Best Counties for Families in North Carolina 2026

100 counties ranked by schools, safety, income, and affordability.

Top 5 Family Counties in North Carolina

1Jones County

All 100 Family-Ranked Counties in North Carolina

Rank	County	Persona Score	Overall Score
1	Jones County, NC	67	59.8
2	Hyde County, NC	67	61.1
3	Mitchell County, NC	66	70.9
4	Yancey County, NC	61	68.3
5	Madison County, NC	60	65.6
6	Wake County, NC	58	53.8
7	Orange County, NC	58	49.6
8	Stokes County, NC	57	62.4
9	Caswell County, NC	56	59.6
10	Gates County, NC	55	56.2
11	Currituck County, NC	54	56.4
12	Pamlico County, NC	54	52.6
13	Tyrrell County, NC	54	55
14	Dare County, NC	51	51.3
15	Alleghany County, NC	51	59
16	Pender County, NC	51	44.9
17	Avery County, NC	49	60.1
18	Nash County, NC	49	47.4
19	Beaufort County, NC	49	50.3
20	Moore County, NC	48	48.6
21	Macon County, NC	48	56
22	Alexander County, NC	48	56.6
23	Johnston County, NC	47	43.5
24	Union County, NC	46	46.2
25	Transylvania County, NC	46	56.4
26	Watauga County, NC	45	53.9
27	Catawba County, NC	45	49.3
28	Polk County, NC	45	52.6
29	Jackson County, NC	45	55.5
30	Surry County, NC	44	50.3
31	Clay County, NC	44	56.1
32	Greene County, NC	43	43.5
33	Henderson County, NC	43	48.1
34	Yadkin County, NC	43	50.3
35	Cabarrus County, NC	43	42.2
36	Northampton County, NC	43	45
37	Chowan County, NC	42	48.1
38	Montgomery County, NC	42	46.5
39	Perquimans County, NC	41	46.1
40	Lincoln County, NC	41	45.6
41	Swain County, NC	41	52.6
42	Brunswick County, NC	40	45.9
43	Pasquotank County, NC	40	45.2
44	Graham County, NC	39	55.9
45	Ashe County, NC	39	52.7
46	Iredell County, NC	39	42.4
47	Stanly County, NC	37	45.1
48	Buncombe County, NC	37	41.4
49	Chatham County, NC	37	40.7
50	Wilkes County, NC	37	48.9
51	Davie County, NC	37	43.2
52	Columbus County, NC	37	40.7
53	McDowell County, NC	36	47.8
54	Carteret County, NC	36	44.1
55	Onslow County, NC	36	39.3
56	Person County, NC	36	44.5
57	Haywood County, NC	35	43.6
58	Randolph County, NC	35	39.8
59	Rowan County, NC	35	39.2
60	Granville County, NC	34	39.6
61	Hertford County, NC	34	39.1
62	Bladen County, NC	34	39.2
63	Caldwell County, NC	34	45.5
64	Bertie County, NC	34	40.7
65	Scotland County, NC	33	37.4
66	Cleveland County, NC	33	42.5
67	New Hanover County, NC	33	39.6
68	Rutherford County, NC	33	45.9
69	Craven County, NC	33	37.8
70	Lee County, NC	33	35.9
71	Franklin County, NC	32	38.2
72	Rockingham County, NC	32	39
73	Guilford County, NC	31	34.6
74	Camden County, NC	31	40.4
75	Burke County, NC	31	41.4
76	Harnett County, NC	31	34.7
77	Cherokee County, NC	30	46.9
78	Lenoir County, NC	30	38.1
79	Durham County, NC	30	34.1
80	Warren County, NC	29	36.9
81	Mecklenburg County, NC	29	33.3
82	Gaston County, NC	28	31.8
83	Hoke County, NC	28	35.4
84	Martin County, NC	28	34.3
85	Sampson County, NC	28	36.3
86	Forsyth County, NC	27	33.8
87	Alamance County, NC	27	35.6
88	Davidson County, NC	27	38.7
89	Pitt County, NC	26	33.6
90	Washington County, NC	26	33.3
91	Anson County, NC	26	34.8
92	Halifax County, NC	25	31.6
93	Vance County, NC	25	33.8
94	Duplin County, NC	24	35.7
95	Wayne County, NC	23	32.1
96	Robeson County, NC	23	31.9
97	Richmond County, NC	23	32.8
98	Wilson County, NC	20	29.4
99	Cumberland County, NC	20	25.9
100	Edgecombe County, NC	19	27.3

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for families in North Carolina?

Based on our analysis of school quality, safety, income, and cost of living, Jones County ranks as the top family county in North Carolina with a family score of 67.

How many counties in North Carolina are ranked for families?

We rank 100 counties in North Carolina for family suitability, scoring each on school quality (35%), safety (30%), income (20%), and cost of living (15%).

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