The North Carolina Department of Commerce annually ranks the state’s 100 counties based on economic well-being and assigns each a tier designation. The 40 most distressed counties are designated as Tier 1, the next 40 as Tier 2 and the 20 least distressed as Tier 3. This tier system is incorporated into various state programs to encourage economic activity in the less prosperous areas of the state.
North Carolina County Tier Designation Map
North Carolina County Tier Designation Table
| County | Tier | Avg. Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Alamance | 2 | $50,691 |
| Alexander | 2 | $39,975 |
| Alleghany | 2 | $38,846 |
| Anson | 1 | $41,105 |
| Ashe | 2 | $40,142 |
| Avery | 3 | $38,255 |
| Beaufort | 2 | $43,125 |
| Bertie | 1 | $38,098 |
| Bladen | 1 | $41,913 |
| Brunswick | 3 | $46,464 |
| Buncombe | 3 | $51,080 |
| Burke | 1 | $43,261 |
| Cabarrus | 3 | $46,768 |
| Caldwell | 2 | $48,482 |
| Camden | 3 | $47,013 |
| Carteret | 3 | $39,154 |
| Caswell | 1 | $43,715 |
| Catawba | 2 | $52,172 |
| Chatham | 3 | $45,437 |
| Cherokee | 1 | $37,967 |
| Chowan | 1 | $41,929 |
| Clay | 2 | $39,670 |
| Cleveland | 2 | $45,515 |
| Columbus | 1 | $38,544 |
| Craven | 2 | $45,267 |
| Cumberland | 1 | $43,024 |
| Currituck | 3 | $41,145 |
| Dare | 2 | $40,217 |
| Davidson | 2 | $49,956 |
| Davie | 2 | $47,416 |
| Duplin | 1 | $42,254 |
| Durham | 3 | $86,686 |
| Edgecombe | 1 | $43,183 |
| Forsyth | 2 | $62,604 |
| Franklin | 2 | $49,780 |
| Gaston | 2 | $46,351 |
| Gates | 2 | $42,459 |
| Graham | 1 | $41,462 |
| Granville | 2 | $48,653 |
| Greene | 1 | $36,777 |
| Guilford | 2 | $57,190 |
| Halifax | 1 | $39,800 |
| Harnett | 2 | $40,409 |
| Haywood | 2 | $43,559 |
| Henderson | 3 | $47,949 |
| Hertford | 1 | $44,505 |
| Hoke | 1 | $39,332 |
| Hyde | 1 | $35,236 |
| Iredell | 3 | $64,433 |
| Jackson | 2 | $42,020 |
| Johnston | 3 | $47,126 |
| Jones | 1 | $42,158 |
| Lee | 2 | $49,670 |
| Lenoir | 1 | $46,017 |
| Lincoln | 3 | $49,332 |
| Macon | 2 | $42,034 |
| Madison | 2 | $39,965 |
| Martin | 1 | $34,864 |
| McDowell | 2 | $42,658 |
| Mecklenburg | 3 | $80,349 |
| Mitchell | 1 | $43,499 |
| Montgomery | 2 | $47,841 |
| Moore | 3 | $50,562 |
| Nash | 1 | $47,433 |
| New Hanover | 3 | $56,364 |
| Northampton | 1 | $45,346 |
| Onslow | 1 | $37,603 |
| Orange | 3 | $62,771 |
| Pamlico | 2 | $30,354 |
| Pasquotank | 2 | $43,309 |
| Pender | 3 | $40,288 |
| Perquimans | 2 | $39,117 |
| Person | 2 | $46,236 |
| Pitt | 1 | $48,043 |
| Polk | 2 | $40,643 |
| Randolph | 1 | $43,080 |
| Richmond | 1 | $41,091 |
| Robeson | 1 | $41,038 |
| Rockingham | 1 | $42,629 |
| Rowan | 2 | $50,138 |
| Rutherford | 1 | $42,906 |
| Sampson | 1 | $43,866 |
| Scotland | 1 | $42,644 |
| Stanly | 2 | $41,612 |
| Stokes | 2 | $35,514 |
| Surry | 1 | $43,575 |
| Swain | 2 | $34,079 |
| Transylvania | 2 | $42,179 |
| Tyrrell | 1 | $35,006 |
| Union | 3 | $53,593 |
| Vance | 1 | $42,888 |
| Wake | 3 | $72,743 |
| Warren | 1 | $32,940 |
| Washington | 1 | $45,643 |
| Watauga | 2 | $40,652 |
| Wayne | 1 | $43,882 |
| Wilkes | 1 | $44,105 |
| Wilson | 1 | $50,439 |
| Yadkin | 2 | $42,669 |
| Yancey | 2 | $40,622 |
