Counties in North Carolina by unemployment rate

Hyde County had the highest unemployment rate of 100 counties in April 2026, at 5.7%. Currituck County had the lowest, at 2.7%. The median was 3.4% and the figure for North Carolina was 3.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest5.7Hyde County
Median3.4100 counties
North Carolina3.7History

Top 40 counties, April 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Hyde CountyHyde County: 5.7 %5.7Edgecombe CountyEdgecombe County: 5.2 %5.2Halifax CountyHalifax County: 4.9 %4.9Robeson CountyRobeson County: 4.7 %4.7Bladen CountyBladen County: 4.6 %4.6Scotland CountyScotland County: 4.6 %4.6Tyrrell CountyTyrrell County: 4.6 %4.6Wilson CountyWilson County: 4.6 %4.6Bertie CountyBertie County: 4.5 %4.5Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 4.3 %4.3Hoke CountyHoke County: 4.3 %4.3Nash CountyNash County: 4.3 %4.3Warren CountyWarren County: 4.3 %4.3Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 4.2 %4.2Vance CountyVance County: 4.2 %4.2Washington CountyWashington County: 4.2 %4.2Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 4.1 %4.1Anson CountyAnson County: 4 %4Guilford CountyGuilford County: 3.9 %3.9Rutherford CountyRutherford County: 3.9 %3.9Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 3.8 %3.8Columbus CountyColumbus County: 3.8 %3.8Hertford CountyHertford County: 3.8 %3.8Pitt CountyPitt County: 3.8 %3.8Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 3.7 %3.7Harnett CountyHarnett County: 3.7 %3.7Martin CountyMartin County: 3.7 %3.7Mitchell CountyMitchell County: 3.7 %3.7Onslow CountyOnslow County: 3.7 %3.7Rockingham CountyRockingham County: 3.7 %3.7Craven CountyCraven County: 3.6 %3.6Dare CountyDare County: 3.6 %3.6Forsyth CountyForsyth County: 3.6 %3.6Gaston CountyGaston County: 3.6 %3.6Lenoir CountyLenoir County: 3.6 %3.6McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 3.6 %3.6Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 3.6 %3.6Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 3.6 %3.6Perquimans CountyPerquimans County: 3.6 %3.6Richmond CountyRichmond County: 3.6 %3.6
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesApril 2026 (%)Change on April 2025
1Hyde County5.7+0.8 pts
2Edgecombe County5.2+0.2 pts
3Halifax County4.9+0.2 pts
4Robeson County4.70 pts
5Bladen County4.6+0.1 pts
5Scotland County4.6-0.1 pts
5Tyrrell County4.6-0.4 pts
5Wilson County4.6-0.1 pts
9Bertie County4.5+0.2 pts
10Cumberland County4.30 pts
10Hoke County4.3+0.3 pts
10Nash County4.30 pts
10Warren County4.3-0.3 pts
14Northampton County4.2-0.1 pts
14Vance County4.2+0.1 pts
14Washington County4.2-0.2 pts
17Cleveland County4.1+0.2 pts
18Anson County4-0.1 pts
19Guilford County3.9+0.1 pts
19Rutherford County3.9-0.5 pts
21Brunswick County3.8-0.1 pts
21Columbus County3.80 pts
21Hertford County3.8-0.1 pts
21Pitt County3.8+0.1 pts
25Cherokee County3.7+0.1 pts
25Harnett County3.7+0.1 pts
25Martin County3.7+0.2 pts
25Mitchell County3.7-1.5 pts
25Onslow County3.7+0.1 pts
25Rockingham County3.7-0.2 pts
31Craven County3.6+0.1 pts
31Dare County3.6-0.3 pts
31Forsyth County3.60 pts
31Gaston County3.6-0.1 pts
31Lenoir County3.60 pts
31McDowell County3.6-0.5 pts
31Mecklenburg County3.60 pts
31Montgomery County3.6-0.2 pts
31Perquimans County3.6+0.5 pts
31Richmond County3.6-0.1 pts
31Wayne County3.6+0.1 pts
42Alamance County3.5+0.1 pts
42Alleghany County3.5+0.2 pts
42Jones County3.5-0.4 pts
42Pasquotank County3.50 pts
42Sampson County3.50 pts
42Wilkes County3.5-0.1 pts
48Beaufort County3.4+0.2 pts
48Cabarrus County3.4+0.2 pts
48Caldwell County3.4-0.3 pts
48Catawba County3.4+0.1 pts
48Davidson County3.4-0.1 pts
48Madison County3.4-1.2 pts
48Rowan County3.40 pts
55Burke County3.3-0.2 pts
55Davie County3.3+0.1 pts
55Gates County3.3+0.1 pts
55Graham County3.30 pts
55Iredell County3.3+0.1 pts
55Lee County3.3-0.2 pts
55Macon County3.30 pts
55Pamlico County3.3-0.1 pts
55Randolph County3.3+0.1 pts
55Stokes County3.30 pts
55Transylvania County3.3-0.2 pts
66Alexander County3.2-0.3 pts
66Avery County3.2-0.9 pts
66Buncombe County3.2-1.6 pts
66Carteret County3.2+0.1 pts
66Caswell County3.2+0.1 pts
66Chowan County3.2+0.1 pts
66Clay County3.2+0.1 pts
66Durham County3.2+0.2 pts
66Granville County3.2-0.1 pts
66Orange County3.2+0.2 pts
66Pender County3.20 pts
66Watauga County3.20 pts
78Franklin County3.1+0.1 pts
78Greene County3.1+0.1 pts
78Haywood County3.1-0.6 pts
78Jackson County3.1-0.1 pts
78Lincoln County3.1+0.1 pts
78Moore County3.1+0.2 pts
78New Hanover County3.1-0.2 pts
78Person County3.10 pts
78Surry County3.10 pts
78Union County3.10 pts
78Yadkin County3.1+0.2 pts
78Yancey County3.1-1.1 pts
90Chatham County30 pts
90Duplin County3+0.1 pts
90Henderson County3-0.2 pts
90Johnston County3+0.1 pts
90Polk County3-0.4 pts
90Swain County3-0.5 pts
90Wake County3+0.1 pts
97Ashe County2.8-0.3 pts
97Camden County2.8+0.1 pts
97Stanly County2.80 pts
100Currituck County2.7+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 5.7% in April 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Currituck County, with 2.7% in April 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