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)

Robeson County had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 100 counties in 2021, at 27.3%. Camden County had the lowest, at 6.2%. The median was 14.9% and the figure for North Carolina was 13.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest27.3Robeson County
Lowest6.2Camden County
Median14.9100 counties
North Carolina13.7History

Map of counties, 2021

Alamance County: 14.4 %Alexander County: 11.6 %Alleghany County: 21.5 %Anson County: 18.3 %Ashe County: 14 %Avery County: 13.3 %Beaufort County: 18.7 %Bertie County: 24.1 %Bladen County: 24.6 %Brunswick County: 10.2 %Buncombe County: 10.9 %Burke County: 18.1 %Cabarrus County: 9.4 %Caldwell County: 13.4 %Camden County: 6.2 %Carteret County: 9.7 %Caswell County: 17.1 %Catawba County: 12.8 %Chatham County: 10.5 %Cherokee County: 16.9 %Chowan County: 22 %Clay County: 14.2 %Cleveland County: 18.3 %Columbus County: 21 %Craven County: 14.2 %Cumberland County: 18 %Currituck County: 8.3 %Dare County: 6.8 %Davidson County: 14.5 %Davie County: 12.6 %Duplin County: 18.2 %Durham County: 13.2 %Edgecombe County: 22.8 %Forsyth County: 15.7 %Franklin County: 11.3 %Gaston County: 13.1 %Gates County: 13.9 %Graham County: 13.4 %Granville County: 14.4 %Greene County: 21.4 %Guilford County: 14.5 %Halifax County: 26.2 %Harnett County: 15 %Haywood County: 12.4 %Henderson County: 10.4 %Hertford County: 20.8 %Hoke County: 17.9 %Hyde County: 24.2 %Iredell County: 9.8 %Jackson County: 19.3 %Johnston County: 12.6 %Jones County: 20.9 %Lee County: 15.1 %Lenoir County: 23.3 %Lincoln County: 10.7 %McDowell County: 13.8 %Macon County: 16.4 %Madison County: 13.8 %Martin County: 19.8 %Mecklenburg County: 10.6 %Mitchell County: 13 %Montgomery County: 15.6 %Moore County: 9.7 %Nash County: 14.7 %New Hanover County: 13.6 %Northampton County: 20.8 %Onslow County: 13.3 %Orange County: 12.6 %Pamlico County: 14.3 %Pasquotank County: 13.1 %Pender County: 12.5 %Perquimans County: 13.1 %Person County: 18.3 %Pitt County: 20.7 %Polk County: 9.5 %Randolph County: 15.1 %Richmond County: 25 %Robeson County: 27.3 %Rockingham County: 18.2 %Rowan County: 16.8 %Rutherford County: 18.2 %Sampson County: 21.4 %Scotland County: 26.1 %Stanly County: 13.3 %Stokes County: 14.8 %Surry County: 16.6 %Swain County: 18.7 %Transylvania County: 13.1 %Tyrrell County: 16.7 %Union County: 7.2 %Vance County: 19.5 %Wake County: 8.5 %Warren County: 19.4 %Washington County: 24.2 %Watauga County: 23.2 %Wayne County: 18.6 %Wilkes County: 17.3 %Wilson County: 18.9 %Yadkin County: 15.4 %Yancey County: 14.7 %
  • Under 11
  • 11 to 13
  • 13 to 15
  • 15 to 18
  • 18 to 21
  • 21 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Robeson County: 27.3 %Robeson County27.3Halifax County: 26.2 %Halifax County26.2Scotland County: 26.1 %Scotland County26.1Richmond County: 25 %Richmond County25Bladen County: 24.6 %Bladen County24.6Washington County: 24.2 %Washington County24.2Hyde County: 24.2 %Hyde County24.2Bertie County: 24.1 %Bertie County24.1Lenoir County: 23.3 %Lenoir County23.3Watauga County: 23.2 %Watauga County23.2Edgecombe County: 22.8 %Edgecombe County22.8Chowan County: 22 %Chowan County22Alleghany County: 21.5 %Alleghany County21.5Sampson County: 21.4 %Sampson County21.4Greene County: 21.4 %Greene County21.4Columbus County: 21 %Columbus County21Jones County: 20.9 %Jones County20.9Hertford County: 20.8 %Hertford County20.8Northampton County: 20.8 %Northampton County20.8Pitt County: 20.7 %Pitt County20.7Martin County: 19.8 %Martin County19.8Vance County: 19.5 %Vance County19.5Warren County: 19.4 %Warren County19.4Jackson County: 19.3 %Jackson County19.3Wilson County: 18.9 %Wilson County18.9Beaufort County: 18.7 %Beaufort County18.7Swain County: 18.7 %Swain County18.7Wayne County: 18.6 %Wayne County18.6Cleveland County: 18.3 %Cleveland County18.3Person County: 18.3 %Person County18.3Anson County: 18.3 %Anson County18.3Rutherford County: 18.2 %Rutherford County18.2Rockingham County: 18.2 %Rockingham County18.2Duplin County: 18.2 %Duplin County18.2Burke County: 18.1 %Burke County18.1Cumberland County: 18 %Cumberland County18Hoke County: 17.9 %Hoke County17.9Wilkes County: 17.3 %Wilkes County17.3Caswell County: 17.1 %Caswell County17.1Cherokee County: 16.9 %Cherokee County16.9Robeson County: 27.3 %Robeson County27.3Halifax County: 26.2 %Halifax County26.2Scotland County: 26.1 %Scotland County26.1Richmond County: 25 %Richmond County25Bladen County: 24.6 %Bladen County24.6Washington County: 24.2 %Washington County24.2Hyde County: 24.2 %Hyde County24.2Bertie County: 24.1 %Bertie County24.1Lenoir County: 23.3 %Lenoir County23.3Watauga County: 23.2 %Watauga County23.2Edgecombe County: 22.8 %Edgecombe County22.8Chowan County: 22 %Chowan County22Alleghany County: 21.5 %Alleghany County21.5Sampson County: 21.4 %Sampson County21.4Greene County: 21.4 %Greene County21.4Columbus County: 21 %Columbus County21Jones County: 20.9 %Jones County20.9Hertford County: 20.8 %Hertford County20.8Northampton County: 20.8 %Northampton County20.8Pitt County: 20.7 %Pitt County20.7Martin County: 19.8 %Martin County19.8Vance County: 19.5 %Vance County19.5Warren County: 19.4 %Warren County19.4Jackson County: 19.3 %Jackson County19.3Wilson County: 18.9 %Wilson County18.9Beaufort County: 18.7 %Beaufort County18.7Swain County: 18.7 %Swain County18.7Wayne County: 18.6 %Wayne County18.6Cleveland County: 18.3 %Cleveland County18.3Person County: 18.3 %Person County18.3Anson County: 18.3 %Anson County18.3Rutherford County: 18.2 %Rutherford County18.2Rockingham County: 18.2 %Rockingham County18.2Duplin County: 18.2 %Duplin County18.2Burke County: 18.1 %Burke County18.1Cumberland County: 18 %Cumberland County18Hoke County: 17.9 %Hoke County17.9Wilkes County: 17.3 %Wilkes County17.3Caswell County: 17.1 %Caswell County17.1Cherokee County: 16.9 %Cherokee County16.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Robeson County27.3
2Halifax County26.2
3Scotland County26.1
4Richmond County25
5Bladen County24.6
6Washington County24.2
7Hyde County24.2
8Bertie County24.1
9Lenoir County23.3
10Watauga County23.2
11Edgecombe County22.8
12Chowan County22
13Alleghany County21.5
14Sampson County21.4
15Greene County21.4
16Columbus County21
17Jones County20.9
18Hertford County20.8
18Northampton County20.8
20Pitt County20.7
21Martin County19.8
22Vance County19.5
23Warren County19.4
24Jackson County19.3
25Wilson County18.9
26Beaufort County18.7
27Swain County18.7
28Wayne County18.6
29Cleveland County18.3
30Person County18.3
31Anson County18.3
32Rutherford County18.2
33Rockingham County18.2
34Duplin County18.2
35Burke County18.1
36Cumberland County18
37Hoke County17.9
38Wilkes County17.3
39Caswell County17.1
40Cherokee County16.9
41Rowan County16.8
42Tyrrell County16.7
43Surry County16.6
44Macon County16.4
45Forsyth County15.7
46Montgomery County15.6
47Yadkin County15.4
48Lee County15.1
49Randolph County15.1
50Harnett County15
51Stokes County14.8
52Yancey County14.7
53Nash County14.7
54Guilford County14.5
55Davidson County14.5
56Granville County14.4
57Alamance County14.4
58Pamlico County14.3
59Clay County14.2
60Craven County14.2
61Ashe County14
62Gates County13.9
63McDowell County13.8
64Madison County13.8
65New Hanover County13.6
66Caldwell County13.4
67Graham County13.4
68Stanly County13.3
69Onslow County13.3
70Avery County13.3
71Durham County13.2
72Gaston County13.1
73Pasquotank County13.1
73Perquimans County13.1
73Transylvania County13.1
76Mitchell County13
77Catawba County12.8
78Davie County12.6
79Orange County12.6
80Johnston County12.6
81Pender County12.5
82Haywood County12.4
83Alexander County11.6
84Franklin County11.3
85Buncombe County10.9
86Lincoln County10.7
87Mecklenburg County10.6
88Chatham County10.5
89Henderson County10.4
90Brunswick County10.2
91Iredell County9.8
92Carteret County9.7
93Moore County9.7
94Polk County9.5
95Cabarrus County9.4
96Wake County8.5
97Currituck County8.3
98Union County7.2
99Dare County6.8
100Camden County6.2

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/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-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), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-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), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties?period=2021. 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), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties?period=2021.

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), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_carolina_2021,
  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), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties?period=2021. 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/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-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), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/north-carolina-counties?period=2021.
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/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-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 27.3% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Camden County, with 6.2% in 2021.

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