NC
North Carolina
FIPS 37 · Population 10,730,404
6 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
10.7M ▲
Population
334,922,499 U.S.
$72,388 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
$844.2B
GDP
3.7%
Unemployment
4% national
County Map
Click a county to view its economic profile
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$72,388
Per Capita
$41,385
Mean Household
$101,208
Poverty Rate ⓘ
13% ▼
Age & Race / Ethnicity
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 21.8%
18-34 · 22.9%
35-54 · 25.4%
55-64 · 12.8%
65+ · 17.2%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
90.1%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +0.5 pts
35.7%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▲ +0.0 pts
13.5%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 0.6 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates
10,730,404
Population
5,443,607
Labor Force
Employed
5,084,958
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2024 annual
3.7%
Mean Commute 1 min below national avg
25.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
16.3%
North Carolina's median household income sits 10% below the national median. At 13%, its poverty rate runs 0.5 pts above the ~12.5% national level, relevant for federal funding eligibility narratives. Bachelor's-or-higher attainment of 35.7% exceeds the national average of 35.7%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates (released December 2025). Figures reflect the most recent Census release, older news reports may cite prior vintages.
Key Takeaways
- Broadly in line with U.S. norms across income, poverty, education, and age.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Health Care and Social Assistance employs 601,666 workers (17.4% of the tracked sectors), at an average wage of $65,014.
- Economic scale: State GDP of $844.2B (2024).
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Attraction Opportunities - Below-Average Industries
LQ < 0.5, below-average employment, potential attraction targets. Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector
0.20x
Pipeline Transportation
360 employed
0.23x
Water Transportation
496 employed
0.25x
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing
872 employed
0.33x
Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry
3,915 employed
0.34x
Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
6,022 employed
0.44x
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation
423 employed
0.44x
Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries
5,093 employed
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Textile Mills concentrates at 7.88x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity.
- Cluster depth: 8 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base across the state.
- Attraction whitespace: 7 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$288,900 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,228 ▲
Rent/Mo
66.6% ▲
Owner-Occ
12.5% ▼
Vacancy
4.0x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents (Statewide)
Renter-household-weighted average across 100 Fair Market Rent areas · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$1,172/mo$638 to $1,524
1 Bedroom
$1,244/mo$705 to $1,674
2 Bedroom
$1,410/mo$925 to $1,835
3 Bedroom
$1,792/mo$1,109 to $2,376
4 Bedroom
$2,215/mo$1,225 to $3,078
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,810/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
- In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 4.0x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
- Elevated vacancy: 12.5% vacancy rate; potential redevelopment opportunity.
Source: Census ACS housing tables.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
6,549,921 ▲
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
▲ vs 2019
Mean Commute
25.1 min
Work From Home
16.3%
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
35.7%
HS Diploma+
90.1%
Top Institutions
Degrees, certificates, and other credentials awarded last academic year (College Scorecard).
10,279/yr
9,997/yr
8,666/yr
6,984/yr
6,863/yr
6,278/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
20.9%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
42.6%
Service
15.4%
Sales & Office
19.6%
Construction / Maint.
8.7%
Production / Transport
13.8%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 5,084,958 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
Source: ACS workforce data.
County Profiles
100 counties in North Carolina
Alamance County
FIPS 37001
Alexander County
FIPS 37003
Alleghany County
FIPS 37005
Anson County
FIPS 37007
Ashe County
FIPS 37009
Avery County
FIPS 37011
Beaufort County
FIPS 37013
Bertie County
FIPS 37015
Bladen County
FIPS 37017
Brunswick County
FIPS 37019
Buncombe County
FIPS 37021
Burke County
FIPS 37023
Cabarrus County
FIPS 37025
Caldwell County
FIPS 37027
Camden County
FIPS 37029
Carteret County
FIPS 37031
Caswell County
FIPS 37033
Catawba County
FIPS 37035
Chatham County
FIPS 37037
Cherokee County
FIPS 37039
Chowan County
FIPS 37041
Clay County
FIPS 37043
Cleveland County
FIPS 37045
Columbus County
FIPS 37047
Craven County
FIPS 37049
Cumberland County
FIPS 37051
Currituck County
FIPS 37053
Dare County
FIPS 37055
Davidson County
FIPS 37057
Davie County
FIPS 37059
Duplin County
FIPS 37061
Durham County
FIPS 37063
Edgecombe County
FIPS 37065
Forsyth County
FIPS 37067
Franklin County
FIPS 37069
Gaston County
FIPS 37071
Gates County
FIPS 37073
Graham County
FIPS 37075
Granville County
FIPS 37077
Greene County
FIPS 37079
Guilford County
FIPS 37081
Halifax County
FIPS 37083
Harnett County
FIPS 37085
Haywood County
FIPS 37087
Henderson County
FIPS 37089
Hertford County
FIPS 37091
Hoke County
FIPS 37093
Hyde County
FIPS 37095
Iredell County
FIPS 37097
Jackson County
FIPS 37099
Johnston County
FIPS 37101
Jones County
FIPS 37103
Lee County
FIPS 37105
Lenoir County
FIPS 37107
Lincoln County
FIPS 37109
Macon County
FIPS 37113
Madison County
FIPS 37115
Martin County
FIPS 37117
McDowell County
FIPS 37111
Mecklenburg County
FIPS 37119
Mitchell County
FIPS 37121
Montgomery County
FIPS 37123
Moore County
FIPS 37125
Nash County
FIPS 37127
New Hanover County
FIPS 37129
Northampton County
FIPS 37131
Onslow County
FIPS 37133
Orange County
FIPS 37135
Pamlico County
FIPS 37137
Pasquotank County
FIPS 37139
Pender County
FIPS 37141
Perquimans County
FIPS 37143
Person County
FIPS 37145
Pitt County
FIPS 37147
Polk County
FIPS 37149
Randolph County
FIPS 37151
Richmond County
FIPS 37153
Robeson County
FIPS 37155
Rockingham County
FIPS 37157
Rowan County
FIPS 37159
Rutherford County
FIPS 37161
Sampson County
FIPS 37163
Scotland County
FIPS 37165
Stanly County
FIPS 37167
Stokes County
FIPS 37169
Surry County
FIPS 37171
Swain County
FIPS 37173
Transylvania County
FIPS 37175
Tyrrell County
FIPS 37177
Union County
FIPS 37179
Vance County
FIPS 37181
Wake County
FIPS 37183
Warren County
FIPS 37185
Washington County
FIPS 37187
Watauga County
FIPS 37189
Wayne County
FIPS 37191
Wilkes County
FIPS 37193
Wilson County
FIPS 37195
Yadkin County
FIPS 37197
Yancey County
FIPS 37199
AI Insights
AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 6 federal data sources
Sample AI Insight
North Carolina shows strong potential for textile mills attraction, with a 7.88x concentration and 20,321 jobs in this sub-sector.
Cluster depth across textile mills, furniture and related product manufacturing, and electrical equipment, appliance manufacturing creates supply-chain attraction leverage, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
USAspending.govFY2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for North Carolina, from federal data sources.
What is the population of North Carolina?
10,730,404 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in North Carolina?
$72,388 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in North Carolina?
3.7% (2024 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of North Carolina?
$844.2B (BEA SAGDP (state GDP)).
North Carolina (NC): Public data. Imagine the full platform.
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