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 May 2026, at 5.8%. Morrisville, NC had the lowest, at 2.8%. The median was 3.55% and the figure for North Carolina was 3.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest5.8Rocky Mount, NC
Lowest2.8Morrisville, NC
Median3.5544 cities
North Carolina3.7History

All cities, May 2026

Rocky Mount, NC: 5.8 %Rocky Mount, NC5.8Wilson, NC: 5.3 %Wilson, NC5.3Kinston, NC: 5.1 %Kinston, NC5.1Jacksonville, NC: 5 %Jacksonville, NC5Fayetteville, NC: 4.6 %Fayetteville, NC4.6Goldsboro, NC: 4.5 %Goldsboro, NC4.5High Point, NC: 4.4 %High Point, NC4.4Greenville, NC: 4.3 %Greenville, NC4.3Salisbury, NC: 4.1 %Salisbury, NC4.1Greensboro, NC: 4 %Greensboro, NC4Burlington, NC: 3.9 %Burlington, NC3.9Thomasville, NC: 3.9 %Thomasville, NC3.9Winston-Salem, NC: 3.9 %Winston-Salem, NC3.9Hickory, NC: 3.8 %Hickory, NC3.8Gastonia, NC: 3.7 %Gastonia, NC3.7Monroe, NC: 3.7 %Monroe, NC3.7Chapel Hill, NC: 3.6 %Chapel Hill, NC3.6Charlotte, NC: 3.6 %Charlotte, NC3.6Concord, NC: 3.6 %Concord, NC3.6Leland, NC: 3.6 %Leland, NC3.6Mooresville, NC: 3.6 %Mooresville, NC3.6Sanford, NC: 3.6 %Sanford, NC3.6Kannapolis, NC: 3.5 %Kannapolis, NC3.5Statesville, NC: 3.5 %Statesville, NC3.5Asheboro, NC: 3.4 %Asheboro, NC3.4Asheville, NC: 3.4 %Asheville, NC3.4Garner, NC: 3.4 %Garner, NC3.4Kernersville, NC: 3.4 %Kernersville, NC3.4New Bern, NC: 3.4 %New Bern, NC3.4Mint Hill, NC: 3.3 %Mint Hill, NC3.3Cornelius, NC: 3.2 %Cornelius, NC3.2Durham, NC: 3.2 %Durham, NC3.2Holly Springs, NC: 3.2 %Holly Springs, NC3.2Wilmington, NC: 3.2 %Wilmington, NC3.2Clayton, NC: 3.1 %Clayton, NC3.1Huntersville, NC: 3.1 %Huntersville, NC3.1Matthews, NC: 3.1 %Matthews, NC3.1Raleigh, NC: 3.1 %Raleigh, NC3.1Fuquay-Varina, NC: 3 %Fuquay-Varina, NC3Wake Forest, NC: 3 %Wake Forest, NC3Apex, NC: 2.8 %Apex, NC2.8Cary, NC: 2.8 %Cary, NC2.8Indian Trail, NC: 2.8 %Indian Trail, NC2.8Morrisville, NC: 2.8 %Morrisville, NC2.8Rocky Mount, NC: 5.8 %Rocky Mount, NC5.8Wilson, NC: 5.3 %Wilson, NC5.3Kinston, NC: 5.1 %Kinston, NC5.1Jacksonville, NC: 5 %Jacksonville, NC5Fayetteville, NC: 4.6 %Fayetteville, NC4.6Goldsboro, NC: 4.5 %Goldsboro, NC4.5High Point, NC: 4.4 %High Point, NC4.4Greenville, NC: 4.3 %Greenville, NC4.3Salisbury, NC: 4.1 %Salisbury, NC4.1Greensboro, NC: 4 %Greensboro, NC4Burlington, NC: 3.9 %Burlington, NC3.9Thomasville, NC: 3.9 %Thomasville, NC3.9Winston-Salem, NC: 3.9 %Winston-Salem, NC3.9Hickory, NC: 3.8 %Hickory, NC3.8Gastonia, NC: 3.7 %Gastonia, NC3.7Monroe, NC: 3.7 %Monroe, NC3.7Chapel Hill, NC: 3.6 %Chapel Hill, NC3.6Charlotte, NC: 3.6 %Charlotte, NC3.6Concord, NC: 3.6 %Concord, NC3.6Leland, NC: 3.6 %Leland, NC3.6Mooresville, NC: 3.6 %Mooresville, NC3.6Sanford, NC: 3.6 %Sanford, NC3.6Kannapolis, NC: 3.5 %Kannapolis, NC3.5Statesville, NC: 3.5 %Statesville, NC3.5Asheboro, NC: 3.4 %Asheboro, NC3.4Asheville, NC: 3.4 %Asheville, NC3.4Garner, NC: 3.4 %Garner, NC3.4Kernersville, NC: 3.4 %Kernersville, NC3.4New Bern, NC: 3.4 %New Bern, NC3.4Mint Hill, NC: 3.3 %Mint Hill, NC3.3Cornelius, NC: 3.2 %Cornelius, NC3.2Durham, NC: 3.2 %Durham, NC3.2Holly Springs, NC: 3.2 %Holly Springs, NC3.2Wilmington, NC: 3.2 %Wilmington, NC3.2Clayton, NC: 3.1 %Clayton, NC3.1Huntersville, NC: 3.1 %Huntersville, NC3.1Matthews, NC: 3.1 %Matthews, NC3.1Raleigh, NC: 3.1 %Raleigh, NC3.1Fuquay-Varina, NC: 3 %Fuquay-Varina, NC3Wake Forest, NC: 3 %Wake Forest, NC3Apex, NC: 2.8 %Apex, NC2.8Cary, NC: 2.8 %Cary, NC2.8Indian Trail, NC: 2.8 %Indian Trail, NC2.8Morrisville, NC: 2.8 %Morrisville, NC2.8
%. Source: BLS, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCitiesMay 2026 (%)Change on May 2025
1Rocky Mount, NC5.80 pts
2Wilson, NC5.3-0.3 pts
3Kinston, NC5.1-0.6 pts
4Jacksonville, NC50 pts
5Fayetteville, NC4.6-0.5 pts
6Goldsboro, NC4.5-0.3 pts
7High Point, NC4.4-0.1 pts
8Greenville, NC4.30 pts
9Salisbury, NC4.1-0.4 pts
10Greensboro, NC4-0.3 pts
11Burlington, NC3.9-0.3 pts
11Thomasville, NC3.9-0.5 pts
11Winston-Salem, NC3.9-0.3 pts
14Hickory, NC3.80 pts
15Gastonia, NC3.7-0.3 pts
15Monroe, NC3.7+0.1 pts
17Chapel Hill, NC3.6+0.1 pts
17Charlotte, NC3.6-0.2 pts
17Concord, NC3.6+0.1 pts
17Leland, NC3.60 pts
17Mooresville, NC3.6-0.2 pts
17Sanford, NC3.6-0.5 pts
23Kannapolis, NC3.5-0.2 pts
23Statesville, NC3.5-0.5 pts
25Asheboro, NC3.4-0.5 pts
25Asheville, NC3.4-1.6 pts
25Garner, NC3.40 pts
25Kernersville, NC3.4-0.1 pts
25New Bern, NC3.4-0.2 pts
30Mint Hill, NC3.3-0.3 pts
31Cornelius, NC3.2-0.4 pts
31Durham, NC3.2-0.1 pts
31Holly Springs, NC3.2+0.3 pts
31Wilmington, NC3.2-0.4 pts
35Clayton, NC3.1-0.1 pts
35Huntersville, NC3.1-0.2 pts
35Matthews, NC3.1-0.4 pts
35Raleigh, NC3.1-0.1 pts
39Fuquay-Varina, NC3-0.2 pts
39Wake Forest, NC3-0.2 pts
41Apex, NC2.8-0.1 pts
41Cary, NC2.8-0.2 pts
41Indian Trail, NC2.8-0.2 pts
41Morrisville, NC2.8-0.1 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, 2026-05) [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, 2026-05. 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=2026-05. 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, 2026-05. 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=2026-05.

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, 2026-05 [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=2026-05 (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, 2026-05}},
  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=2026-05. 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, 2026-05
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=2026-05
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/north-carolina-cities?period=2026-05.
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  -
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Questions

Which city has the highest unemployment rate?

Rocky Mount, NC, with 5.8% in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which city has the lowest unemployment rate?

Morrisville, NC, with 2.8% in May 2026.

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