County rankings
Best and Worst Counties in North Carolina, Ranked by Public Data
North Carolina includes fast-growing metro counties, Research Triangle counties, Charlotte-area counties, mountain counties, coastal counties, and rural areas. The best county depends on whether a household wants job access, affordability, schools, lower density, or lifestyle fit.
Key takeaways
- Best overall county: Union County leads the current North Carolina ranking with an overall score of 76.8.
- Most affordable county: Bertie County has the strongest affordability score in this state ranking.
- Strongest schools county: Orange County posts the strongest schools score in the current model.
- Safest county: Yancey County ranks highest on the Safety score among North Carolina counties.
- Biggest common tradeoff: Counties that scored lower in our model most often lost ground in schools.
What the rankings show
North Carolina's rankings show the tradeoff between Triangle and Charlotte growth areas, mountain and coastal lifestyle counties, and more affordable rural counties. Some places win on job access or schools, while others offer quieter or lower-cost profiles.
The tables below are useful starting points, but the more helpful pattern is the tradeoff profile: a county can score well overall while still being expensive, tax-heavy, less quiet, or weaker in one category that matters to your household.
North Carolina county score snapshot
The chart shows the top overall counties in this public-data model. The cards underneath show how different priorities can produce different winners.
Best county for families
Camden County
Family score 80.2
Best value county
Jones County
Value score 76.3
Most affordable county
Bertie County
Affordability 90.6
Best schools county
Orange County
Schools 99.2
Safest county
Yancey County
Safety 94.4
Lowest taxes county
Avery County
Taxes 90.4
Best peace & quiet county
Camden County
Peace & Quiet 86.2
Best overall counties in North Carolina
These are the highest-scoring counties in the state based on the current overall public-data score.
| Rank | County | Overall | Schools | Safety | Afford. | Typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Union County FIPS 37179 | 76.8 | 98.6 | 81.1 | 50 | $451,672 |
| 2 | Camden County FIPS 37029 | 76.1 | 92.2 | 83.6 | 52.3 | $393,333 |
| 3 | Davie County FIPS 37059 | 72.7 | 90.2 | 77.6 | 55 | $321,975 |
| 4 | Johnston County FIPS 37101 | 71.6 | 66.1 | 86 | 56.4 | $343,005 |
| 5 | Lincoln County FIPS 37109 | 71.3 | 94.2 | 76.4 | 41.9 | $401,881 |
| 6 | Iredell County FIPS 37097 | 70.4 | 84.5 | 88.2 | 43.1 | $386,377 |
| 7 | Moore County FIPS 37125 | 70.1 | 76 | 87.7 | 42 | $413,086 |
| 8 | Polk County FIPS 37149 | 69.8 | 98.5 | 68.3 | 47.5 | $316,133 |
| 9 | Stokes County FIPS 37169 | 69.3 | 73 | 73.4 | 58.1 | $258,748 |
| 10 | Jones County FIPS 37103 | 69.1 | 54.4 | 63.7 | 90 | $136,422 |
Counties with the biggest tradeoffs in North Carolina
These are the lowest-scoring counties in the current model. Lower scores usually reflect tradeoffs in cost, safety, schools, taxes, local economy, or peace & quiet factors.
| Rank | County | Overall | Schools | Safety | Afford. | Typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durham County FIPS 37063 | 39.4 | 17.3 | 3.2 | 38 | $397,038 |
| 2 | Warren County FIPS 37185 | 39.7 | 7.3 | 43.2 | 41.2 | $242,861 |
| 3 | Robeson County FIPS 37155 | 40.2 | 5.7 | 14.6 | 71.4 | $135,502 |
| 4 | Washington County FIPS 37187 | 43.6 | 4.7 | 43 | 79.7 | $106,837 |
| 5 | Halifax County FIPS 37083 | 44.5 | 7.3 | 43.5 | 81.4 | $103,624 |
| 6 | Swain County FIPS 37173 | 44.9 | 33.9 | 39.9 | 21.9 | $324,622 |
| 7 | Edgecombe County FIPS 37065 | 45.3 | 3.9 | 47 | 77.1 | $135,073 |
| 8 | Hyde County FIPS 37095 | 46.2 | 42 | 38.9 | 49.8 | $222,154 |
| 9 | Hertford County FIPS 37091 | 46.6 | 6.1 | 45.5 | 77.4 | $122,055 |
| 10 | Richmond County FIPS 37153 | 46.7 | 24 | 20.5 | 73.4 | $132,397 |
Best counties for families
Families usually do not just want the cheapest county. This view balances schools, safety, affordability, taxes, economy, and peace and quiet.
#1
Camden County
Family score
80.2
Schools
92.2
Safety
83.6
Taxes
78.3
#2
Union County
Family score
78.9
Schools
98.6
Safety
81.1
Taxes
75.6
#3
Davie County
Family score
77.0
Schools
90.2
Safety
77.6
Taxes
78.5
#4
Yancey County
Family score
76.9
Schools
91.2
Safety
94.4
Taxes
85.7
#5
Polk County
Family score
75.9
Schools
98.5
Safety
68.3
Taxes
74.3
#6
Lincoln County
Family score
74.8
Schools
94.2
Safety
76.4
Taxes
78.9
#7
Iredell County
Family score
74.3
Schools
84.5
Safety
88.2
Taxes
76.4
#8
Mitchell County
Family score
74.3
Schools
72.2
Safety
93.6
Taxes
79.4
#9
Surry County
Family score
73.9
Schools
89.8
Safety
63.6
Taxes
81.2
#10
Moore County
Family score
72.5
Schools
76
Safety
87.7
Taxes
80.6
Best value counties in North Carolina
Value blends affordability, taxes, safety, economy, and peace and quiet. It is not simply the cheapest county.
Best affordability / low-cost tradeoff
These counties rank highest on the affordability score, which can reflect home-price and income tradeoffs.
Best schools
These counties lead the current school score within this state.
Best peace & quiet
These counties score best on lower-density, quieter-living, and built-environment signals.
What the rankings suggest
North Carolina's highest-scoring counties average 71.7 overall and tend to stand out most in schools. The counties with the biggest tradeoffs average 43.7 overall, with the most common pressure point showing up in schools. Use the state ranking page to compare the full list before drawing conclusions about any one county.
Popular comparisons
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Compare Johnston County vs Union County
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Read next
Use this article as a quick overview, then dig into the interactive tools to compare your own shortlist. You can scan the map, search the national rankings, compare two counties side by side, or open the full North Carolina ranking page.
North Carolina state rankings
Open the full state ranking page for North Carolina.
National rankings
Search, filter, and sort all counties nationally.
Compare counties
Compare two counties side by side across scores and metrics.
Interactive map
Explore county scores geographically across the U.S.
More insights
Read data-backed relocation and county-ranking articles.
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Sources
- Best Counties to Live generated public-data county scores.
- U.S. Census ACS county population, income, housing, and affordability inputs.
- BLS unemployment data and BEA regional economic data.
- Zillow/home value data where available.
- FBI reported crime and modeled safety estimates.
- Public education data and property tax estimates used in the scoring model.