Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Cities in North Carolina

Cities in North Carolina by unemployment rate

Rocky Mount, NC had the highest unemployment rate of 44 cities in August 2025, at 6.8%. Morrisville, NC had the lowest, at 3.1%. The median was 4.1% and the figure for North Carolina was 3.9%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest6.8Rocky Mount, NC
Lowest3.1Morrisville, NC
Median4.144 cities
North Carolina3.9History

All cities, August 2025

Rocky Mount, NC: 6.8 %Rocky Mount, NC6.8Wilson, NC: 6.4 %Wilson, NC6.4Kinston, NC: 6.2 %Kinston, NC6.2Fayetteville, NC: 5.6 %Fayetteville, NC5.6Jacksonville, NC: 5.5 %Jacksonville, NC5.5Goldsboro, NC: 5.4 %Goldsboro, NC5.4Greenville, NC: 5 %Greenville, NC5High Point, NC: 5 %High Point, NC5Salisbury, NC: 5 %Salisbury, NC5Burlington, NC: 4.9 %Burlington, NC4.9Thomasville, NC: 4.9 %Thomasville, NC4.9Greensboro, NC: 4.8 %Greensboro, NC4.8Winston-Salem, NC: 4.7 %Winston-Salem, NC4.7Gastonia, NC: 4.6 %Gastonia, NC4.6Sanford, NC: 4.6 %Sanford, NC4.6Asheville, NC: 4.5 %Asheville, NC4.5Statesville, NC: 4.5 %Statesville, NC4.5Asheboro, NC: 4.4 %Asheboro, NC4.4Charlotte, NC: 4.3 %Charlotte, NC4.3Hickory, NC: 4.3 %Hickory, NC4.3Kannapolis, NC: 4.2 %Kannapolis, NC4.2Chapel Hill, NC: 4.1 %Chapel Hill, NC4.1Monroe, NC: 4.1 %Monroe, NC4.1Concord, NC: 4 %Concord, NC4Garner, NC: 3.9 %Garner, NC3.9Leland, NC: 3.9 %Leland, NC3.9Mooresville, NC: 3.9 %Mooresville, NC3.9New Bern, NC: 3.9 %New Bern, NC3.9Wilmington, NC: 3.9 %Wilmington, NC3.9Durham, NC: 3.8 %Durham, NC3.8Huntersville, NC: 3.8 %Huntersville, NC3.8Matthews, NC: 3.8 %Matthews, NC3.8Wake Forest, NC: 3.8 %Wake Forest, NC3.8Cornelius, NC: 3.7 %Cornelius, NC3.7Fuquay-Varina, NC: 3.7 %Fuquay-Varina, NC3.7Mint Hill, NC: 3.7 %Mint Hill, NC3.7Clayton, NC: 3.6 %Clayton, NC3.6Kernersville, NC: 3.6 %Kernersville, NC3.6Raleigh, NC: 3.6 %Raleigh, NC3.6Indian Trail, NC: 3.5 %Indian Trail, NC3.5Cary, NC: 3.4 %Cary, NC3.4Apex, NC: 3.3 %Apex, NC3.3Holly Springs, NC: 3.3 %Holly Springs, NC3.3Morrisville, NC: 3.1 %Morrisville, NC3.1Rocky Mount, NC: 6.8 %Rocky Mount, NC6.8Wilson, NC: 6.4 %Wilson, NC6.4Kinston, NC: 6.2 %Kinston, NC6.2Fayetteville, NC: 5.6 %Fayetteville, NC5.6Jacksonville, NC: 5.5 %Jacksonville, NC5.5Goldsboro, NC: 5.4 %Goldsboro, NC5.4Greenville, NC: 5 %Greenville, NC5High Point, NC: 5 %High Point, NC5Salisbury, NC: 5 %Salisbury, NC5Burlington, NC: 4.9 %Burlington, NC4.9Thomasville, NC: 4.9 %Thomasville, NC4.9Greensboro, NC: 4.8 %Greensboro, NC4.8Winston-Salem, NC: 4.7 %Winston-Salem, NC4.7Gastonia, NC: 4.6 %Gastonia, NC4.6Sanford, NC: 4.6 %Sanford, NC4.6Asheville, NC: 4.5 %Asheville, NC4.5Statesville, NC: 4.5 %Statesville, NC4.5Asheboro, NC: 4.4 %Asheboro, NC4.4Charlotte, NC: 4.3 %Charlotte, NC4.3Hickory, NC: 4.3 %Hickory, NC4.3Kannapolis, NC: 4.2 %Kannapolis, NC4.2Chapel Hill, NC: 4.1 %Chapel Hill, NC4.1Monroe, NC: 4.1 %Monroe, NC4.1Concord, NC: 4 %Concord, NC4Garner, NC: 3.9 %Garner, NC3.9Leland, NC: 3.9 %Leland, NC3.9Mooresville, NC: 3.9 %Mooresville, NC3.9New Bern, NC: 3.9 %New Bern, NC3.9Wilmington, NC: 3.9 %Wilmington, NC3.9Durham, NC: 3.8 %Durham, NC3.8Huntersville, NC: 3.8 %Huntersville, NC3.8Matthews, NC: 3.8 %Matthews, NC3.8Wake Forest, NC: 3.8 %Wake Forest, NC3.8Cornelius, NC: 3.7 %Cornelius, NC3.7Fuquay-Varina, NC: 3.7 %Fuquay-Varina, NC3.7Mint Hill, NC: 3.7 %Mint Hill, NC3.7Clayton, NC: 3.6 %Clayton, NC3.6Kernersville, NC: 3.6 %Kernersville, NC3.6Raleigh, NC: 3.6 %Raleigh, NC3.6Indian Trail, NC: 3.5 %Indian Trail, NC3.5Cary, NC: 3.4 %Cary, NC3.4Apex, NC: 3.3 %Apex, NC3.3Holly Springs, NC: 3.3 %Holly Springs, NC3.3Morrisville, NC: 3.1 %Morrisville, NC3.1
%. Source: BLS, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCitiesAugust 2025 (%)Change on August 2024
1Rocky Mount, NC6.8+0.3 pts
2Wilson, NC6.40 pts
3Kinston, NC6.2-0.1 pts
4Fayetteville, NC5.6+0.4 pts
5Jacksonville, NC5.5+0.1 pts
6Goldsboro, NC5.4+0.1 pts
7Greenville, NC50 pts
7High Point, NC5+0.1 pts
7Salisbury, NC5+0.4 pts
10Burlington, NC4.9+0.5 pts
10Thomasville, NC4.9+0.3 pts
12Greensboro, NC4.80 pts
13Winston-Salem, NC4.7+0.2 pts
14Gastonia, NC4.6+0.2 pts
14Sanford, NC4.6+0.6 pts
16Asheville, NC4.5+1.2 pts
16Statesville, NC4.50 pts
18Asheboro, NC4.4+0.1 pts
19Charlotte, NC4.3+0.1 pts
19Hickory, NC4.3+0.3 pts
21Kannapolis, NC4.2+0.3 pts
22Chapel Hill, NC4.1+0.2 pts
22Monroe, NC4.1+0.1 pts
24Concord, NC4+0.1 pts
25Garner, NC3.9+0.1 pts
25Leland, NC3.9+0.2 pts
25Mooresville, NC3.9+0.2 pts
25New Bern, NC3.9+0.1 pts
25Wilmington, NC3.9+0.1 pts
30Durham, NC3.8+0.4 pts
30Huntersville, NC3.8+0.2 pts
30Matthews, NC3.8+0.1 pts
30Wake Forest, NC3.8+0.4 pts
34Cornelius, NC3.7+0.2 pts
34Fuquay-Varina, NC3.7+0.1 pts
34Mint Hill, NC3.7-0.2 pts
37Clayton, NC3.60 pts
37Kernersville, NC3.60 pts
37Raleigh, NC3.60 pts
40Indian Trail, NC3.5-0.2 pts
41Cary, NC3.4+0.1 pts
42Apex, NC3.3+0.1 pts
42Holly Springs, NC3.30 pts
44Morrisville, NC3.10 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work.

More on how it is measured
  • Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over.
  • EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74.
  • United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states, counties and cities.
  • United Kingdom regions: Labour Force Survey, aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted.
  • Canada: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted, for the country and the provinces.
  • Australia: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted, for the nation and the six states; the ABS publishes no seasonally adjusted series for the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
  • New Zealand: Household Labour Force Survey, aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted for the country and not seasonally adjusted for regional council areas.
  • Norway: Statistics Norway Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74, seasonally adjusted monthly figures.
  • Sweden: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74, seasonally adjusted and smoothed (the series Statistics Sweden gives in its monthly release), national.
  • Switzerland: Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS), ILO definition, permanent resident population aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted quarterly averages, national.
  • For other countries, the source may be OECD survey-based rates, annual survey-based rates compiled by the ILO in ILOSTAT, or annual ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank.
  • ILO modelled estimates cover ages 15 and over.
  • The World series uses those ILO modelled estimates.

Survey-based for national and Eurostat series. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states, US counties, US cities (those of 25,000 or more and smaller New England cities), United Kingdom regions, Canadian provinces, Australia and its six states, New Zealand with 10 of its regions, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland (national), not Spanish municipalities. For Spanish municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. 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. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03) (Cities in North Carolina by unemployment rate, 2025-08) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29

MLA 9

Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03), Cities in North Carolina by unemployment rate, 2025-08. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30 Sept. 2026, https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/north-carolina-cities?period=2025-08. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Cities in North Carolina by unemployment rate, 2025-08. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/north-carolina-cities?period=2025-08.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03), Cities in North Carolina by unemployment rate, 2025-08 [Dataset]. Available at: https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/north-carolina-cities?period=2025-08 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_cities_in_north_carolina_2026,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03): Cities in North Carolina by unemployment rate, 2025-08}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/north-carolina-cities?period=2025-08. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03): Cities in North Carolina by unemployment rate, 2025-08
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/30
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/north-carolina-cities?period=2025-08
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/north-carolina-cities?period=2025-08.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Cities in North Carolina by unemployment rate using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"unemployment_rate","level":"municipality","within":"North Carolina","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=unemployment_rate&level=municipality&within=North%20Carolina&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which city has the highest unemployment rate?

Rocky Mount, NC, with 6.8% in August 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which city has the lowest unemployment rate?

Morrisville, NC, with 3.1% in August 2025.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Cities in North Carolina: more rankings