Like all states, North Carolina has certain places that are going on hard times. These North Carolina places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.
Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in North Carolina.
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 138 cities in North Carolina with more than 5,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Poorest Places In North Carolina For 2024:
What’s the poorest city in North Carolina? According to the facts, Boone is the poorest place in North Carolina for 2024.
This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.
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
- The poorest states in the US
- The poorest cities in the US
The 10 Poorest Cities In North Carolina For 2024
1. Boone
/10
Population: 19,368
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $28,242 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 55.9% (highest)
People In Poverty: 10,826
More on Boone: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Boone, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in North Carolina thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 19,368 people averages the lowest median household income in North Carolina and the highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.
2. Forest City
/10
Population: 7,357
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 2)
Median Income: $35,232 (7th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 38.9% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 2,864
More on Forest City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The second poorest city in North Carolina is Forest City.
The city ranks as having the 2nd highest incidence of poverty and 7th lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 8th highest in the Tar Heel State.
3. Mount Airy
/10
Population: 10,621
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 4)
Median Income: $34,089 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.7% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,362
More on Mount Airy: Data | Cost Of Living
Placing as the third poorest city, Mount Airy’s median income ranks as the 4th lowest.
And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 31.66% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.
But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Tar Heel State.
4. Reidsville
/10
Population: 14,526
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 8)
Median Income: $35,061 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 29.8% (7th highest)
People In Poverty: 4,324
More on Reidsville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Reidsville ranks as the fourth poorest place in North Carolina.
The town ranks as having the 6th lowest median household income and the 7th highest incidence of poverty in the state.
That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.
5. Laurinburg
/10
Population: 14,971
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 1)
Median Income: $38,015 (12th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 33.8% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 5,064
More on Laurinburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The fifth poorest city in North Carolina is Laurinburg.
The city ranks as having the 12th lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 3rd highest in North Carolina.
Still not the best news for Laurinburg.
6. Selma
/10
Population: 6,449
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 3)
Median Income: $29,325 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 27.3% (14th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,759
More on Selma: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Selma ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Tar Heel State.
It ranks as having the 14th highest incidence of poverty and the 73rd highest unemployment rate.
7. Kinston
/10
Population: 19,704
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 3)
Median Income: $35,653 (8th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 28.2% (10th highest)
People In Poverty: 5,564
More on Kinston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Kinston places as the seventh poorest city in North Carolina.
The city of over 19,704 ranks as having the 10th highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.
8. Roxboro
/10
Population: 8,131
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 3)
Median Income: $39,787 (15th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 32.2% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,618
More on Roxboro: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Roxboro ranks as the eighth poorest city in North Carolina.
The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as one of the highest in the state.
9. Williamston
/10
Population: 5,224
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 5)
Median Income: $41,182 (16th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 32.8% (4th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,713
More on Williamston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Williamston couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in North Carolina; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 16th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Williamston ranks as having the 4th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in North Carolina.
10. Smithfield
/10
Population: 11,527
Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Median Income: $37,000 (10th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 27.8% (13th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,204
More on Smithfield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in North Carolina is Smithfield.
The city of 11,527 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Tar Heel State.
Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In North Carolina for 2024
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.
However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2018-2022 American Community Survey:
- Poverty Level
- Median Household Income
After we collected the data for all 138 places with more than 5,000 people in North Carolina, we ranked each place from 1 to 138 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, Boone, crowned the “Poorest Place In North Carolina For 2024”.
This report has been updated for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in North Carolina.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In North Carolina For 2024
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in North Carolina, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in North Carolina.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in North Carolina, according to data:
- Richest: Weddington
2nd Richest: Rolesville
3rd Richest: Harrisburg
For more North Carolina reading, check out:
- 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
Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In North Carolina
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Rate | Median Income | People In Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boone | 19,368 | 55.9% | $28,242 | 10,826 |
| 2 | Forest City | 7,357 | 38.9% | $35,232 | 2,864 |
| 3 | Mount Airy | 10,621 | 31.7% | $34,089 | 3,362 |
| 4 | Reidsville | 14,526 | 29.8% | $35,061 | 4,324 |
| 5 | Laurinburg | 14,971 | 33.8% | $38,015 | 5,064 |
| 6 | Selma | 6,449 | 27.3% | $29,325 | 1,759 |
| 7 | Kinston | 19,704 | 28.2% | $35,653 | 5,564 |
| 8 | Roxboro | 8,131 | 32.2% | $39,787 | 2,618 |
| 9 | Williamston | 5,224 | 32.8% | $41,182 | 1,713 |
| 10 | Smithfield | 11,527 | 27.8% | $37,000 | 3,204 |
| 11 | Rockingham | 9,174 | 28.2% | $38,750 | 2,585 |
| 12 | Lumberton | 19,099 | 29.4% | $41,314 | 5,611 |
| 13 | Hamlet | 6,043 | 25.1% | $34,798 | 1,517 |
| 14 | Wadesboro | 5,004 | 24.2% | $32,022 | 1,209 |
| 15 | Henderson | 14,997 | 26.6% | $37,670 | 3,983 |
| 16 | Clinton | 8,362 | 25.5% | $38,880 | 2,129 |
| 17 | Oxford | 8,685 | 25.6% | $42,016 | 2,221 |
| 18 | Lexington | 19,595 | 21.0% | $36,868 | 4,116 |
| 19 | Tarboro | 10,696 | 24.0% | $43,523 | 2,563 |
| 20 | Washington | 9,759 | 23.0% | $42,821 | 2,245 |
| 21 | Siler City | 7,847 | 28.9% | $48,374 | 2,264 |
| 22 | Kings Mountain | 11,246 | 26.1% | $45,301 | 2,938 |
| 23 | Morganton | 17,457 | 28.0% | $47,715 | 4,887 |
| 24 | Dunn | 8,549 | 21.6% | $41,843 | 1,846 |
| 25 | Eden | 15,349 | 22.2% | $43,607 | 3,402 |
| 26 | Greenville | 87,894 | 25.2% | $47,485 | 22,184 |
| 27 | Asheboro | 27,117 | 21.6% | $44,405 | 5,865 |
| 28 | Mocksville | 5,908 | 23.7% | $46,553 | 1,399 |
| 29 | Wilson | 47,767 | 23.9% | $46,891 | 11,440 |
| 30 | Lincolnton | 11,225 | 19.3% | $41,614 | 2,169 |
| 31 | Spring Lake | 11,710 | 21.4% | $44,447 | 2,504 |
| 32 | Goldsboro | 33,566 | 20.9% | $44,196 | 7,028 |
| 33 | Salisbury | 35,437 | 23.3% | $48,888 | 8,263 |
| 34 | Marion | 7,652 | 21.8% | $48,520 | 1,665 |
| 35 | Roanoke Rapids | 15,143 | 20.4% | $45,732 | 3,087 |
| 36 | Thomasville | 27,130 | 20.6% | $48,457 | 5,602 |
| 37 | Brevard | 7,777 | 15.5% | $42,843 | 1,205 |
| 38 | Waynesville | 10,307 | 18.1% | $44,920 | 1,864 |
| 39 | Albemarle | 16,444 | 21.6% | $51,673 | 3,550 |
| 40 | Shelby | 21,712 | 18.3% | $46,176 | 3,968 |
| 41 | Rocky Mount | 54,260 | 19.6% | $50,092 | 10,651 |
| 42 | Sanford | 30,373 | 21.5% | $52,951 | 6,533 |
| 43 | Lenoir | 18,301 | 16.0% | $44,802 | 2,928 |
| 44 | Elizabeth City | 18,570 | 18.9% | $50,155 | 3,519 |
| 45 | Ayden | 5,002 | 20.9% | $53,000 | 1,047 |
| 46 | Graham | 17,136 | 19.1% | $51,482 | 3,281 |
| 47 | Bessemer City | 5,472 | 14.2% | $44,440 | 779 |
| 48 | Statesville | 28,576 | 18.5% | $51,784 | 5,283 |
| 49 | Burlington | 56,951 | 18.7% | $52,963 | 10,655 |
| 50 | Fayetteville | 208,697 | 18.8% | $53,424 | 39,130 |
| 51 | Hendersonville | 15,102 | 16.6% | $50,198 | 2,503 |
| 52 | Long View | 5,029 | 13.1% | $44,740 | 657 |
| 53 | Nashville | 5,624 | 21.9% | $61,513 | 1,229 |
| 54 | Jacksonville | 71,908 | 15.4% | $50,185 | 11,109 |
| 55 | Winston-Salem | 249,571 | 18.4% | $54,416 | 45,946 |
| 56 | Elon | 11,161 | 25.0% | $73,597 | 2,794 |
| 57 | Greensboro | 297,202 | 18.1% | $55,051 | 53,644 |
| 58 | Morehead City | 9,632 | 15.4% | $51,716 | 1,479 |
| 59 | New Bern | 31,373 | 16.5% | $55,673 | 5,189 |
| 60 | Hope Mills | 17,671 | 16.2% | $57,864 | 2,869 |
| 61 | Hickory | 43,352 | 16.6% | $58,251 | 7,192 |
| 62 | Conover | 8,457 | 10.8% | $49,978 | 915 |
| 63 | Wilmington | 116,933 | 17.8% | $58,908 | 20,802 |
| 64 | Pineville | 10,532 | 14.0% | $55,450 | 1,475 |
| 65 | Zebulon | 7,421 | 11.7% | $50,934 | 864 |
| 66 | Havelock | 16,759 | 13.8% | $56,492 | 2,317 |
| 67 | High Point | 114,120 | 15.4% | $58,582 | 17,563 |
| 68 | Gastonia | 80,615 | 14.7% | $58,047 | 11,882 |
| 69 | Cherryville | 6,113 | 13.7% | $57,137 | 836 |
| 70 | Newton | 13,173 | 13.3% | $57,918 | 1,752 |
| 71 | Woodfin | 7,901 | 14.4% | $59,144 | 1,140 |
| 72 | Sawmills | 5,026 | 14.7% | $63,388 | 737 |
| 73 | Butner | 8,374 | 15.4% | $68,604 | 1,292 |
| 74 | Angier | 5,348 | 9.3% | $54,936 | 495 |
| 75 | Asheville | 93,695 | 13.3% | $63,810 | 12,480 |
| 76 | Chapel Hill | 58,919 | 18.6% | $85,940 | 10,941 |
| 77 | Kernersville | 27,177 | 12.2% | $66,151 | 3,307 |
| 78 | Dallas | 5,889 | 9.0% | $55,979 | 528 |
| 79 | Monroe | 34,897 | 11.7% | $63,982 | 4,082 |
| 80 | Kannapolis | 53,314 | 11.7% | $66,487 | 6,227 |
| 81 | Walke | 5,706 | 9.0% | $58,900 | 515 |
| 82 | Durham | 284,094 | 12.6% | $74,710 | 35,824 |
| 83 | Boiling Spring Lakes | 6,032 | 8.1% | $57,969 | 486 |
| 84 | Charlotte | 875,045 | 11.7% | $74,070 | 102,380 |
| 85 | Trinity | 7,012 | 10.4% | $70,368 | 732 |
| 86 | Carrboro | 21,242 | 11.7% | $76,933 | 2,493 |
| 87 | Raleigh | 465,517 | 11.8% | $78,631 | 54,977 |
| 88 | Aberdeen | 8,674 | 8.1% | $69,758 | 704 |
| 89 | Archdale | 11,873 | 7.4% | $63,627 | 880 |
| 90 | Mount Holly | 17,644 | 8.3% | $73,923 | 1,462 |
| 91 | Southern Pines | 15,701 | 9.8% | $81,867 | 1,530 |
| 92 | Mebane | 17,899 | 9.1% | $78,419 | 1,634 |
| 93 | Clayton | 26,837 | 7.8% | $71,698 | 2,104 |
| 94 | Belmont | 14,842 | 10.3% | $84,274 | 1,530 |
| 95 | King | 7,210 | 5.0% | $59,770 | 357 |
| 96 | Lewisville | 13,509 | 9.4% | $86,641 | 1,271 |
| 97 | Kill Devil Hills | 7,658 | 6.6% | $73,036 | 506 |
| 98 | Fletcher | 8,000 | 7.3% | $74,483 | 584 |
| 99 | Oak Island | 8,564 | 9.1% | $85,513 | 779 |
| 100 | Fuquay-Varina | 35,428 | 10.6% | $94,142 | 3,755 |