Demographics Atlas Open the interactive map →

Unemployment Rate in North Carolina, by County

Unemployment Rate for every county in North Carolina, ranked. The highest is Washington County at 13.0% and the lowest is Hyde County at 2.5%.

North Carolina: 4.7% · United States: 5.2% · median county in North Carolina: 4.8%

See Unemployment Rate on the interactive map →

#County Unemployment Rate
1Washington County13.0%
2Scotland County10.9%
3Richmond County9.8%
4Halifax County9.3%
5Lenoir County9.0%
6Edgecombe County8.7%
7Vance County8.2%
8Northampton County8.1%
9Watauga County7.9%
10Pitt County7.8%
11Cumberland County7.6%
12Swain County7.6%
13Yancey County7.3%
14Warren County7.2%
15Graham County7.0%
16Hoke County6.6%
17Mitchell County6.5%
18Rutherford County6.3%
19Martin County6.1%
20Hertford County6.0%
21Robeson County6.0%
22Dare County5.9%
23Gates County5.9%
24Pasquotank County5.9%
25Rockingham County5.8%
26Greene County5.7%
27Person County5.6%
28Wilson County5.6%
29Anson County5.5%
30Camden County5.5%
31Bladen County5.4%
32Onslow County5.4%
33Duplin County5.3%
34Rowan County5.3%
35Sampson County5.3%
36Yadkin County5.3%
37Caswell County5.2%
38Cleveland County5.2%
39Wayne County5.2%
40Alamance County5.1%
41Bertie County5.1%
42Pamlico County5.1%
43Polk County5.1%
44Alexander County5.0%
45Caldwell County5.0%
46Forsyth County5.0%
47Wilkes County5.0%
48Jackson County4.9%
49Nash County4.9%
50Ashe County4.8%
51Avery County4.8%
52Gaston County4.8%
53Moore County4.8%
54Pender County4.8%
55Brunswick County4.7%
56Davie County4.7%
57Harnett County4.7%
58Cabarrus County4.6%
59Franklin County4.6%
60Granville County4.6%
61Guilford County4.6%
62New Hanover County4.5%
63Burke County4.4%
64Columbus County4.4%
65Jones County4.4%
66Surry County4.4%
67Buncombe County4.3%
68Mecklenburg County4.3%
69Craven County4.2%
70Iredell County4.2%
71Union County4.2%
72Cherokee County4.1%
73Chowan County4.1%
74Davidson County4.1%
75McDowell County4.1%
76Stanly County4.1%
77Wake County4.1%
78Carteret County4.0%
79Beaufort County3.9%
80Durham County3.9%
81Johnston County3.8%
82Lee County3.8%
83Alleghany County3.7%
84Catawba County3.7%
85Orange County3.6%
86Perquimans County3.6%
87Henderson County3.5%
88Randolph County3.5%
89Lincoln County3.3%
90Haywood County3.1%
91Madison County3.1%
92Stokes County3.1%
93Currituck County3.0%
94Chatham County2.9%
95Macon County2.8%
96Montgomery County2.8%
97Transylvania County2.8%
98Tyrrell County2.8%
99Clay County2.6%
100Hyde County2.5%

Small populations produce wide margins: Washington County is 13.0% with a margin of error of ±6.2%; Hyde County is 2.5% with a margin of error of ±1.9%. An estimate with a margin that wide should be read as a range rather than a rank.

Share of the civilian labour force who are out of work and looking. People not looking for work are excluded from the denominator.

Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates, 2024.

North Carolina ranks 33rd of 52 states for unemployment rate.

Unemployment Rate in other states

Other statistics for North Carolina by county