Best counties in North Carolina

Ranked by composite score — 100 counties

See detailed North Carolina county rankings with scores →

Rank	County	Score	Tax	Cost	Income
1	Mitchell County	75.8	88.2	86.1	21.3
2	Graham County	75.5	87.1	91.4	15.4
3	Madison County	74.6	88.3	83.7	21.7
4	Clay County	74.3	89.6	82.6	18.4
5	Yancey County	73.8	88.9	84.5	19.3
6	Caswell County	73.3	83.2	85.1	22.2
7	Alexander County	73.1	84.5	85.9	26
8	Avery County	73.1	90.6	84.6	21
9	Currituck County	72.8	89.5	64.7	43.1
10	Gates County	72.7	80.4	78.5	23.6
11	Stokes County	72.6	84.8	83.3	22.6
12	Transylvania County	72	89.4	79.7	25.5
13	Camden County	71.9	85	63.2	40.7
14	Polk County	71.8	86	75.5	23.2
15	Davie County	71.7	83.5	77.7	31.2
16	Yadkin County	71.7	83	84.9	22.8
17	Cherokee County	71.4	88.2	85.7	17
18	Alleghany County	70.8	85.3	83.4	12.3
19	Ashe County	70.7	87.9	84.2	16.6
20	Jackson County	70.6	91.9	84.6	18.3
21	McDowell County	70.6	87.7	86	19.6
22	Swain County	70.6	91	88.6	19.6
23	Person County	70.5	83.5	79.5	25.8
24	Chowan County	70.4	83	79.2	20.6
25	Macon County	70	90.2	83.7	18.2
26	Montgomery County	69.7	82.5	85.1	19.8
27	Perquimans County	69.7	84.8	73.8	23.4
28	Stanly County	69.7	84.8	80.6	23.6
29	Caldwell County	69.5	84.3	85.2	19.6
30	Tyrrell County	69.5	77.2	87.5	12.1
31	Watauga County	69.2	90.6	74.4	16.9
32	Chatham County	69.1	83.4	71.6	41.2
33	Lincoln County	69	85.6	75.1	34.6
34	Rutherford County	69	85.9	85.5	15.9
35	Surry County	68.7	84.8	84.7	20
36	Burke County	68.5	82.6	83	19.7
37	Franklin County	68.5	82	73.9	30
38	Pamlico County	68.5	85.4	80	23.6
39	Wilkes County	68.5	84.8	87	16.3
40	Moore County	68.2	86.4	69.3	37.5
41	Cleveland County	68	82.9	82.3	19.8
42	Catawba County	67.9	85.3	79.1	25.5
43	Jones County	67.9	81	84.4	19.7
44	Haywood County	67.8	85.4	76.8	23.2
45	Granville County	67.4	82.1	73.3	29.7
46	Davidson County	67.2	84.5	80.2	24.1
47	Henderson County	67.2	87.5	73.2	27.5
48	Rockingham County	67	80.1	83.1	19.8
49	Carteret County	66.9	89.6	72.5	29.2
50	Hoke County	66.8	82.8	73	22.6
51	Vance County	66.8	79.6	81.6	14
52	Iredell County	66.6	84.5	69.2	34.7
53	Pasquotank County	66.6	82.8	70.4	25.1
54	Anson County	66.5	76	83.7	12.3
55	Warren County	66.5	78.4	83.3	13
56	Northampton County	66.4	68.4	83.8	14.7
57	Alamance County	66.3	84	75	25.5
58	Beaufort County	66.1	82.4	80.3	21.2
59	Rowan County	66.1	83.9	76.8	24.6
60	Randolph County	65.9	82	80.3	21.9
61	Richmond County	65.8	76.1	84.1	11.9
62	Dare County	65.7	87.4	63.3	36.4
63	Bertie County	65.6	79.8	81.9	13.4
64	Brunswick County	65.6	86.3	68.3	31.7
65	Johnston County	65.3	82.9	70.7	35.5
66	Lee County	65.3	79.8	75.4	24.6
67	Scotland County	65.2	76.7	83.7	11.8
68	Buncombe County	65.1	85.4	67.4	29.5
69	Greene County	65.1	77.8	82.2	16.6
70	Nash County	65	80.6	78.3	23
71	Pender County	65	82.7	70.4	33.5
72	Duplin County	64.9	81.4	83	17.3
73	Union County	64.9	85	60.2	48.2
74	Harnett County	64.7	81.3	70.9	28.4
75	Wayne County	64.5	81.4	77.8	21.3
76	Craven County	64.4	83.6	73.5	25.6
77	Hertford County	64.4	74.9	81.7	14.4
78	Forsyth County	64.3	78.4	73.4	26.2
79	Martin County	64.3	72.2	82.9	13.9
80	Cabarrus County	64.2	80.8	63.4	39.6
81	Orange County	64.2	75.3	59.8	41.2
82	Bladen County	64.1	76.8	84	12.5
83	Pitt County	64.1	78.4	74.1	21.8
84	Gaston County	64	79.9	72.4	26.1
85	Washington County	64	70.7	82.8	10.7
86	Sampson County	63.9	79.2	83.5	18.1
87	Columbus County	63.6	77.7	84.2	14.8
88	Lenoir County	63.6	77.4	82.3	12.6
89	New Hanover County	63.6	85.8	62.3	31
90	Onslow County	63.6	83.9	68.2	25.5
91	Hyde County	63.5	84.6	73.1	14.3
92	Wilson County	63.5	78.9	77.5	16.9
93	Guilford County	63.4	77.4	71.5	26.5
94	Wake County	63.4	82.2	55.3	49.8
95	Edgecombe County	62.9	71.4	81	15
96	Halifax County	62.6	70.4	82.8	12.8
97	Durham County	62.4	78.7	60.7	35.3
98	Robeson County	61.8	76.9	85.8	9.7
99	Cumberland County	61.1	74.4	70.1	21.8
100	Mecklenburg County	61.1	81.2	57.5	38.1