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Which counties in North Carolina have the lowest unemployment?

Currituck County (2.9%), Camden County (3.0%) and Johnston County (3.2%) had the lowest unemployment in North Carolina in 2025.

Data as of 2025 · updated

See the rankingAll North Carolina counties

All 100 ranked North Carolina counties

North Carolina counties ranked by lowest unemployment rate
RankCountyRate 2025Change since 2019Residents
1Currituck County2.9%−0.7 pts33,158
2Camden County3.0%−0.4 pts11,315
3Johnston County3.2%−0.3 pts256,448
4Stanly County3.2%−0.5 pts68,830
5Wake County3.2%−0.1 pts1,257,235
6Chatham County3.3%−0.2 pts85,111
7Duplin County3.3%−0.7 pts51,571
8Orange County3.3%−0.3 pts152,498
9Yadkin County3.3%−0.1 pts38,325
10Ashe County3.4%−0.4 pts27,514
11Durham County3.4%+0.0 pts347,240
12Franklin County3.4%−0.4 pts82,037
13Greene County3.4%−0.5 pts20,700
14Lincoln County3.4%−0.2 pts98,654
15Moore County3.4%−0.3 pts110,619
16Union County3.4%−0.1 pts267,674
17Beaufort County3.5%−1.0 pts44,670
18Carteret County3.5%−0.6 pts70,469
19Chowan County3.5%−0.8 pts14,082
20Henderson County3.5%+0.3 pts122,375
21Jackson County3.5%−0.5 pts45,039
22New Hanover County3.5%−0.1 pts245,959
23Person County3.5%−0.5 pts40,636
24Surry County3.5%−0.2 pts72,287
25Watauga County3.5%−0.3 pts54,786
26Cabarrus County3.6%+0.1 pts249,725
27Davie County3.6%+0.2 pts45,855
28Gates County3.6%−0.7 pts10,234
29Granville County3.6%−0.2 pts61,421
30Iredell County3.6%+0.1 pts211,798
31Macon County3.6%−0.3 pts39,232
32Pender County3.6%−0.4 pts72,111
33Randolph County3.6%−0.1 pts149,516
34Alexander County3.7%+0.2 pts36,958
35Caswell County3.7%−0.8 pts22,563
36Catawba County3.7%+0.0 pts170,172
37Clay County3.7%−0.3 pts12,239
38Pamlico County3.7%−0.5 pts12,758
39Polk County3.7%+0.1 pts20,533
40Stokes County3.7%+0.0 pts46,126
41Swain County3.7%−0.8 pts14,024
42Transylvania County3.7%+0.0 pts34,211
43Alleghany County3.8%−0.6 pts11,479
44Davidson County3.8%+0.1 pts180,182
45Graham County3.8%−0.7 pts8,190
46Lee County3.8%−0.3 pts70,258
47Rowan County3.8%−0.2 pts155,096
48Alamance County3.9%+0.1 pts186,177
49Burke County3.9%+0.2 pts88,655
50Caldwell County3.9%+0.0 pts81,105
51Craven County3.9%−0.1 pts105,025
52Haywood County3.9%+0.5 pts63,369
53Mecklenburg County3.9%+0.2 pts1,233,383
54Perquimans County3.9%−0.6 pts13,490
55Wayne County3.9%−0.1 pts122,278
56Avery County4.0%+0.0 pts18,110
57Cherokee County4.0%−0.3 pts30,830
58Forsyth County4.0%+0.2 pts401,718
59Gaston County4.0%+0.1 pts246,558
60Harnett County4.0%−0.3 pts150,137
61Lenoir County4.0%−0.2 pts55,837
62Martin County4.0%−0.7 pts21,601
63Onslow County4.0%−0.3 pts217,175
64Pasquotank County4.0%−0.4 pts42,201
65Sampson County4.0%−0.1 pts61,504
66Wilkes County4.0%+0.1 pts66,233
67Jones County4.1%−0.3 pts9,575
68Montgomery County4.1%+0.0 pts26,403
69Pitt County4.1%−0.3 pts182,936
70Richmond County4.2%−0.2 pts42,041
71Rockingham County4.2%−0.1 pts94,195
72Brunswick County4.3%−0.7 pts174,702
73Columbus County4.3%−0.9 pts50,487
74Dare County4.3%−0.6 pts38,245
75Guilford County4.3%+0.2 pts562,234
76Hertford County4.3%−0.6 pts19,015
77Cleveland County4.4%+0.1 pts103,325
78McDowell County4.4%+0.4 pts45,198
79Yancey County4.4%+0.5 pts19,084
80Anson County4.5%−0.2 pts21,758
81Hoke County4.5%−0.3 pts56,939
82Vance County4.6%−0.5 pts42,638
83Madison County4.7%+1.2 pts22,553
84Bertie County4.8%−0.5 pts17,086
85Buncombe County4.8%+1.7 pts277,417
86Cumberland County4.8%+0.0 pts338,473
87Nash County4.8%+0.1 pts99,365
88Rutherford County4.8%+0.5 pts65,745
89Washington County4.8%−1.3 pts10,638
90Warren County4.9%+0.1 pts18,898
91Northampton County5.0%−0.2 pts16,491
92Wilson County5.1%−0.4 pts81,150
93Bladen County5.3%+0.0 pts30,007
94Mitchell County5.3%+1.1 pts15,062
95Robeson County5.3%+0.0 pts119,941
96Scotland County5.3%−0.2 pts33,322
97Halifax County5.4%−0.5 pts46,534
98Tyrrell County5.4%−0.9 pts3,537
99Edgecombe County5.6%+0.0 pts49,121
100Hyde County5.9%−3.4 pts4,554

How this is ranked

The annual average unemployment rate for 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics). Lowest first. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents, or without a figure for the same period as the others, are not ranked.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. 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 lowest unemployment rate?

Currituck County: 2.9%, ahead of Camden County (3.0%) and Johnston County (3.2%), of 100 North Carolina counties ranked.

How is this ranking calculated?

The annual average unemployment rate for 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics). Lowest first. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents, or without a figure for the same period as the others, are not ranked.

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