| | County Economic Status, FY 2017 | Three-Year Average Unemployment Rate, 2012–2014 | Per Capita Market Income, 2014 | Poverty Rate, 2010–2014 | Three-Year Avg. Unemp. Rate, Percent of U.S. Avg., 2012–2014 | Per Capita Market Income, Percent of U.S. Average, 2014 | PCMI, Percent of U.S. Avg., Inversed, 2014 | Poverty Rate, Percent of U.S. Average, 2010–2014 | Composite Index Value, FY 2017 | Index Value Rank (of 3,113 counties in U.S., 1 is the best), FY 2017 | Quartile (1 is the best), FY 2017 |
|
| United States | - | 7.2% | $38,117 | 15.6% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | - | - | - |
| Appalachian Region | - | 7.5% | $28,317 | 17.2% | 104.1% | 74.3% | 134.6% | 110.2% | - | - | - |
| North Carolina | - | 7.8% | $31,331 | 17.6% | 107.7% | 82.2% | 121.7% | 112.7% | - | - | - |
| Appalachian North Carolina | - | 7.6% | $26,046 | 19.1% | 105.6% | 68.3% | 146.3% | 122.3% | - | - | - |
|
| County |
| Alexander | Transitional | 7.6% | $24,736 | 16.8% | 105.5% | 64.9% | 154.1% | 108.0% | 122.6 | 1,919 | 3 |
| Alleghany | At-Risk | 8.6% | $21,832 | 21.2% | 120.1% | 57.3% | 174.6% | 135.7% | 143.4 | 2,473 | 4 |
| Ashe | At-Risk | 8.8% | $21,406 | 20.5% | 122.5% | 56.2% | 178.1% | 131.5% | 144.0 | 2,485 | 4 |
| Avery | Transitional | 8.6% | $21,946 | 18.2% | 119.3% | 57.6% | 173.7% | 117.0% | 136.7 | 2,322 | 3 |
| Buncombe | Transitional | 5.9% | $29,737 | 16.5% | 81.8% | 78.0% | 128.2% | 105.8% | 105.3 | 1,341 | 2 |
| Burke | At-Risk | 8.1% | $22,853 | 20.7% | 112.5% | 60.0% | 166.8% | 132.9% | 137.4 | 2,340 | 4 |
| Caldwell | At-Risk | 9.4% | $21,007 | 20.5% | 130.4% | 55.1% | 181.5% | 131.4% | 147.8 | 2,561 | 4 |
| Cherokee | At-Risk | 9.0% | $16,480 | 19.4% | 125.6% | 43.2% | 231.3% | 124.3% | 160.4 | 2,783 | 4 |
| Clay | Distressed | 8.4% | $17,114 | 23.6% | 117.2% | 44.9% | 222.7% | 151.1% | 163.7 | 2,831 | 4 |
| Davie | Transitional | 7.3% | $31,844 | 14.4% | 101.8% | 83.5% | 119.7% | 92.4% | 104.6 | 1,323 | 2 |
| Forsyth | Transitional | 7.4% | $33,709 | 19.1% | 102.4% | 88.4% | 113.1% | 122.3% | 112.6 | 1,608 | 3 |
| Graham | Distressed | 15.2% | $17,991 | 21.4% | 211.6% | 47.2% | 211.9% | 137.3% | 186.9 | 3,016 | 4 |
| Haywood | Transitional | 7.4% | $23,191 | 15.8% | 102.4% | 60.8% | 164.4% | 101.2% | 122.7 | 1,924 | 3 |
| Henderson | Transitional | 6.1% | $25,765 | 14.8% | 84.6% | 67.6% | 147.9% | 94.9% | 109.2 | 1,497 | 2 |
| Jackson | At-Risk | 8.4% | $23,192 | 22.3% | 116.4% | 60.8% | 164.4% | 143.2% | 141.3 | 2,442 | 4 |
| Macon | At-Risk | 8.7% | $23,303 | 20.7% | 121.1% | 61.1% | 163.6% | 133.0% | 139.2 | 2,390 | 4 |
| Madison | At-Risk | 7.8% | $19,491 | 18.2% | 108.1% | 51.1% | 195.6% | 116.9% | 140.2 | 2,417 | 4 |
| McDowell | At-Risk | 8.7% | $19,485 | 20.2% | 120.3% | 51.1% | 195.6% | 129.4% | 148.4 | 2,573 | 4 |
| Mitchell | At-Risk | 10.2% | $19,413 | 19.6% | 141.5% | 50.9% | 196.4% | 125.5% | 154.4 | 2,693 | 4 |
| Polk | Transitional | 6.7% | $27,532 | 13.4% | 92.4% | 72.2% | 138.4% | 85.8% | 105.6 | 1,350 | 2 |
| Rutherford | Distressed | 10.9% | $18,642 | 21.0% | 151.5% | 48.9% | 204.5% | 134.3% | 163.4 | 2,829 | 4 |
| Stokes | Transitional | 7.5% | $23,106 | 17.1% | 104.4% | 60.6% | 165.0% | 109.5% | 126.3 | 2,030 | 3 |
| Surry | Transitional | 8.0% | $23,827 | 19.8% | 110.9% | 62.5% | 160.0% | 127.3% | 132.7 | 2,209 | 3 |
| Swain | Distressed | 11.9% | $19,840 | 27.7% | 165.8% | 52.1% | 192.1% | 177.5% | 178.5 | 2,976 | 4 |
| Transylvania | Transitional | 7.3% | $22,989 | 13.8% | 101.8% | 60.3% | 165.8% | 88.3% | 118.6 | 1,799 | 3 |
| Watauga | At-Risk | 6.3% | $24,821 | 32.1% | 87.5% | 65.1% | 153.6% | 205.9% | 149.0 | 2,587 | 4 |
| Wilkes | At-Risk | 8.6% | $20,996 | 24.3% | 119.3% | 55.1% | 181.5% | 156.0% | 152.3 | 2,652 | 4 |
| Yadkin | Transitional | 7.3% | $22,865 | 19.4% | 101.9% | 60.0% | 166.7% | 124.3% | 131.0 | 2,162 | 3 |
| Yancey | At-Risk | 8.9% | $19,219 | 21.5% | 123.7% | 50.4% | 198.3% | 138.0% | 153.3 | 2,667 | 4 |
