| | County Economic Status, FY 2021 | Three-Year Average Unemployment Rate, 2016–2018 | Per Capita Market Income, 2018 | Poverty Rate, 2014–2018 | Three-Year Avg. Unemp. Rate, Percent of U.S. Avg., 2016–2018 | Per Capita Market Income, Percent of U.S. Average, 2018 | PCMI, Percent of U.S. Avg., Inversed, 2018 | Poverty Rate, Percent of U.S. Average, 2014–2018 | Composite Index Value, FY 2021 | Index Value Rank (of 3,112 counties in U.S., 1 is the best), FY 2021 | Quartile (1 is the best), FY 2021 |
|
| United States | - | 4.4% | $45,364 | 14.1% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | - | - | - |
| Appalachian Region | - | 4.9% | $32,967 | 15.8% | 111.2% | 72.7% | 137.6% | 112.2% | - | - | - |
| North Carolina | - | 4.5% | $37,191 | 15.4% | 102.5% | 82.0% | 122.0% | 109.7% | - | - | - |
| Appalachian North Carolina | - | 4.2% | $31,574 | 16.1% | 95.2% | 69.6% | 143.7% | 114.6% | - | - | - |
|
| County |
| Alexander | Transitional | 3.7% | $27,681 | 14.9% | 84.0% | 61.0% | 163.9% | 106.2% | 118.0 | 1,575 | 3 |
| Alleghany | At-Risk | 5.0% | $25,462 | 24.6% | 114.6% | 56.1% | 178.2% | 175.3% | 156.0 | 2,579 | 4 |
| Ashe | Transitional | 4.1% | $25,014 | 18.0% | 95.0% | 55.1% | 181.4% | 127.7% | 134.7 | 2,080 | 3 |
| Avery | Transitional | 4.3% | $26,472 | 14.4% | 98.5% | 58.4% | 171.4% | 102.8% | 124.2 | 1,775 | 3 |
| Buncombe | Competitive | 3.4% | $39,110 | 12.3% | 78.0% | 86.2% | 116.0% | 87.8% | 93.9 | 754 | 1 |
| Burke | Transitional | 4.2% | $25,351 | 18.1% | 95.9% | 55.9% | 178.9% | 128.6% | 134.5 | 2,075 | 3 |
| Caldwell | Transitional | 4.5% | $25,146 | 16.6% | 102.4% | 55.4% | 180.4% | 118.4% | 133.7 | 2,057 | 3 |
| Cherokee | At-Risk | 5.0% | $19,394 | 16.5% | 114.5% | 42.8% | 233.9% | 117.7% | 155.4 | 2,569 | 4 |
| Clay | At-Risk | 4.9% | $21,515 | 15.8% | 112.4% | 47.4% | 210.8% | 112.2% | 145.1 | 2,376 | 4 |
| Davie | Transitional | 4.0% | $37,593 | 13.7% | 90.5% | 82.9% | 120.7% | 97.5% | 102.9 | 1,072 | 2 |
| Forsyth | Transitional | 4.3% | $39,988 | 17.6% | 99.2% | 88.1% | 113.4% | 125.4% | 112.7 | 1,404 | 2 |
| Graham | At-Risk | 7.1% | $21,727 | 18.1% | 163.4% | 47.9% | 208.8% | 128.7% | 167.0 | 2,758 | 4 |
| Haywood | Transitional | 4.0% | $28,453 | 13.9% | 90.6% | 62.7% | 159.4% | 99.1% | 116.4 | 1,523 | 2 |
| Henderson | Transitional | 3.8% | $32,367 | 10.6% | 85.9% | 71.3% | 140.2% | 75.6% | 100.5 | 1,005 | 2 |
| Jackson | At-Risk | 4.8% | $24,249 | 19.4% | 108.8% | 53.5% | 187.1% | 137.7% | 144.5 | 2,363 | 4 |
| Macon | Transitional | 4.6% | $28,106 | 16.6% | 105.9% | 62.0% | 161.4% | 118.4% | 128.6 | 1,893 | 3 |
| Madison | Transitional | 4.2% | $23,478 | 17.6% | 96.8% | 51.8% | 193.2% | 125.5% | 138.5 | 2,204 | 3 |
| McDowell | Transitional | 4.1% | $23,169 | 17.1% | 92.9% | 51.1% | 195.8% | 121.9% | 136.9 | 2,145 | 3 |
| Mitchell | Transitional | 5.3% | $24,289 | 14.0% | 120.4% | 53.5% | 186.8% | 99.9% | 135.7 | 2,108 | 3 |
| Polk | Transitional | 4.2% | $33,506 | 9.5% | 95.3% | 73.9% | 135.4% | 67.3% | 99.3 | 964 | 2 |
| Rutherford | At-Risk | 5.9% | $21,873 | 18.0% | 135.6% | 48.2% | 207.4% | 127.8% | 156.9 | 2,600 | 4 |
| Stokes | Transitional | 4.2% | $26,226 | 13.6% | 96.3% | 57.8% | 173.0% | 96.8% | 122.0 | 1,711 | 3 |
| Surry | Transitional | 4.2% | $27,697 | 16.9% | 95.0% | 61.1% | 163.8% | 119.9% | 126.2 | 1,834 | 3 |
| Swain | Transitional | 5.2% | $26,714 | 17.3% | 118.0% | 58.9% | 169.8% | 123.3% | 137.0 | 2,154 | 3 |
| Transylvania | Transitional | 4.3% | $30,618 | 14.7% | 98.4% | 67.5% | 148.2% | 104.7% | 117.1 | 1,549 | 2 |
| Watauga | At-Risk | 4.0% | $29,553 | 27.2% | 91.3% | 65.1% | 153.5% | 193.5% | 146.1 | 2,401 | 4 |
| Wilkes | Transitional | 4.2% | $25,296 | 19.9% | 97.2% | 55.8% | 179.3% | 141.7% | 139.4 | 2,223 | 3 |
| Yadkin | Transitional | 3.9% | $26,730 | 15.3% | 88.9% | 58.9% | 169.7% | 108.6% | 122.4 | 1,725 | 3 |
| Yancey | Transitional | 4.4% | $24,766 | 19.2% | 100.5% | 54.6% | 183.2% | 136.6% | 140.1 | 2,249 | 3 |
