Counties in North Carolina by unemployment rate

Hyde County had the highest unemployment rate of 100 counties in January 2026, at 10%. Camden County had the lowest, at 3.1%. The median was 4.1% and the figure for North Carolina was 3.8%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest10Hyde County
Lowest3.1Camden County
Median4.1100 counties
North Carolina3.8History

Top 40 counties, January 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Hyde CountyHyde County: 10 %10Dare CountyDare County: 7.3 %7.3Tyrrell CountyTyrrell County: 7.2 %7.2Edgecombe CountyEdgecombe County: 6.5 %6.5Halifax CountyHalifax County: 6.2 %6.2Bladen CountyBladen County: 5.7 %5.7Robeson CountyRobeson County: 5.7 %5.7Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 5.5 %5.5Scotland CountyScotland County: 5.4 %5.4Nash CountyNash County: 5.3 %5.3Warren CountyWarren County: 5.3 %5.3Wilson CountyWilson County: 5.3 %5.3Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 5.1 %5.1Hoke CountyHoke County: 5.1 %5.1Bertie CountyBertie County: 5 %5Anson CountyAnson County: 4.9 %4.9Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 4.9 %4.9Vance CountyVance County: 4.9 %4.9Columbus CountyColumbus County: 4.8 %4.8Rutherford CountyRutherford County: 4.8 %4.8Washington CountyWashington County: 4.8 %4.8Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 4.7 %4.7Graham CountyGraham County: 4.6 %4.6Guilford CountyGuilford County: 4.6 %4.6Hertford CountyHertford County: 4.6 %4.6Alleghany CountyAlleghany County: 4.5 %4.5Mitchell CountyMitchell County: 4.5 %4.5Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 4.5 %4.5Pasquotank CountyPasquotank County: 4.5 %4.5Richmond CountyRichmond County: 4.5 %4.5Jones CountyJones County: 4.4 %4.4Pitt CountyPitt County: 4.4 %4.4Swain CountySwain County: 4.4 %4.4Forsyth CountyForsyth County: 4.3 %4.3Gaston CountyGaston County: 4.3 %4.3Harnett CountyHarnett County: 4.3 %4.3Martin CountyMartin County: 4.3 %4.3Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 4.3 %4.3Onslow CountyOnslow County: 4.3 %4.3Rockingham CountyRockingham County: 4.3 %4.3
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJanuary 2026 (%)Change on January 2025
1Hyde County10+0.6 pts
2Dare County7.3+0.3 pts
3Tyrrell County7.2+0.3 pts
4Edgecombe County6.5+1 pts
5Halifax County6.2+0.8 pts
6Bladen County5.7+0.3 pts
6Robeson County5.7+0.3 pts
8Northampton County5.5+0.4 pts
9Scotland County5.4-0.4 pts
10Nash County5.3+0.6 pts
10Warren County5.3+0.1 pts
10Wilson County5.3+0.2 pts
13Cumberland County5.1+0.2 pts
13Hoke County5.1+0.6 pts
15Bertie County5-0.3 pts
16Anson County4.9+0.1 pts
16Cleveland County4.9+0.4 pts
16Vance County4.9+0.3 pts
19Columbus County4.8+0.2 pts
19Rutherford County4.8-0.7 pts
19Washington County4.8-0.3 pts
22Brunswick County4.7+0.1 pts
23Graham County4.60 pts
23Guilford County4.6+0.3 pts
23Hertford County4.6+0.4 pts
26Alleghany County4.5+0.3 pts
26Mitchell County4.5-3.4 pts
26Montgomery County4.5+0.3 pts
26Pasquotank County4.5+0.3 pts
26Richmond County4.5+0.2 pts
31Jones County4.4+0.3 pts
31Pitt County4.4+0.3 pts
31Swain County4.4-0.3 pts
34Forsyth County4.3+0.3 pts
34Gaston County4.3+0.2 pts
34Harnett County4.3+0.3 pts
34Martin County4.3+0.1 pts
34Mecklenburg County4.3+0.3 pts
34Onslow County4.3+0.2 pts
34Rockingham County4.3+0.2 pts
34Wayne County4.3+0.4 pts
42Perquimans County4.2-0.1 pts
42Sampson County4.2-0.1 pts
44Alamance County4.1+0.3 pts
44Caldwell County4.1+0.1 pts
44Caswell County4.1+0.7 pts
44Cherokee County4.10 pts
44Craven County4.1+0.1 pts
44Lenoir County4.1+0.1 pts
44Madison County4.1-2.4 pts
44McDowell County4.1-1.3 pts
52Buncombe County4-3 pts
52Cabarrus County4+0.3 pts
52Carteret County4+0.1 pts
52Davidson County4+0.1 pts
52Lee County4+0.2 pts
52Macon County4-0.1 pts
52Randolph County4+0.3 pts
52Rowan County4+0.1 pts
52Wilkes County4-0.1 pts
61Alexander County3.9-0.1 pts
61Catawba County3.9+0.1 pts
61Chowan County3.9+0.2 pts
61Iredell County3.9+0.3 pts
61Jackson County3.9-0.1 pts
61Stokes County3.9+0.1 pts
67Beaufort County3.8+0.2 pts
67Davie County3.8+0.3 pts
67Pender County3.8+0.1 pts
67Watauga County3.80 pts
71Avery County3.7-1.8 pts
71Burke County3.7-0.6 pts
71Durham County3.7+0.4 pts
71Franklin County3.7+0.2 pts
71Granville County3.70 pts
71New Hanover County3.70 pts
71Orange County3.7+0.5 pts
71Pamlico County3.7-0.3 pts
71Person County3.7+0.1 pts
71Transylvania County3.7-0.4 pts
81Gates County3.6+0.1 pts
81Lincoln County3.60 pts
81Moore County3.6+0.2 pts
81Polk County3.6-0.4 pts
81Surry County3.60 pts
81Union County3.6+0.2 pts
81Yancey County3.6-2.5 pts
88Chatham County3.5+0.2 pts
88Clay County3.5-0.2 pts
88Greene County3.5+0.1 pts
88Haywood County3.5-1.1 pts
88Wake County3.5+0.3 pts
93Duplin County3.4+0.1 pts
93Johnston County3.4+0.1 pts
93Yadkin County3.40 pts
96Ashe County3.3-0.7 pts
96Henderson County3.3-0.8 pts
98Currituck County3.2-0.1 pts
98Stanly County3.20 pts
100Camden County3.1+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. 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 10% in January 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Camden County, with 3.1% in January 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: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings