countyscore

Best Counties for Retirement in North Carolina 2026

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

Top 5 Retirement Counties in North Carolina

1Mitchell County
72.6
baseline 70.9
2Yancey County
69.7
baseline 68.3
3Madison County
66.9
baseline 65.6
4Stokes County
66.2
baseline 62.4
5Avery County
63.2
baseline 60.2

All 100 Retirement-Ranked Counties in North Carolina

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Mitchell County, NC72.670.9+1.7
2Yancey County, NC69.768.3+1.4
3Madison County, NC66.965.6+1.3
4Stokes County, NC66.262.4+3.8
5Avery County, NC63.260.2+3
6Caswell County, NC6259.6+2.4
7Transylvania County, NC60.956.4+4.5
8Currituck County, NC60.756.4+4.3
9Alleghany County, NC6059+1
10Alexander County, NC59.156.6+2.5
11Gates County, NC58.956.2+2.7
12Clay County, NC58.756.1+2.6
13Graham County, NC58.355.9+2.4
14Hyde County, NC57.461.1-3.7
15Polk County, NC57.252.6+4.6
16Wake County, NC56.153.8+2.3
17Watauga County, NC56.153.9+2.2
18Ashe County, NC55.252.7+2.5
19Jackson County, NC54.355.5-1.2
20Macon County, NC53.456-2.6
21Swain County, NC52.352.6-0.3
22Jones County, NC51.759.8-8.1
23Pasquotank County, NC51.645.2+6.4
24Yadkin County, NC51.450.3+1.1
25Catawba County, NC50.949.3+1.6
26Dare County, NC50.851.3-0.5
27Brunswick County, NC5045.9+4.1
28Chowan County, NC49.948.1+1.8
29Beaufort County, NC49.850.3-0.5
30Cherokee County, NC49.746.9+2.8
31Tyrrell County, NC49.655-5.4
32Perquimans County, NC49.346.1+3.2
33Wilkes County, NC49.348.9+0.4
34Henderson County, NC49.248.1+1.1
35Moore County, NC4948.6+0.4
36Camden County, NC48.940.4+8.5
37Person County, NC48.644.5+4.1
38Lincoln County, NC48.345.6+2.7
39Orange County, NC48.249.6-1.4
40Nash County, NC47.647.4+0.2
41Union County, NC47.646.1+1.5
42Surry County, NC47.550.3-2.8
43Pamlico County, NC47.452.6-5.2
44Davie County, NC46.943.2+3.7
45McDowell County, NC46.847.8-1
46Stanly County, NC46.745.1+1.6
47Carteret County, NC46.444.1+2.3
48Rutherford County, NC46.345.9+0.4
49Caldwell County, NC45.945.5+0.4
50Haywood County, NC45.543.6+1.9
51Northampton County, NC45.545+0.5
52Iredell County, NC4542.4+2.6
53Cabarrus County, NC44.242.2+2
54Granville County, NC44.239.6+4.6
55Cleveland County, NC43.642.4+1.2
56Montgomery County, NC43.646.5-2.9
57Chatham County, NC42.640.7+1.9
58Franklin County, NC42.538.2+4.3
59New Hanover County, NC42.539.6+2.9
60Pender County, NC42.144.9-2.8
61Buncombe County, NC41.941.4+0.5
62Burke County, NC41.641.4+0.2
63Johnston County, NC41.443.5-2.1
64Bertie County, NC41.340.7+0.6
65Davidson County, NC41.238.7+2.5
66Lenoir County, NC39.838.1+1.7
67Onslow County, NC39.839.3+0.5
68Randolph County, NC39.539.8-0.3
69Greene County, NC39.443.5-4.1
70Hertford County, NC39.339.1+0.2
71Craven County, NC39.237.8+1.4
72Rowan County, NC39.139.2-0.1
73Hoke County, NC38.935.4+3.5
74Columbus County, NC38.540.7-2.2
75Rockingham County, NC38.339-0.7
76Alamance County, NC38.235.6+2.6
77Harnett County, NC37.634.7+2.9
78Lee County, NC37.535.9+1.6
79Durham County, NC37.434.1+3.3
80Duplin County, NC36.835.7+1.1
81Mecklenburg County, NC36.833.2+3.6
82Sampson County, NC36.836.3+0.5
83Forsyth County, NC36.533.8+2.7
84Warren County, NC36.436.9-0.5
85Bladen County, NC36.339.2-2.9
86Pitt County, NC36.133.6+2.5
87Guilford County, NC35.634.5+1.1
88Anson County, NC35.334.8+0.5
89Washington County, NC34.333.3+1
90Vance County, NC3433.8+0.2
91Wayne County, NC3432.1+1.9
92Martin County, NC33.934.3-0.4
93Scotland County, NC33.137.4-4.3
94Richmond County, NC32.932.8+0.1
95Gaston County, NC32.631.8+0.8
96Wilson County, NC32.229.4+2.8
97Halifax County, NC3131.6-0.6
98Robeson County, NC29.431.9-2.5
99Cumberland County, NC28.525.9+2.6
100Edgecombe County, NC27.927.3+0.6

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in North Carolina?

Based on the Retiree lens, Mitchell County ranks as the top retirement county in North Carolina with a County Fit Score of 72.6. The baseline CountyScore remains visible for context.

How many counties in North Carolina are ranked for retirement?

We rank 100 counties in North Carolina with the Retiree lens, using independent importance values for health, safety, taxes, cost, disaster risk, water, and weather.

Also Browse North Carolina Counties For

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Retirement Rankings by State

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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.