County Economic Snapshots 2021

The Budget & Tax Center’s Economic Snapshot is an annual publication that lists key economic and social indicators at the county level in North Carolina, providing an overall picture of how well-being varies through the state. This data profile includes indicators on employment, poverty and income, affordable housing, health, education, and supports for working families — all of which come from a variety of credible sources.

Click on your county on the map below to download a PDF of your Snapshot, or scroll through the list further down on this page and click on your county.

Note: Many of the data points in these County Snapshots reflect pre-COVID-19 conditions.

Data Sources

Population Changes

NC Office of State Budget and Management, Annual County Populations, July 2011 (actual) and July 2021 (projected). Available at https://www.osbm.nc.gov/facts-figures/population-demographics/state-demographer/countystate-population-projections.

Candidates per Job Opening

NC Works Online, Supply and Demand Detail for North Carolina, Jobs and Candidates Area Distribution. Available at https://www.ncworks.gov/vosnet/dashboards/defaultana.aspx?menuid=MENU_START_PAGE_DASHBOARD_ANA. Downloaded August 24, 2021.
- Job Source: Online advertised jobs data
- Candidate Source: Individuals with active resumes in the workforce system willing to work in the county. (Note that candidates are duplicated across counties if they are willing to work in multiple counties.)

People with Low Incomes

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2015-2019, Table B17002. Available at https://data.census.gov/cedsci/.

Table 1: Poverty and Economic Hardship

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2015-2019, Table S1703. Available at https://data.census.gov/cedsci/.

Table 2: Employment

NC Department of Commerce, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Unadjusted (not seasonally adjusted), June 2019 and June 2021. Available at https://d4.nccommerce.com/LausSelection.aspx.

Table 3: Educational Attainment

NC Department of Public Instruction
- 2019-2020 Cohort Graduation Rate Reports. Available at https://www.dpi.nc.gov/documents/2019-2020-cohort-graduation-rate-reports.
- Statistical Profile, State Summary, Pupil Information, Table 10 – Pupils in Membership by Race & Sex and Local Education Agencies, Pupil Accounting, Table A1 – Final Pupils by Year and Grade. Available at http://apps.schools.nc.gov/ords/f?p=145:1.
- For counties with multiple Local Education Agencies (school districts), total county graduation rates are estimated based on the enrollment in each district.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2015-2019, Tables S1501 and S2002. Available at https://data.census.gov/cedsci/.
- Data on bachelor’s degrees is for the population ages 25 and over.

Table 4: Income and Ability to Afford the Basics

NC Budget & Tax Center, Living Income Standard, 2019. Available at https://www.ncjustice.org/lis.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2015-2019, Tables S2001 and S1901. Available at https://data.census.gov/cedsci/.
- Data on median worker earnings is for workers ages 25 and over.

Table 5: Access to Affordable Housing

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2015-2019, Table B25070. Available at https://data.census.gov/cedsci/.
National Low Income Housing Coalition, Out of Reach 2021: North Carolina. Available at https://reports.nlihc.org/oor/north-carolina.

Table 6: Healthy Lives and Communities

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2015-2019, Table S2701. Available at https://data.census.gov/cedsci/.
NC State Center for Health Statistics, 2019 State of North Carolina and 2017-2019 County Life Expectancy at Birth. Available at https://schs.dph.ncdhhs.gov/data/lifexpectancy/.
University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, County Health Rankings, North Carolina 2021. Available at https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/north-carolina/2021/measure/factors/62/data.
NC Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Nutrition Services Caseload Statistics Reports, FNS Cases and Participants, June 2021. Available at https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/social-services/program-statistics-and-reviews/fns-caseload-statistics-reports.