Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is North Carolina a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in North Carolina.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Tar Heel State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of North Carolina, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 100 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In North Carolina For 2025
- Wake County
- Orange County
- Currituck County
- Union County
- Cabarrus County
- Chatham County
- Moore County
- Camden County
- Dare County
- Lincoln County
Wake County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in North Carolina. And you should avoid Robeson County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in North Carolina. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in North Carolina and the cheapest places to live in North Carolina.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In North Carolina For 2025
1. Wake County
Biggest Place: Raleigh
Population: 1,151,009
Median Income: $101,763 (best)
Median Home Price: $422,800 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (20th best)
More on Wake County:
2. Orange County
Biggest Place: Durham
Population: 147,292
Median Income: $88,553 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $428,500 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (11th best)
More on Orange County:
3. Currituck County
Biggest Place: Moyock
Population: 29,612
Median Income: $91,548 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $351,200 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (4th best)
More on Currituck County:
4. Union County
Biggest Place: Indian Trail
Population: 244,975
Median Income: $99,243 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $374,400 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (22nd best)
More on Union County:
5. Cabarrus County
Biggest Place: Concord
Population: 231,262
Median Income: $86,084 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $318,600 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (33rd best)
More on Cabarrus County:
6. Chatham County
Biggest Place: Cary
Population: 78,319
Median Income: $88,534 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $397,800 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (6th best)
More on Chatham County:
7. Moore County
Biggest Place: Pinehurst
Population: 102,840
Median Income: $82,837 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $315,300 (15th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (36th best)
More on Moore County:
8. Camden County
Biggest Place: Elizabeth City
Population: 10,743
Median Income: $87,781 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $289,800 (19th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.9% (46th best)
More on Camden County:
9. Dare County
Biggest Place: Kill Devil Hills
Population: 37,534
Median Income: $81,214 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $425,400 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.9% (70th best)
More on Dare County:
10. Lincoln County
Biggest Place: Lincolnton
Population: 90,359
Median Income: $78,490 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $279,500 (2best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (10th best)
More on Lincoln County:
Methodology: How do you determine which North Carolina county is the best?
To give you the best county in North Carolina, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in North Carolina across each of the criteria from one to 100, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In North Carolina.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Tar Heel State.
We updated this article for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in North Carolina.
Read on to see why Wake County is the best county, while Robeson County is probably in contention for being the worst county in North Carolina.
Summary: The Best Counties In North Carolina To Call Home For 2025
Living in North Carolina can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in North Carolina are Wake County, Orange County, Currituck County, Union County, Cabarrus County, Chatham County, Moore County, Camden County, Dare County, and Lincoln County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in North Carolina according to the data:
- Robeson County
- Scotland County
- Anson County
For more North Carolina reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In North Carolina
- Safest Cities in North Carolina
- Richest Cities In North Carolina
- Best Counties To Live In North Carolina
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In North Carolina
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wake County | 1,151,009 | $101,763 | $422,800 |
| 2 | Orange County | 147,292 | $88,553 | $428,500 |
| 3 | Currituck County | 29,612 | $91,548 | $351,200 |
| 4 | Union County | 244,975 | $99,243 | $374,400 |
| 5 | Cabarrus County | 231,262 | $86,084 | $318,600 |
| 6 | Chatham County | 78,319 | $88,534 | $397,800 |
| 7 | Moore County | 102,840 | $82,837 | $315,300 |
| 8 | Camden County | 10,743 | $87,781 | $289,800 |
| 9 | Dare County | 37,534 | $81,214 | $425,400 |
| 10 | Lincoln County | 90,359 | $78,490 | $279,500 |
| 11 | Iredell County | 191,800 | $78,678 | $292,300 |
| 12 | Carteret County | 68,652 | $70,235 | $304,200 |
| 13 | Brunswick County | 145,889 | $74,034 | $314,700 |
| 14 | Madison County | 21,640 | $58,628 | $263,500 |
| 15 | Mecklenburg County | 1,130,906 | $83,765 | $371,200 |
| 16 | New Hanover County | 231,214 | $72,892 | $353,700 |
| 17 | Davie County | 43,526 | $73,234 | $235,300 |
| 18 | Johnston County | 226,623 | $79,838 | $267,600 |
| 19 | Durham County | 329,405 | $79,501 | $351,700 |
| 20 | Buncombe County | 271,790 | $70,578 | $360,000 |
| 21 | Haywood County | 62,432 | $61,001 | $254,900 |
| 22 | Transylvania County | 33,243 | $64,523 | $336,100 |
| 23 | Pender County | 63,475 | $76,838 | $267,100 |
| 24 | Henderson County | 117,387 | $67,623 | $317,800 |
| 25 | Craven County | 101,074 | $64,635 | $206,200 |
| 26 | Polk County | 19,689 | $61,005 | $281,100 |
| 27 | Guilford County | 542,987 | $66,027 | $234,900 |
| 28 | Pamlico County | 12,315 | $61,624 | $209,800 |
| 29 | Franklin County | 71,962 | $71,386 | $240,900 |
| 30 | Stokes County | 44,889 | $60,039 | $186,800 |
| 31 | Onslow County | 208,537 | $64,568 | $219,500 |
| 32 | Granville County | 61,439 | $70,975 | $235,700 |
| 33 | Pasquotank County | 40,830 | $63,912 | $223,300 |
| 34 | Person County | 39,275 | $64,927 | $192,800 |
| 35 | Gaston County | 231,485 | $65,472 | $235,000 |
| 36 | Alamance County | 174,286 | $64,445 | $221,200 |
| 37 | Davidson County | 171,063 | $62,426 | $200,100 |
| 38 | Stanly County | 63,557 | $61,631 | $214,300 |
| 39 | Forsyth County | 386,740 | $65,541 | $227,800 |
| 40 | Alexander County | 36,440 | $65,268 | $190,000 |
| 41 | Catawba County | 162,051 | $64,544 | $218,100 |
| 42 | Perquimans County | 13,146 | $61,224 | $211,600 |
| 43 | Harnett County | 136,503 | $69,012 | $220,700 |
| 44 | Macon County | 37,533 | $53,298 | $229,000 |
| 45 | Gates County | 10,437 | $61,612 | $163,900 |
| 46 | Clay County | 11,391 | $53,645 | $263,300 |
| 47 | Mitchell County | 14,973 | $58,089 | $202,100 |
| 48 | Rowan County | 148,487 | $63,196 | $216,100 |
| 49 | Avery County | 17,643 | $57,657 | $233,200 |
| 50 | Lee County | 64,565 | $63,060 | $213,800 |
| 51 | Yancey County | 18,676 | $54,961 | $222,300 |
| 52 | Pitt County | 172,279 | $58,851 | $194,300 |
| 53 | Cumberland County | 336,749 | $58,780 | $183,700 |
| 54 | Watauga County | 54,607 | $51,367 | $321,500 |
| 55 | Randolph County | 145,322 | $59,047 | $171,600 |
| 56 | Cherokee County | 29,197 | $51,496 | $208,700 |
| 57 | Chowan County | 13,814 | $56,982 | $204,400 |
| 58 | Yadkin County | 37,419 | $60,321 | $176,400 |
| 59 | Caldwell County | 80,618 | $55,401 | $174,000 |
| 60 | Bladen County | 29,591 | $44,528 | $125,800 |
| 61 | Mcdowell County | 44,679 | $55,527 | $168,300 |
| 62 | Ashe County | 26,831 | $50,827 | $221,900 |
| 63 | Montgomery County | 25,874 | $55,849 | $150,300 |
| 64 | Caswell County | 22,689 | $59,407 | $151,200 |
| 65 | Beaufort County | 44,597 | $57,997 | $181,200 |
| 66 | Hoke County | 53,102 | $60,095 | $196,000 |
| 67 | Nash County | 95,451 | $60,704 | $171,100 |
| 68 | Cleveland County | 100,170 | $55,769 | $180,200 |
| 69 | Jones County | 9,245 | $55,659 | $122,600 |
| 70 | Burke County | 87,863 | $55,684 | $170,500 |
| 71 | Jackson County | 43,089 | $53,479 | $253,900 |
| 72 | Wayne County | 117,606 | $58,082 | $162,700 |
| 73 | Rockingham County | 91,585 | $55,796 | $156,000 |
| 74 | Rutherford County | 64,850 | $49,771 | $180,800 |
| 75 | Surry County | 71,407 | $56,095 | $166,400 |
| 76 | Hyde County | 4,625 | $47,338 | $119,600 |
| 77 | Graham County | 8,041 | $49,038 | $155,800 |
| 78 | Columbus County | 50,453 | $48,184 | $128,300 |
| 79 | Wilkes County | 65,983 | $50,438 | $161,400 |
| 80 | Hertford County | 20,492 | $47,472 | $111,100 |
| 81 | Martin County | 21,773 | $46,793 | $109,900 |
| 82 | Alleghany County | 11,075 | $44,272 | $199,000 |
| 83 | Swain County | 14,065 | $55,429 | $209,800 |
| 84 | Northampton County | 17,212 | $47,935 | $102,200 |
| 85 | Duplin County | 49,053 | $51,880 | $123,200 |
| 86 | Wilson County | 78,648 | $51,381 | $171,800 |
| 87 | Sampson County | 59,245 | $53,159 | $128,400 |
| 88 | Warren County | 18,751 | $45,279 | $124,700 |
| 89 | Edgecombe County | 48,777 | $48,480 | $116,800 |
| 90 | Vance County | 42,361 | $46,943 | $146,300 |
| 91 | Washington County | 10,905 | $41,750 | $107,000 |
| 92 | Richmond County | 42,818 | $43,626 | $120,800 |
| 93 | Tyrrell County | 3,376 | $43,952 | $138,400 |
| 94 | Lenoir County | 54,917 | $44,795 | $111,400 |
| 95 | Halifax County | 48,219 | $45,071 | $102,500 |
| 96 | Bertie County | 17,482 | $45,931 | $95,800 |
| 97 | Greene County | 20,421 | $50,904 | $114,000 |
| 98 | Anson County | 21,903 | $44,245 | $119,300 |
| 99 | Scotland County | 34,353 | $43,500 | $109,900 |
| 100 | Robeson County | 116,858 | $40,318 | $88,600 |