 pts
86Moore County10.1+0.1 pts
88Iredell County10+0.9 pts
89Perquimans County9.8-1.6 pts
90Pender County9.7-1 pts
91Gates County9.4-2.4 pts
92Davie County9.4-0.6 pts
93Cabarrus County9.3+0.3 pts
94Brunswick County9.2-0.2 pts
95Wake County8.1+0.2 pts
96Union County7.70 pts
97Currituck County7.5-0.1 pts
98Graham County6.7-2 pts
99Dare County6.6-0.9 pts
100Camden County6.1+1.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. 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. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in North Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in North Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in North Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in North Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_carolina_2024,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in North Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in North Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Robeson County, with 27.2% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Camden County, with 6.1% in 2024.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings