Ranking of North Carolina Cities and Places By Poverty Rate in 2021 (ACS-5Yrs)
Based on the US Census ACS-5Yrs estimates, in 2021, the Poverty Rate for North Carolina was 13.67%. Among all North Carolina cities and places with a population of at least 10K, Boone town had the highest poverty rate (55.31%), followed by Laurinburg city (33.22%), and Lumberton city (31.07%). On the other hand, the following 3 cities and places had the lowest poverty rate: Weddington town (2.12%), Lake Norman of Iredell CDP (2.58%), and Harrisburg town (2.84%).
The chart below shows the top 10 North Carolina cities and places with a population of 10K+ and a high poverty rate, and the table below shows the ranking of all North Carolina cities and places with a population of 10K+.
You can also see similar ranking of cities and places for other states as well as for the whole United States.
| Rank | City | Poverty Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boone town | 55.31 |
| 2 | Laurinburg city | 33.22 |
| 3 | Lumberton city | 31.07 |
| 4 | Smithfield town | 30.03 |
| 5 | Mount Airy city | 29.28 |
| 6 | Reidsville city | 28.51 |
| 7 | Kinston city | 27.88 |
| 8 | Morganton city | 27.01 |
| 9 | Greenville city | 26.23 |
| 10 | Henderson city | 25.63 |
| 11 | Lexington city | 24.91 |
| 12 | Elon town | 24.53 |
| 13 | Tarboro town | 24.52 |
| 14 | Goldsboro city | 24.10 |
| 15 | Albemarle city | 23.94 |
| 16 | Graham city | 23.73 |
| 17 | Salisbury city | 23.68 |
| 18 | Asheboro city | 23.09 |
| 19 | Spring Lake town | 22.07 |
| 20 | Lincolnton city | 21.63 |
| 21 | Wilson city | 21.32 |
| 22 | Elizabeth City city | 21.24 |
| 23 | Kings Mountain city | 20.68 |
| 24 | Roanoke Rapids city | 20.42 |
| 25 | Thomasville city | 19.92 |
| 26 | Eden city | 19.80 |
| 27 | Chapel Hill town | 19.65 |
| 28 | Statesville city | 19.56 |
| 29 | Waynesville town | 19.52 |
| 30 | New Bern city | 19.08 |
| 31 | Fayetteville city | 19.07 |
| 32 | Shelby city | 19.02 |
| 33 | Winston-Salem city | 18.99 |
| 34 | Rocky Mount city | 18.93 |
| 35 | Wilmington city | 18.75 |
| 36 | Sanford city | 18.48 |
| 37 | Greensboro city | 17.44 |
| 38 | Burlington city | 17.21 |
| 39 | Lenoir city | 17.08 |
| 40 | Hickory city | 16.69 |
| 41 | Anderson Creek CDP | 16.29 |
| 42 | Jacksonville city | 16.28 |
| 43 | Hope Mills town | 15.76 |
| 44 | Hendersonville city | 15.11 |
| 45 | Belmont city | 14.79 |
| 46 | High Point city | 14.57 |
| 47 | Gastonia city | 14.37 |
| 48 | Piney Green CDP | 14.14 |
| 49 | Monroe city | 13.60 |
| 50 | Durham city | 13.54 |
| 51 | Pineville town | 13.14 |
| 52 | Havelock city | 13.08 |
| 53 | Kannapolis city | 12.83 |
| 54 | Asheville city | 12.38 |
| 55 | Raleigh city | 12.12 |
| 56 | Carrboro town | 12.05 |
| 57 | Charlotte city | 11.64 |
| 58 | Fuquay-Varina town | 11.57 |
| 59 | Kernersville town | 11.47 |
| 60 | Lewisville town | 10.35 |
| 61 | Newton city | 10.27 |
| 62 | Southern Pines town | 10.11 |
| 63 | Mebane city | 10.04 |
| 64 | Mount Holly city | 9.32 |
| 65 | Garner town | 8.44 |
| 66 | Concord city | 8.29 |
| 67 | Mooresville town | 8.19 |
| 68 | Mint Hill town | 7.91 |
| 69 | Clayton town | 7.82 |
| 70 | Summerfield town | 7.43 |
| 71 | Archdale city | 7.26 |
| 72 | Cornelius town | 6.60 |
| 73 | Davidson town | 6.48 |
| 74 | Winterville town | 6.35 |
| 75 | Spout Springs CDP | 6.06 |
| 76 | Cary town | 5.67 |
| 77 | Stallings town | 5.56 |
| 78 | Clemmons village | 5.36 |
| 79 | Murraysville CDP | 5.29 |
| 80 | Knightdale town | 5.06 |
| 81 | Myrtle Grove CDP | 4.94 |
| 82 | Matthews town | 4.60 |
| 83 | Leland town | 4.32 |
| 84 | Pinehurst village | 4.21 |
| 85 | Huntersville town | 4.20 |
| 86 | Morrisville town | 4.11 |
| 87 | Holly Springs town | 4.05 |
| 88 | Waxhaw town | 3.64 |
| 89 | Indian Trail town | 3.53 |
| 90 | Apex town | 3.30 |
| 91 | Wake Forest town | 3.28 |
| 92 | Harrisburg town | 2.84 |
| 93 | Lake Norman of Iredell CDP | 2.58 |
| 94 | Weddington town | 2.12 |