Best Counties for Retirement in North Carolina 2026

100 counties ranked by health care, safety, tax burden, and affordability.

Top 5 Retirement Counties in North Carolina

1Mitchell County

All 100 Retirement-Ranked Counties in North Carolina

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in North Carolina?

Based on our analysis of health care access, safety, property taxes, and cost of living, Mitchell County ranks as the top retirement county in North Carolina with a retirement score of 74.

How many counties in North Carolina are ranked for retirement?

We rank 100 counties in North Carolina for retirement suitability, scoring each on health care access (35%), safety (30%), property tax (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.