Counties in North Carolina by unemployment rate

Hyde County had the highest unemployment rate of 100 counties in December 2025, at 5.5%. Currituck County had the lowest, at 2.6%. The median was 3.4% and the figure for North Carolina was 3.8%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest5.5Hyde County
Median3.4100 counties
North Carolina3.8History

Top 40 counties, December 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Hyde CountyHyde County: 5.5 %5.5Edgecombe CountyEdgecombe County: 5.3 %5.3Halifax CountyHalifax County: 5.1 %5.1Bladen CountyBladen County: 4.8 %4.8Robeson CountyRobeson County: 4.8 %4.8Scotland CountyScotland County: 4.6 %4.6Nash CountyNash County: 4.5 %4.5Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 4.5 %4.5Tyrrell CountyTyrrell County: 4.5 %4.5Wilson CountyWilson County: 4.4 %4.4Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 4.2 %4.2Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 4.2 %4.2Dare CountyDare County: 4.2 %4.2Hoke CountyHoke County: 4.2 %4.2Rutherford CountyRutherford County: 4.2 %4.2Warren CountyWarren County: 4.2 %4.2Anson CountyAnson County: 4.1 %4.1Vance CountyVance County: 4.1 %4.1Bertie CountyBertie County: 4 %4Washington CountyWashington County: 4 %4Guilford CountyGuilford County: 3.9 %3.9Hertford CountyHertford County: 3.9 %3.9Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 3.8 %3.8Columbus CountyColumbus County: 3.8 %3.8Pasquotank CountyPasquotank County: 3.8 %3.8Gaston CountyGaston County: 3.7 %3.7Graham CountyGraham County: 3.7 %3.7Pitt CountyPitt County: 3.7 %3.7Richmond CountyRichmond County: 3.7 %3.7Alleghany CountyAlleghany County: 3.6 %3.6Forsyth CountyForsyth County: 3.6 %3.6Harnett CountyHarnett County: 3.6 %3.6Mitchell CountyMitchell County: 3.6 %3.6Onslow CountyOnslow County: 3.6 %3.6Perquimans CountyPerquimans County: 3.6 %3.6Rockingham CountyRockingham County: 3.6 %3.6Sampson CountySampson County: 3.6 %3.6Wayne CountyWayne County: 3.6 %3.6Alamance CountyAlamance County: 3.5 %3.5Caldwell CountyCaldwell County: 3.5 %3.5
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesDecember 2025 (%)Change on December 2024
1Hyde County5.5-0.1 pts
2Edgecombe County5.3+0.6 pts
3Halifax County5.1+0.4 pts
4Bladen County4.8+0.1 pts
4Robeson County4.80 pts
6Scotland County4.6-0.3 pts
7Nash County4.5+0.4 pts
7Northampton County4.5-0.1 pts
7Tyrrell County4.5+0.3 pts
10Wilson County4.4-0.1 pts
11Cleveland County4.2+0.3 pts
11Cumberland County4.20 pts
11Dare County4.2+0.3 pts
11Hoke County4.2+0.3 pts
11Rutherford County4.2-0.5 pts
11Warren County4.2-0.4 pts
17Anson County4.10 pts
17Vance County4.1+0.2 pts
19Bertie County4-0.6 pts
19Washington County4-0.1 pts
21Guilford County3.9+0.1 pts
21Hertford County3.90 pts
23Brunswick County3.80 pts
23Columbus County3.8-0.2 pts
23Pasquotank County3.8+0.3 pts
26Gaston County3.7+0.2 pts
26Graham County3.70 pts
26Pitt County3.70 pts
26Richmond County3.7-0.2 pts
30Alleghany County3.6+0.3 pts
30Forsyth County3.6+0.1 pts
30Harnett County3.6+0.1 pts
30Mitchell County3.6-3.4 pts
30Onslow County3.6+0.1 pts
30Perquimans County3.60 pts
30Rockingham County3.6+0.1 pts
30Sampson County3.60 pts
30Wayne County3.6+0.2 pts
39Alamance County3.5+0.2 pts
39Caldwell County3.5+0.1 pts
39Cherokee County3.5+0.1 pts
39Craven County3.5+0.1 pts
39Lenoir County3.50 pts
39Martin County3.5-0.2 pts
39McDowell County3.5-1.4 pts
39Mecklenburg County3.50 pts
39Montgomery County3.5-0.1 pts
48Davidson County3.40 pts
48Jones County3.4-0.2 pts
48Lee County3.4+0.1 pts
48Wilkes County3.40 pts
52Buncombe County3.3-3.1 pts
52Burke County3.3-0.5 pts
52Cabarrus County3.3+0.1 pts
52Caswell County3.3+0.3 pts
52Catawba County3.30 pts
52Madison County3.3-2.6 pts
52Randolph County3.3+0.1 pts
52Rowan County3.3-0.1 pts
52Stokes County3.3+0.1 pts
61Alexander County3.2-0.4 pts
61Carteret County3.2+0.1 pts
61Chowan County3.20 pts
61Clay County3.2+0.3 pts
61Davie County3.2+0.2 pts
61Iredell County3.2+0.1 pts
61Macon County3.2+0.1 pts
61Pamlico County3.2-0.1 pts
61Pender County3.2+0.1 pts
61Polk County3.2-0.5 pts
61Transylvania County3.2-0.3 pts
61Watauga County3.2-0.3 pts
61Yancey County3.2-2.4 pts
74Avery County3.1-2.5 pts
74Beaufort County3.1-0.1 pts
74Durham County3.1+0.2 pts
74Gates County3.1-0.1 pts
74Granville County3.1-0.1 pts
74Jackson County3.1-0.3 pts
74Moore County3.1+0.1 pts
74New Hanover County3.10 pts
74Orange County3.1+0.1 pts
74Person County3.10 pts
74Swain County3.1-0.2 pts
74Union County3.1+0.1 pts
86Franklin County30 pts
86Haywood County3-1.1 pts
86Lincoln County3-0.1 pts
86Surry County3-0.1 pts
90Chatham County2.90 pts
90Duplin County2.9-0.1 pts
90Greene County2.9-0.1 pts
90Johnston County2.90 pts
90Wake County2.90 pts
90Yadkin County2.90 pts
96Ashe County2.8-0.4 pts
96Henderson County2.8-0.8 pts
98Camden County2.7+0.1 pts
98Stanly County2.7-0.1 pts
100Currituck County2.60 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. 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 and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

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. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Hyde County, with 5.5% in December 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Currituck County, with 2.6% in December 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: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings