countyscore

Best Counties for Families in North Carolina 2026

100 counties ranked with the Family lens of the County Fit Score.

Top 5 Family Counties in North Carolina

1Mitchell County
66.3
baseline 69.4
2Hyde County
64.3
baseline 59.8
3Yancey County
63.6
baseline 67
4Jones County
63.4
baseline 59.8
5Madison County
62.1
baseline 65.8

All 100 Family-Ranked Counties in North Carolina

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Mitchell County, NC66.369.4-3.1
2Hyde County, NC64.359.8+4.5
3Yancey County, NC63.667-3.4
4Jones County, NC63.459.8+3.6
5Madison County, NC62.165.8-3.7
6Stokes County, NC5963.2-4.2
7Alleghany County, NC56.961.3-4.4
8Gates County, NC56.355.7+0.6
9Caswell County, NC5658.9-2.9
10Tyrrell County, NC55.956-0.1
11Currituck County, NC55.356-0.7
12Pamlico County, NC54.955.8-0.9
13Wake County, NC54.853.4+1.4
14Orange County, NC54.649.8+4.8
15Avery County, NC54.160.7-6.6
16Macon County, NC52.556.4-3.9
17Dare County, NC50.951.3-0.4
18Polk County, NC50.853.8-3
19Clay County, NC50.756.3-5.6
20Watauga County, NC50.254.1-3.9
21Transylvania County, NC49.955.8-5.9
22Alexander County, NC49.756.7-7
23Jackson County, NC49.455.6-6.2
24Moore County, NC48.649.3-0.7
25Pender County, NC47.545.8+1.7
26Beaufort County, NC47.350.4-3.1
27Yadkin County, NC4650.6-4.6
28Nash County, NC45.947.8-1.9
29Graham County, NC45.754-8.3
30Perquimans County, NC45.647.8-2.2
31Surry County, NC45.650.2-4.6
32Union County, NC45.246.5-1.3
33Catawba County, NC44.648.9-4.3
34Montgomery County, NC44.648-3.4
35Ashe County, NC44.451.2-6.8
36Chowan County, NC44.447.9-3.5
37Henderson County, NC44.448-3.6
38Johnston County, NC43.843.3+0.5
39Northampton County, NC43.845.6-1.8
40Greene County, NC43.543.4+0.1
41Swain County, NC42.551.6-9.1
42Cabarrus County, NC41.742-0.3
43Brunswick County, NC41.246-4.8
44Lincoln County, NC41.245.5-4.3
45Pasquotank County, NC41.145.6-4.5
46Wilkes County, NC40.649.1-8.5
47Davie County, NC40.244.4-4.2
48McDowell County, NC39.846.3-6.5
49Stanly County, NC39.545.3-5.8
50Iredell County, NC39.442.6-3.2
51Buncombe County, NC39.241.7-2.5
52Haywood County, NC38.544-5.5
53Carteret County, NC38.344.1-5.8
54Caldwell County, NC38.145.8-7.7
55Chatham County, NC3840.4-2.4
56Cherokee County, NC37.447.4-10
57Onslow County, NC37.239.3-2.1
58Rutherford County, NC3744.7-7.7
59Bertie County, NC36.341.1-4.8
60Person County, NC36.343-6.7
61Columbus County, NC36.140.7-4.6
62Camden County, NC35.940.9-5
63Bladen County, NC35.739.3-3.6
64Cleveland County, NC35.741.9-6.2
65New Hanover County, NC35.740-4.3
66Randolph County, NC35.740.2-4.5
67Scotland County, NC35.737.4-1.7
68Granville County, NC35.340.4-5.1
69Rowan County, NC3538.5-3.5
70Burke County, NC34.640.2-5.6
71Franklin County, NC34.338.5-4.2
72Hertford County, NC34.237.8-3.6
73Rockingham County, NC34.239.2-5
74Warren County, NC33.438.4-5
75Craven County, NC33.238.1-4.9
76Lee County, NC32.736.1-3.4
77Guilford County, NC32.334.8-2.5
78Anson County, NC3238-6
79Durham County, NC31.634.3-2.7
80Lenoir County, NC31.638.2-6.6
81Hoke County, NC31.335.5-4.2
82Washington County, NC3136.2-5.2
83Harnett County, NC30.935.2-4.3
84Davidson County, NC30.338.6-8.3
85Vance County, NC30.134.6-4.5
86Alamance County, NC29.735.6-5.9
87Martin County, NC29.733.6-3.9
88Mecklenburg County, NC29.633.4-3.8
89Forsyth County, NC29.234-4.8
90Pitt County, NC28.933.4-4.5
91Gaston County, NC28.832-3.2
92Sampson County, NC28.736.3-7.6
93Duplin County, NC28.536.5-8
94Richmond County, NC28.334.1-5.8
95Halifax County, NC26.831-4.2
96Wayne County, NC2632.5-6.5
97Robeson County, NC25.532-6.5
98Wilson County, NC23.729.5-5.8
99Cumberland County, NC22.426.4-4
100Edgecombe County, NC22.427.1-4.7

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for families in North Carolina?

Based on the Family lens, Mitchell County ranks as the top family county in North Carolina with a County Fit Score of 66.3. The baseline CountyScore remains visible for context.

How many counties in North Carolina are ranked for families?

We rank 100 counties in North Carolina with the Family lens, using independent importance values for schools, safety, affordability, health, income, taxes, and disaster risk.

Also Browse North Carolina Counties For

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Family Rankings by State

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.