What are the richest counties in North Carolina?

Wake County ($105,768), Union County ($102,900) and Chatham County ($94,317) had the highest median household income in North Carolina in the 2020–24 survey.

Data as of 2024 · updated November 5, 2026

See the ranking All North Carolina counties

All 100 ranked North Carolina counties

North Carolina counties ranked by median household income
Rank	County	Median household income 2020–24	Change since 2016–20	Residents
1	Wake County	$105,768	+26.6%	1,257,235
2	Union County	$102,900	+24.6%	267,674
3	Chatham County	$94,317	+35.1%	85,111
4	Currituck County	$93,511	+26.8%	33,158
5	Camden County	$91,078	+42.7%	11,315
6	Orange County	$90,089	+20.4%	152,498
7	Cabarrus County	$89,005	+25.0%	249,725
8	Dare County	$88,994	+36.0%	38,245
9	Mecklenburg County	$87,005	+25.7%	1,233,383
10	Moore County	$86,080	+35.9%	110,619
11	Johnston County	$83,384	+34.9%	256,448
12	Durham County	$82,316	+31.1%	347,240
13	Iredell County	$81,419	+30.2%	211,798
14	Pender County	$80,396	+33.9%	72,111
15	Lincoln County	$80,016	+34.3%	98,654
16	Brunswick County	$77,024	+28.9%	174,702
17	New Hanover County	$75,166	+32.6%	245,959
18	Davie County	$75,057	+21.0%	45,855
19	Buncombe County	$74,436	+35.3%	277,417
20	Franklin County	$74,240	+27.6%	82,037
21	Carteret County	$72,322	+25.0%	70,469
22	Harnett County	$71,287	+30.6%	150,137
23	Granville County	$71,111	+24.9%	61,421
24	Guilford County	$68,642	+25.3%	562,234
25	Henderson County	$68,187	+15.7%	122,375
26	Onslow County	$68,148	+32.2%	217,175
27	Perquimans County	$67,917	+33.1%	13,490
28	Catawba County	$67,864	+24.1%	170,172
29	Polk County	$67,758	+30.0%	20,533
30	Gaston County	$67,478	+26.2%	246,558
31	Forsyth County	$67,165	+25.3%	401,718
32	Pasquotank County	$66,589	+22.3%	42,201
33	Gates County	$66,333	+44.6%	10,234
34	Transylvania County	$66,184	+28.5%	34,211
35	Craven County	$65,873	+22.2%	105,025
36	Rowan County	$65,725	+28.7%	155,096
37	Alamance County	$65,651	+27.3%	186,177
38	Lee County	$65,387	+25.0%	70,258
39	Alexander County	$65,354	+27.3%	36,958
40	Hoke County	$64,912	+26.9%	56,939
41	Davidson County	$64,172	+27.2%	180,182
42	Person County	$63,300	+10.4%	40,636
43	Stokes County	$62,969	+21.9%	46,126
44	Yadkin County	$62,932	+34.0%	38,325
45	Nash County	$62,426	+25.0%	99,365
46	Haywood County	$61,912	+20.1%	63,369
47	Avery County	$61,428	+43.9%	18,110
48	Cumberland County	$61,291	+27.2%	338,473
49	Randolph County	$61,022	+24.6%	149,516
50	Stanly County	$60,704	+12.2%	68,830
51	Caswell County	$59,755	+24.7%	22,563
52	Wayne County	$59,733	+26.5%	122,278
53	Pamlico County	$59,717	+23.0%	12,758
54	Jones County	$59,641	+55.6%	9,575
55	Macon County	$59,061	+29.2%	39,232
56	Yancey County	$58,709	+31.8%	19,084
57	Burke County	$58,592	+33.4%	88,655
58	Cleveland County	$58,534	+34.5%	103,325
59	Madison County	$58,531	+26.7%	22,553
60	Beaufort County	$58,357	+21.4%	44,670
61	Pitt County	$58,188	+17.9%	182,936
62	Montgomery County	$57,766	+28.0%	26,403
63	Mitchell County	$57,602	+17.9%	15,062
64	McDowell County	$57,168	+21.4%	45,198
65	Rockingham County	$57,053	+24.9%	94,195
66	Clay County	$56,971	+35.1%	12,239
67	Ashe County	$56,866	+32.2%	27,514
68	Caldwell County	$56,425	+22.4%	81,105
69	Wilson County	$56,423	+26.5%	81,150
70	Jackson County	$55,815	+19.2%	45,039
71	Surry County	$55,656	+23.7%	72,287
72	Duplin County	$55,148	+27.0%	51,571
73	Chowan County	$53,864	+22.3%	14,082
74	Hyde County	$53,713	+15.1%	4,554
75	Cherokee County	$53,628	+31.5%	30,830
76	Greene County	$53,244	+22.2%	20,700
77	Sampson County	$52,432	+22.2%	61,504
78	Swain County	$52,349	+14.9%	14,024
79	Wilkes County	$51,721	+15.0%	66,233
80	Watauga County	$51,693	+11.3%	54,786
81	Rutherford County	$51,410	+19.1%	65,745
82	Edgecombe County	$51,265	+26.6%	49,121
83	Warren County	$50,638	+35.1%	18,898
84	Vance County	$50,465	+20.7%	42,638
85	Northampton County	$50,086	+28.5%	16,491
86	Graham County	$49,684	+17.7%	8,190
87	Columbus County	$49,442	+28.5%	50,487
88	Bertie County	$48,750	+39.1%	17,086
89	Martin County	$48,578	+21.7%	21,601
90	Anson County	$47,302	+18.9%	21,758
91	Alleghany County	$47,172	+26.9%	11,479
92	Scotland County	$45,730	+27.3%	33,322
93	Halifax County	$45,590	+27.0%	46,534
94	Hertford County	$45,537	+6.9%	19,015
95	Lenoir County	$45,143	+13.1%	55,837
96	Richmond County	$44,883	+14.9%	42,041
97	Bladen County	$42,422	+14.1%	30,007
98	Robeson County	$41,978	+18.7%	119,941
99	Washington County	$41,813	+35.1%	10,638
100	Tyrrell County	$41,685	+9.0%	3,537

How this is ranked

Median household income from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–24). Survey estimates carry margins of error, so counties a few hundred dollars apart may not really differ. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents, or without a figure for the same period as the others, are not ranked.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

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Questions

Which county in North Carolina has the highest median household income?

Wake County: $105,768, ahead of Union County ($102,900) and Chatham County ($94,317), of 100 North Carolina counties ranked.

How is this ranking calculated?

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Median household income in other states

Across the U.S.