The unfortunate fact of the matter is that some places in the Tar Heel State have a larger percent of their population that never graduated from high school.
While the emphasis on going to college might be overblown, the fact is that not graduating from high school puts you at a significant disadvantage on average. Educational attainment might not be the best way to measure one person’s intelligence, but it does shine a light on the state.
We will use Saturday Night Science to determine what places in North Carolina have the highest percentage of adults without a high school degree.
A recent study we published found that North Carolina is the 28th smartest state in the United States, with an average IQ of 99.
But that doesn’t mean that a few cities in North Carolina are a bit slower than others due to a lack of basic education.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Dumbest Places In North Carolina
Don’t freak out.
Some places are just smarter than others, but that says nothing about the character of the people living there. It’s another data point a real estate agent would never tell you.
For this ranking, we only looked at cities with populations greater than 5,000, leaving us 133 cities in North Carolina to rank. You can take a look at the data below.
For more North Carolina reading, check out:
The 10 Dumbest Places In North Carolina For 2025
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 23.0%
% Highly Educated: 13.0%
More on Williamston: Data
/10
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 21.0%
% Highly Educated: 13.0%
More on Lexington: Data
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 21.0%
% Highly Educated: 15.0%
More on Sawmills: Data
/10
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 18.0%
% Highly Educated: 16.0%
More on Thomasville: Data
/10
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 17.0%
% Highly Educated: 17.0%
More on Kinston: Data
/10
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 17.0%
% Highly Educated: 17.0%
More on Henderson: Data
Methodology: How we determined the dumbest cities in the Tar Heel State
We realize that formal education is only part of it when it comes to being intelligent, but on the other hand, knowing the difference between they’re, their, and there is always going to make you look pretty stupid.
So, we used Saturday Night Science to narrow down our criteria to focus on a city’s educational opportunities and what percentage of the population takes advantage of those opportunities.
In short, we came up with these criteria to determine the dumbest cities in North Carolina:
- % of the city’s population with less than a high school education (Age 25+)
- % of city’s population with a college degree (Age 25+)
We got the data from the U.S. Census 2019-2023 American Community Survey.
Then, our algorithm generates a rank for each place in these categories. After crunching all the numbers, a ranking of the cities in North Carolina from dumbest to brightest.
For this ranking, we used every North Carolina city with at least 5,000 residents. We updated this article for 2025, and it’s our tenth time ranking the dumbest cities in North Carolina.
There You Have It – Now That You’re Asleep
If you’re measuring the locations in North Carolina where there are a high number of dropouts and adults who never received a formal education, this is an accurate ranking.
The dumbest cities in North Carolina are Williamston, Marion, Lexington, Sawmills, Selma, Thomasville, Hamlet, Kinston, Eden, and Henderson.
If you’re also curious enough, here are the smartest places in North Carolina, according to science:
- Weddington
- Davidson
- Morrisville
For more North Carolina reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In North Carolina
- Cheapest Places To Live In North Carolina
- Most Dangerous Cities In North Carolina
- Richest Cities In North Carolina
- Safest Cities in North Carolina
- Worst Places To Live In North Carolina
- Most Expensive Places To Live In North Carolina
Dumbest Cities In North Carolina For 2025
| Rank | City | Population | % Adult High School Dropout | % Highly Educated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williamston, NC | 5,157 | 23.0% | 13.0% |
| 2 | Marion, NC | 7,594 | 22.0% | 14.0% |
| 3 | Lexington, NC | 19,691 | 21.0% | 13.0% |
| 4 | Sawmills, NC | 5,027 | 21.0% | 15.0% |
| 5 | Selma, NC | 6,611 | 18.0% | 13.0% |
| 6 | Thomasville, NC | 27,261 | 18.0% | 16.0% |
| 7 | Hamlet, NC | 6,000 | 16.0% | 9.0% |
| 8 | Kinston, NC | 19,576 | 17.0% | 17.0% |
| 9 | Eden, NC | 15,353 | 16.0% | 14.0% |
| 10 | Henderson, NC | 14,922 | 17.0% | 17.0% |
| 11 | Lumberton, NC | 19,220 | 21.0% | 21.0% |
| 12 | Monroe, NC | 35,596 | 19.0% | 21.0% |
| 13 | Asheboro, NC | 27,353 | 17.0% | 20.0% |
| 14 | Morganton, NC | 17,541 | 24.0% | 23.0% |
| 15 | Lenoir, NC | 18,282 | 16.0% | 20.0% |
| 16 | Laurinburg, NC | 15,079 | 15.0% | 20.0% |
| 17 | Clinton, NC | 8,336 | 17.0% | 22.0% |
| 18 | Butner, NC | 7,996 | 23.0% | 25.0% |
| 19 | Rockingham, NC | 9,094 | 13.0% | 19.0% |
| 20 | Newton, NC | 13,223 | 13.0% | 19.0% |
| 21 | Sanford, NC | 30,833 | 19.0% | 23.0% |
| 22 | Roxboro, NC | 8,144 | 15.0% | 21.0% |
| 23 | Reidsville, NC | 14,547 | 17.0% | 22.0% |
| 24 | Locust, NC | 5,529 | 13.0% | 20.0% |
| 25 | Rocky Mount, NC | 54,175 | 14.0% | 21.0% |
| 26 | Dallas, NC | 6,012 | 15.0% | 22.0% |
| 27 | Zebulon, NC | 7,961 | 20.0% | 25.0% |
| 28 | Smithfield, NC | 11,798 | 22.0% | 26.0% |
| 29 | Kings Mountain, NC | 11,472 | 12.0% | 18.0% |
| 30 | Oxford, NC | 8,897 | 13.0% | 21.0% |
| 31 | Roanoke Rapids, NC | 15,024 | 13.0% | 22.0% |
| 32 | Angier, NC | 5,746 | 21.0% | 27.0% |
| 33 | Lincolnton, NC | 11,503 | 12.0% | 20.0% |
| 34 | Conover, NC | 8,491 | 14.0% | 23.0% |
| 35 | Graham, NC | 17,537 | 14.0% | 23.0% |
| 36 | Mount Airy, NC | 10,631 | 16.0% | 25.0% |
| 37 | Wilson, NC | 47,740 | 14.0% | 24.0% |
| 38 | Trinity, NC | 7,066 | 11.0% | 20.0% |
| 39 | Washington, NC | 9,754 | 12.0% | 22.0% |
| 40 | Albemarle, NC | 16,527 | 12.0% | 22.0% |
| 41 | Ayden, NC | 5,035 | 11.0% | 21.0% |
| 42 | Archdale, NC | 11,992 | 12.0% | 23.0% |
| 43 | Goldsboro, NC | 33,448 | 11.0% | 22.0% |
| 44 | Dunn, NC | 8,512 | 11.0% | 22.0% |
| 45 | Mocksville, NC | 6,001 | 12.0% | 25.0% |
| 46 | Burlington, NC | 58,599 | 14.0% | 29.0% |
| 47 | Salisbury, NC | 35,730 | 13.0% | 27.0% |
| 48 | Tarboro, NC | 10,705 | 12.0% | 25.0% |
| 49 | Statesville, NC | 29,161 | 13.0% | 28.0% |
| 50 | Kannapolis, NC | 56,470 | 12.0% | 27.0% |
| 51 | Havelock, NC | 16,471 | 6.0% | 17.0% |
| 52 | Waynesville, NC | 10,408 | 13.0% | 32.0% |
| 53 | High Point, NC | 115,263 | 13.0% | 34.0% |
| 54 | Gastonia, NC | 81,632 | 12.0% | 27.0% |
| 55 | Hickory, NC | 43,747 | 12.0% | 35.0% |
| 56 | Spring Lake, NC | 11,613 | 8.0% | 25.0% |
| 57 | Boiling Spring Lakes, NC | 6,206 | 6.0% | 20.0% |
| 58 | Cherryville, NC | 6,154 | 8.0% | 25.0% |
| 59 | Hope Mills, NC | 17,823 | 7.0% | 24.0% |
| 60 | Archer Lodge, NC | 5,036 | 11.0% | 32.0% |
| 61 | Shelby, NC | 21,868 | 9.0% | 28.0% |
| 62 | Nashville, NC | 5,672 | 7.0% | 25.0% |
| 63 | New Bern, NC | 31,563 | 8.0% | 30.0% |
| 64 | Unionville, NC | 6,826 | 7.0% | 26.0% |
| 65 | Greensboro, NC | 298,564 | 11.0% | 39.0% |
| 66 | Wendell, NC | 11,585 | 9.0% | 37.0% |
| 67 | Mount Holly, NC | 17,928 | 9.0% | 37.0% |
| 68 | King, NC | 7,345 | 7.0% | 27.0% |
| 69 | Winston-Salem, NC | 250,887 | 10.0% | 38.0% |
| 70 | Wesley Chapel, NC | 8,923 | 11.0% | 42.0% |
| 71 | Kernersville, NC | 27,439 | 8.0% | 36.0% |
| 72 | Mint Hill, NC | 26,954 | 8.0% | 38.0% |
| 73 | Concord, NC | 106,518 | 10.0% | 41.0% |
| 74 | Indian Trail, NC | 41,146 | 8.0% | 41.0% |
| 75 | Jacksonville, NC | 73,507 | 5.0% | 25.0% |
| 76 | Woodfin, NC | 7,957 | 11.0% | 47.0% |
| 77 | Fletcher, NC | 8,022 | 7.0% | 39.0% |
| 78 | Greenville, NC | 88,540 | 7.0% | 39.0% |
| 79 | Winterville, NC | 10,624 | 8.0% | 42.0% |
| 80 | Charlotte, NC | 886,283 | 10.0% | 47.0% |
| 81 | Gibsonville, NC | 9,289 | 7.0% | 38.0% |
| 82 | Hendersonville, NC | 15,253 | 7.0% | 38.0% |
| 83 | Belmont, NC | 15,140 | 8.0% | 45.0% |
| 84 | Brevard, NC | 7,795 | 6.0% | 37.0% |
| 85 | Fayetteville, NC | 209,692 | 5.0% | 29.0% |
| 86 | Clayton, NC | 28,043 | 6.0% | 36.0% |
| 87 | Aberdeen, NC | 8,969 | 5.0% | 35.0% |
| 88 | Wilmington, NC | 118,578 | 7.0% | 45.0% |
| 89 | Pineville, NC | 10,780 | 7.0% | 46.0% |
| 90 | Kill Devil Hills, NC | 7,727 | 6.0% | 43.0% |
| 91 | Mebane, NC | 18,899 | 6.0% | 41.0% |
| 92 | Mills River, NC | 7,214 | 6.0% | 42.0% |
| 93 | Durham, NC | 288,465 | 8.0% | 56.0% |
| 94 | Southern Pines, NC | 16,052 | 7.0% | 54.0% |
| 95 | Raleigh, NC | 470,763 | 7.0% | 54.0% |
| 96 | Clemmons, NC | 21,574 | 6.0% | 49.0% |
| 97 | Leland, NC | 26,307 | 4.0% | 39.0% |
| 98 | Lewisville, NC | 13,655 | 5.0% | 44.0% |
| 99 | Black Mountain, NC | 8,462 | 7.0% | 59.0% |
| 100 | Mooresville, NC | 51,447 | 5.0% | 45.0% |
This is absurd, at least in regard to Cary. Cary is where the majority of the Research Triangle Park’s highest level employees have settled for a few decades now. In fact, they are the reason it quickly grew from a tiny suburb of Raleigh to one of the largest cities in the state. Cary residents are among the most degreed in the southeast. Whoever did this analysis needs to either recheck their data, reconsider their perspective on what makes a city or an individual ‘dumb’, or just examine their own motives.
They used “science and data.” How about trying some common sense and actual knowledge of the region instead? Aside from a handful of very good private schools, Cary doesn’t even have schools that are separate from the system that includes Raleigh, which isn’t on this list. I lived in Cary for several years, and no way should it be put in the same category as cities like Wilson and Burnsville. This is b.s.
How did Mount Airy , Dobson, Elkin and Pilot Mountain, and king. Not take the top 5 spots
Dobson, Elkin, and Pilot Mountain were too small for the survey.
Mount Airy is OK considering the parameters used. However, these parameters are absurd. (consider Cary, NC…should not be on this list at all)
I’m not surprised and totally agree..with the lake Norman area but the NCDOT has a lot to do with this situation! They’ve refused to give this area the funds to fix its infrastructure and yet allow it to continue to grow and grow and grow. So really NCDOT is to blame for allowing the fast growing area to fail miserable in an attempt to push people to settle in Raleigh instead. Also, the fact that Mecklenburg Co is in control of “all” the schools instead of dividing it up into districts and allowing those districts to be in charge and have Taxes distributed accordingly plays a huge role these areas having the worse school systems or lack there of!
Huntersville has 41 public schools that serve it’s population…you know, pretty solid property tax base there. This truly is the dumbest and most pointless article I have read in quite sometime.
The problem with many of the cities on this list (especially Huntersville and Cary) is that they don’t take into account that those cities are part of a county school system and there may be only a couple of schools physically located in that city limits, bringing its “rating” down. This is a completely ridiculous article.
Yay for Hillsborough! I have nothing more to say.
I moved to Laurinburg,NC a few years ago(personal/maritial &family reasons). I grew up around, & in the Washington,D.C area. It is absolutley chilling how F’stupid people are here in southern NC compared to the rest of the country. I have traveled to all the (inner)48 states, & I don’t make this statement lightly. To give specifics, I would have to have a reason worth while. It’s exhausting enough just trying to coexist w/these people.
Wikipedia is not up to date. Huntersville has 11 public schools and 6 private K+ with three of them being a 10 on great schools rating system.
Roc on l0l