County Tier Systems

The tier system is a designation that is incorporated into various state incentive programs to encourage economic activity in the less prosperous areas of the state.
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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 incentive programs to encourage economic activity in the less prosperous areas of the state.

 

North Carolina County Tier Designation Map

 

2024 county designation tier map

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North Carolina Tier Designation Table

County Tier Average Annual Wage
Alamance 2 $51,059
Alexander 2 $41,662
Alleghany 2 $39,469
Anson 1 $42,710
Ashe 2 $42,900
Avery 2 $40,225
Beaufort 1 $46,336
Bertie 1 $39,594
Bladen 1 $45,784
Brunswick 3 $48,545
Buncombe 3 $54,416
Burke 2 $45,083
Cabarrus 3 $49,058
Caldwell 2 $49,333
Camden 3 $48,179
Carteret 3 $41,149
Caswell 1 $43,046
Catawba 2 $54,151
Chatham 3 $48,413
Cherokee 1 $41,054
Chowan 1 $45,155
Clay 2 $43,424
Cleveland 2 $48,310
Columbus 1 $42,056
Craven 2 $47,046
Cumberland 1 $45,951
Currituck 3 $42,061
Dare 2 $42,431
Davidson 2 $51,201
Davie 3 $49,788
Duplin 1 $45,722
Durham 3 $90,727
Edgecombe 1 $43,103
Forsyth 2 $64,038
Franklin 2 $52,784
Gaston 2 $50,746
Gates 1 $45,920
Graham 1 $44,218
Granville 2 $51,439
Greene 1 $38,553
Guilford 2 $58,843
Halifax 1 $41,574
Harnett 2 $41,978
Haywood 2 $47,003
Henderson 3 $51,400
Hertford 1 $45,912
Hoke 1 $42,633
Hyde 1 $37,204
Iredell 3 $63,674
Jackson 2 $43,403
Johnston 3 $50,605
Jones 1 $45,104
Lee 2 $51,683
Lenoir 1 $48,512
Lincoln 3 $51,886
Macon 2 $44,742
Madison 2 $41,820
Martin 1 $35,887
McDowell 2 $44,131
Mecklenburg 3 $84,797
Mitchell 1 $46,822
Montgomery 2 $46,990
Moore 3 $51,842
Nash 1 $49,952
New Hanover 3 $58,674
Northampton 1 $48,004
Onslow 1 $39,834
Orange 3 $66,979
Pamlico 2 $32,050
Pasquotank 1 $44,457
Pender 3 $43,071
Perquimans 2 $41,318
Person 2 $47,933
Pitt 1 $50,937
Polk 2 $41,617
Randolph 2 $45,801
Richmond 1 $43,208
Robeson 1 $42,730
Rockingham 1 $43,892
Rowan 2 $52,101
Rutherford 1 $45,030
Sampson 1 $46,518
Scotland 1 $45,116
Stanly 2 $42,272
Stokes 2 $36,481
Surry 2 $46,691
Swain 2 $35,561
Transylvania 2 $45,752
Tyrrell 1 $38,887
Union 3 $57,648
Vance 1 $44,720
Wake 3 $74,866
Warren 1 $33,660
Washington 1 $49,123
Watauga 2 $42,088
Wayne 1 $45,743
Wilkes 1 $45,819
Wilson 1 $52,619
Yadkin 2 $44,223
Yancey 2 $43,089

 

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Bryn Covington

Business Development Associate

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Other Incentives

North Carolina offers offers targeted, performance-based programs to help businesses grow in North Carolina.

Job Development Investment Grant

A discretionary program that helps businesses offset the cost of locating or expanding within the state.

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County Tier System

A designation that is incorporated into various incentive programs to encourage economic activity throughout the state.

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