Data / Rankings / School enrolment, children aged 3 and 4 / Counties in North Carolina

Counties in North Carolina by school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4

Transylvania County had the highest school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4 of 100 counties in 2021, at 77.6%. Tyrrell County had the lowest, at 13.7%. The median was 39.4% and the figure for North Carolina was 41.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest77.6Transylvania County
Lowest13.7Tyrrell County
Median39.4100 counties
North Carolina41.9History

Map of counties, 2021

Alamance County: 39.3 %Alexander County: 40.6 %Alleghany County: 38.9 %Anson County: 56.9 %Ashe County: 55.5 %Avery County: 14 %Beaufort County: 44.9 %Bertie County: 63.3 %Bladen County: 27 %Brunswick County: 47 %Buncombe County: 36.4 %Burke County: 38.5 %Cabarrus County: 51.3 %Caldwell County: 33.7 %Camden County: 24.7 %Carteret County: 56.9 %Caswell County: 34.1 %Catawba County: 40.9 %Chatham County: 48 %Cherokee County: 40.3 %Chowan County: 68.2 %Clay County: 45.3 %Cleveland County: 26.1 %Columbus County: 26.6 %Craven County: 40.6 %Cumberland County: 37.3 %Currituck County: 44.2 %Dare County: 49.2 %Davidson County: 36.8 %Davie County: 46.5 %Duplin County: 43.4 %Durham County: 46.4 %Edgecombe County: 44.1 %Forsyth County: 40.2 %Franklin County: 34.5 %Gaston County: 35.4 %Gates County: 41.5 %Graham County: 36.8 %Granville County: 41.1 %Greene County: 43.5 %Guilford County: 37.3 %Halifax County: 31.9 %Harnett County: 35.2 %Haywood County: 50.9 %Henderson County: 39.5 %Hertford County: 28.3 %Hoke County: 37.8 %Hyde County: 33.7 %Iredell County: 43 %Jackson County: 40.9 %Johnston County: 29.7 %Jones County: 17.9 %Lee County: 35.8 %Lenoir County: 30.5 %Lincoln County: 45.1 %McDowell County: 29.9 %Macon County: 25.2 %Madison County: 37 %Martin County: 48.9 %Mecklenburg County: 46.4 %Mitchell County: 38.3 %Montgomery County: 26.5 %Moore County: 41.2 %Nash County: 39.5 %New Hanover County: 44.1 %Northampton County: 24.9 %Onslow County: 28.9 %Orange County: 56.2 %Pamlico County: 33.7 %Pasquotank County: 46.1 %Pender County: 42.3 %Perquimans County: 34.6 %Person County: 55.9 %Pitt County: 51.1 %Polk County: 37 %Randolph County: 34.9 %Richmond County: 42.1 %Robeson County: 28.6 %Rockingham County: 40.1 %Rowan County: 39 %Rutherford County: 27.1 %Sampson County: 37.5 %Scotland County: 40.5 %Stanly County: 46.6 %Stokes County: 39.7 %Surry County: 29.5 %Swain County: 53.2 %Transylvania County: 77.6 %Tyrrell County: 13.7 %Union County: 45.5 %Vance County: 28.4 %Wake County: 53 %Warren County: 33.5 %Washington County: 13.9 %Watauga County: 45.5 %Wayne County: 28.6 %Wilkes County: 37.1 %Wilson County: 45.7 %Yadkin County: 31.4 %Yancey County: 20.8 %
  • Under 29
  • 29 to 35
  • 35 to 39
  • 39 to 43
  • 43 to 47
  • 47 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

Transylvania County: 77.6 %Transylvania County77.6Chowan County: 68.2 %Chowan County68.2Bertie County: 63.3 %Bertie County63.3Anson County: 56.9 %Anson County56.9Carteret County: 56.9 %Carteret County56.9Orange County: 56.2 %Orange County56.2Person County: 55.9 %Person County55.9Ashe County: 55.5 %Ashe County55.5Swain County: 53.2 %Swain County53.2Wake County: 53 %Wake County53Cabarrus County: 51.3 %Cabarrus County51.3Pitt County: 51.1 %Pitt County51.1Haywood County: 50.9 %Haywood County50.9Dare County: 49.2 %Dare County49.2Martin County: 48.9 %Martin County48.9Chatham County: 48 %Chatham County48Brunswick County: 47 %Brunswick County47Stanly County: 46.6 %Stanly County46.6Davie County: 46.5 %Davie County46.5Durham County: 46.4 %Durham County46.4Mecklenburg County: 46.4 %Mecklenburg County46.4Pasquotank County: 46.1 %Pasquotank County46.1Wilson County: 45.7 %Wilson County45.7Watauga County: 45.5 %Watauga County45.5Union County: 45.5 %Union County45.5Clay County: 45.3 %Clay County45.3Lincoln County: 45.1 %Lincoln County45.1Beaufort County: 44.9 %Beaufort County44.9Currituck County: 44.2 %Currituck County44.2New Hanover County: 44.1 %New Hanover County44.1Edgecombe County: 44.1 %Edgecombe County44.1Greene County: 43.5 %Greene County43.5Duplin County: 43.4 %Duplin County43.4Iredell County: 43 %Iredell County43Pender County: 42.3 %Pender County42.3Richmond County: 42.1 %Richmond County42.1Gates County: 41.5 %Gates County41.5Moore County: 41.2 %Moore County41.2Granville County: 41.1 %Granville County41.1Jackson County: 40.9 %Jackson County40.9Transylvania County: 77.6 %Transylvania County77.6Chowan County: 68.2 %Chowan County68.2Bertie County: 63.3 %Bertie County63.3Anson County: 56.9 %Anson County56.9Carteret County: 56.9 %Carteret County56.9Orange County: 56.2 %Orange County56.2Person County: 55.9 %Person County55.9Ashe County: 55.5 %Ashe County55.5Swain County: 53.2 %Swain County53.2Wake County: 53 %Wake County53Cabarrus County: 51.3 %Cabarrus County51.3Pitt County: 51.1 %Pitt County51.1Haywood County: 50.9 %Haywood County50.9Dare County: 49.2 %Dare County49.2Martin County: 48.9 %Martin County48.9Chatham County: 48 %Chatham County48Brunswick County: 47 %Brunswick County47Stanly County: 46.6 %Stanly County46.6Davie County: 46.5 %Davie County46.5Durham County: 46.4 %Durham County46.4Mecklenburg County: 46.4 %Mecklenburg County46.4Pasquotank County: 46.1 %Pasquotank County46.1Wilson County: 45.7 %Wilson County45.7Watauga County: 45.5 %Watauga County45.5Union County: 45.5 %Union County45.5Clay County: 45.3 %Clay County45.3Lincoln County: 45.1 %Lincoln County45.1Beaufort County: 44.9 %Beaufort County44.9Currituck County: 44.2 %Currituck County44.2New Hanover County: 44.1 %New Hanover County44.1Edgecombe County: 44.1 %Edgecombe County44.1Greene County: 43.5 %Greene County43.5Duplin County: 43.4 %Duplin County43.4Iredell County: 43 %Iredell County43Pender County: 42.3 %Pender County42.3Richmond County: 42.1 %Richmond County42.1Gates County: 41.5 %Gates County41.5Moore County: 41.2 %Moore County41.2Granville County: 41.1 %Granville County41.1Jackson County: 40.9 %Jackson County40.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Transylvania County77.6
2Chowan County68.2
3Bertie County63.3
4Anson County56.9
5Carteret County56.9
6Orange County56.2
7Person County55.9
8Ashe County55.5
9Swain County53.2
10Wake County53
11Cabarrus County51.3
12Pitt County51.1
13Haywood County50.9
14Dare County49.2
15Martin County48.9
16Chatham County48
17Brunswick County47
18Stanly County46.6
19Davie County46.5
20Durham County46.4
21Mecklenburg County46.4
22Pasquotank County46.1
23Wilson County45.7
24Watauga County45.5
25Union County45.5
26Clay County45.3
27Lincoln County45.1
28Beaufort County44.9
29Currituck County44.2
30New Hanover County44.1
31Edgecombe County44.1
32Greene County43.5
33Duplin County43.4
34Iredell County43
35Pender County42.3
36Richmond County42.1
37Gates County41.5
38Moore County41.2
39Granville County41.1
40Jackson County40.9
41Catawba County40.9
42Craven County40.6
43Alexander County40.6
44Scotland County40.5
45Cherokee County40.3
46Forsyth County40.2
47Rockingham County40.1
48Stokes County39.7
49Henderson County39.5
50Nash County39.5
51Alamance County39.3
52Rowan County39
53Alleghany County38.9
54Burke County38.5
55Mitchell County38.3
56Hoke County37.8
57Sampson County37.5
58Guilford County37.3
59Cumberland County37.3
60Wilkes County37.1
61Polk County37
62Madison County37
63Davidson County36.8
64Graham County36.8
65Buncombe County36.4
66Lee County35.8
67Gaston County35.4
68Harnett County35.2
69Randolph County34.9
70Perquimans County34.6
71Franklin County34.5
72Caswell County34.1
73Caldwell County33.7
73Hyde County33.7
75Pamlico County33.7
76Warren County33.5
77Halifax County31.9
78Yadkin County31.4
79Lenoir County30.5
80McDowell County29.9
81Johnston County29.7
82Surry County29.5
83Onslow County28.9
84Robeson County28.6
85Wayne County28.6
86Vance County28.4
87Hertford County28.3
88Rutherford County27.1
89Bladen County27
90Columbus County26.6
91Montgomery County26.5
92Cleveland County26.1
93Macon County25.2
94Northampton County24.9
95Camden County24.7
96Yancey County20.8
97Jones County17.9
98Avery County14
99Washington County13.9
100Tyrrell County13.7

Other periods

About this ranking

Children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school, including nursery school and preschool, at any time in the three months before the interview, as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Reported by households, so it includes private nursery schools. Small counties have only a few dozen children in the sample, and their rates can swing widely between periods.

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 B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b14003.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 B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in North Carolina by school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b14003.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in North Carolina by school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b14003.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/preschool-enrollment-ages-3-4/north-carolina-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in North Carolina by school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b14003.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/preschool-enrollment-ages-3-4/north-carolina-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in North Carolina by school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b14003.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/preschool-enrollment-ages-3-4/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 B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in North Carolina by school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4, 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b14003.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/preschool-enrollment-ages-3-4/north-carolina-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b14003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in North Carolina by school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4, 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-b14003.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/preschool-enrollment-ages-3-4/north-carolina-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/preschool-enrollment-ages-3-4/north-carolina-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b14003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4?

Transylvania County, with 77.6% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4?

Tyrrell County, with 13.7% 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 B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

School enrolment, children aged 3 and 4: other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings