North Carolina State report card
How North Carolina ranks on 78 measures of income, housing, population, education, health coverage, work and infrastructure.
- Population · July 2025
- 11,197,968
- #9 among 50 states
- Median household income · 2024
- $73,958
- ± $863 · 90% MOE
- Population growth · 2024–2025
- 1.32%
- Census PEP, Vintage 2025
North Carolina at a glance
North Carolina's median household income is $73,958. Among renter households, 47.6% spend at least 30% of their income on rent and utilities. The two figures describe different groups: the income median covers owners and renters alike.
North Carolina's overall price level (BEA regional price parity) is 94.3, where the U.S. average is 100. Adjusted for those prices, its median household income is $78,407. This is a comparison between states, not a household budget.
Compare with the state nearest in median household income. The comparison state is the one with the closest income figure, not a neighbor or an overall look-alike.
Where North Carolina ranks
Download report cardRank 1 = highest estimate among 50 states. National benchmarks are U.S. estimates, not a simple mean of states. MOE = 90% margin of error, published by the Census Bureau or, for microdata measures, calculated by us.
Money & economy
| Measure | Rank / 50 | North Carolina | 90% MOE | U.S. | Data year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | #36 | $73,958 | ± $863 | $81,604 | 2024 |
| Median family income | #38 | $92,847 | ± $1,206 | $101,265 | 2024 |
| Poverty rate | #16 | 12.5% | ± 0.3% | 12.1% | 2024 |
| Child poverty rate | #14 | 16.5% | ± 0.7% | 15.5% | 2024 |
| Poverty among adults 65 and older | #15 | 11.1% | ± 0.4% | 11.2% | 2024 |
| Households with retirement income | #30 | 24.7% | ± 0.4% | 24.4% | 2024 |
| Price-adjusted median household income | #36 | $78,407 | Not published | $81,604 | 2024 |
| Renters: mean income after housing costs | #29 | $48,830 | ± $1,388 | Not available | 2024 |
| Owners with a mortgage: mean income after housing costs | #24 | $115,513 | ± $1,932 | Not available | 2024 |
| Mortgage-free owners: mean income after housing costs | #33 | $90,341 | ± $1,882 | Not available | 2024 |
| Gross domestic product | #9 | $895.9 billion | Not published | $30,861.3 billion | 2025 |
| GDP per capita | #30 | $80,007 | Not published | $90,294 | 2025 |
| Real GDP growth | #30 | 1.83% | Not published | 2.34% | 2025 |
Housing & costs
| Measure | Rank / 50 | North Carolina | 90% MOE | U.S. | Data year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile homes | #9 | 10.4% | ± 0.2% | 5.4% | 2024 |
| Homes built in 2020 or later | #8 | 6.2% | ± 0.2% | 4.1% | 2024 |
| Homes built before 1940 | #38 | 4.7% | ± 0.2% | 11.5% | 2024 |
| Gas home heating | #46 | 30.4% | ± 0.4% | 51.3% | 2024 |
| Electric home heating | #4 | 66.0% | ± 0.5% | 41.8% | 2024 |
| Oil and kerosene home heating | #16 | 1.6% | ± 0.1% | 3.5% | 2024 |
| Crowded housing | #24 | 2.3% | ± 0.2% | 3.5% | 2024 |
| Median home value | #27 | $333,000 | ± $1,908 | $360,600 | 2024 |
| Monthly owner costs with a mortgage | #33 | $1,747 | ± $14 | $2,035 | 2024 |
| Homeownership rate | #32 | 66.8% | ± 0.5% | 65.3% | 2024 |
| Monthly renter housing costs | #23 | $1,338 | ± $14 | $1,487 | 2024 |
| Renter housing cost burden | #17 | 47.6% | ± 0.8% | 48.2% | 2024 |
| Regional price parity | #30 | 94.3 | Not published | 100.0 | 2024 |
| Goods price parity | #23 | 96.6 | Not published | 100.0 | 2024 |
| Housing rent price parity | #29 | 81.4 | Not published | 100.0 | 2024 |
Taxes
| Measure | Rank / 50 | North Carolina | 90% MOE | U.S. | Data year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median property taxes paid | #34 | $2,044 | ± $20 | $3,211 | 2024 |
| Effective property tax rate | #36 | 0.61% | ± 0.01% | 0.89% | 2024 |
| State sales tax rate | #36 | 4.75% | Not published | Not available | 2026 |
| State tax collections per person | #34 | $3,628 | Not published | $4,503 | 2025 |
Population
| Measure | Rank / 50 | North Carolina | 90% MOE | U.S. | Data year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | #25 | 39.4 years | ± 0.2 years | 39.2 years | 2024 |
| Population age 65 and older | #32 | 17.9% | ± 0.1% | 18.0% | 2024 |
| Population age 85 and older | #41 | 1.6% | ± 0.1% | 1.9% | 2024 |
| Age dependency ratio | #34 | 64.5 per 100 | ± 0.1 per 100 | 65.2 per 100 | 2024 |
| Child dependency ratio | #28 | 35.0 per 100 | ± 0.1 per 100 | 35.4 per 100 | 2024 |
| Older-age dependency ratio | #35 | 29.5 per 100 | ± 0.1 per 100 | 29.7 per 100 | 2024 |
| Population | #9 | 11,197,968 | Not published | 341,784,857 | 2025 |
| Population growth | #3 | 1.32% | Not published | 0.52% | 2025 |
| Population change | #3 | 145,907 | Not published | 1,781,060 | 2025 |
| Net domestic migration | #1 | 84,064 | Not published | 0 | 2025 |
| Net domestic migration rate | #3 | 7.6 per 1,000 | Not published | 0.0 per 1,000 | 2025 |
| Net international migration | #6 | 46,890 | Not published | 1,262,202 | 2025 |
| Net international migration rate | #10 | 4.2 per 1,000 | Not published | 3.7 per 1,000 | 2025 |
| Natural population change | #9 | 15,129 | Not published | 518,858 | 2025 |
| Natural population change rate | #19 | 1.4 per 1,000 | Not published | 1.5 per 1,000 | 2025 |
| Population density | #12 | 230.3 per sq mi | Not published | 96.7 per sq mi | 2025 |
Education
| Measure | Rank / 50 | North Carolina | 90% MOE | U.S. | Data year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High school attainment | #30 | 90.9% | ± 0.2% | 89.9% | 2024 |
| Bachelor’s degree attainment | #18 | 37.1% | ± 0.4% | 36.8% | 2024 |
| Advanced degree attainment | #19 | 14.5% | ± 0.2% | 14.7% | 2024 |
Health
| Measure | Rank / 50 | North Carolina | 90% MOE | U.S. | Data year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uninsured rate | #16 | 8.6% | ± 0.2% | 8.2% | 2024 |
| Uninsured children | #25 | 5.5% | ± 0.4% | 6.0% | 2024 |
| Life expectancy | #36 | 75.9 years | ± 0.1 years | 77.5 years | 2022 |
| Adult obesity rate | #27 | 33.5% | ± 1.68% | 33.5% | 2025 |
Safety
| Measure | Rank / 50 | North Carolina | 90% MOE | U.S. | Data year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime rate | #21 | 330.3 per 100,000 | Not published | 327.6 per 100,000 | 2025 |
| Property crime rate | #13 | 1,779.9 per 100,000 | Not published | 1,534.8 per 100,000 | 2025 |
| Murder rate | #7 | 6.5 per 100,000 | Not published | 4.1 per 100,000 | 2025 |
| Traffic death rate | #24 | 1.29 per 100M miles | Not published | 1.26 per 100M miles | 2023 |
Work & employment
| Measure | Rank / 50 | North Carolina | 90% MOE | U.S. | Data year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male full-time earnings | #35 | $61,870 | ± $354 | $66,965 | 2024 |
| Female full-time earnings | #27 | $51,711 | ± $342 | $55,678 | 2024 |
| Labor force participation, ages 16–64 | #33 | 76.1% | ± 0.3% | 76.6% | 2024 |
| Employment-to-population ratio, ages 16–64 | #31 | 72.6% | ± 0.3% | 72.9% | 2024 |
| Management, business, and finance occupations | #14 | 18.4% | ± 0.3% | 17.9% | 2024 |
| Manufacturing employment share | #16 | 11.0% | ± 0.3% | 9.6% | 2024 |
| Science, engineering, and computing occupations | #14 | 7.6% | ± 0.2% | 7.5% | 2024 |
| Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations | #20 | 6.8% | ± 0.2% | 6.5% | 2024 |
| Unemployment rate | #34 | 3.4% | ± 0.55% | 4.2% | 2026 |
| Minimum wage | #31 | $7.25/hr | Not published | Not available | 2026 |
Geography & climate
| Measure | Rank / 50 | North Carolina | 90% MOE | U.S. | Data year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average temperature | #12 | 59.6°F | Not published | Not available | 1991–2020 |
| Annual precipitation | #8 | 50.8 in | Not published | Not available | 1991–2020 |
| Land area | #29 | 48,624 sq mi | Not published | Not available | 2026 |
| Total area | #28 | 53,819 sq mi | Not published | Not available | 2026 |
Infrastructure
| Measure | Rank / 50 | North Carolina | 90% MOE | U.S. | Data year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average commute time | #25 | 25.7 min | ± 0.2 min | 27.2 min | 2024 |
| Driving alone to work | #26 | 71.6% | ± 0.4% | 69.2% | 2024 |
| Carpooling to work | #26 | 9.1% | ± 0.3% | 9.2% | 2024 |
| Public transit commuting | #30 | 0.8% | ± 0.1% | 3.7% | 2024 |
| Broadband subscriptions | #19 | 93.2% | ± 0.3% | 93.2% | 2024 |
Where population change comes from
Births minus deaths, net domestic migration, net international migration, and a residual reconcile the change between July 2024 and July 2025. Domestic migration counts net moves across state boundaries; international migration follows the Census population-estimates definition. A residual is an accounting adjustment, not another type of migration.
| State | Births | Deaths | Natural change | Domestic net | International net | Residual | Total change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 123,046 | 107,917 | 15,129 | 84,064 | 46,890 | -176 | 145,907 |
Every state passes a reconciliation check: natural change + domestic net + international net + residual = total change. Counts favor larger states; compare the domestic migration rate and international migration rate per 1,000 residents for differences in scale. Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
Population over time
North Carolina had an estimated 10,450,215 residents in July 2020 and 11,197,968 in July 2025. The difference is 747,753 people (7.16%). All years below come from Vintage 2025; older years have been revised within this release.
Chart scale: 10,450,215 to 11,197,968 residents. The vertical axis does not start at zero; use the table for the size of the change.
| July 1 | Population | Rank among 50 states |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 10,450,215 | 9 |
| 2021 | 10,565,503 | 9 |
| 2022 | 10,705,768 | 9 |
| 2023 | 10,871,849 | 9 |
| 2024 | 11,052,061 | 9 |
| 2025 | 11,197,968 | 9 |
Source: Census Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025, released January 27, 2026. These are comparable annual estimates, not a history of release-to-release revisions.