| | County Economic Status, FY 2022 | Three-Year Average Unemployment Rate, 2017–2019 | Per Capita Market Income, 2019 | Poverty Rate, 2015–2019 | Three-Year Avg. Unemp. Rate, Percent of U.S. Avg., 2017–2019 | Per Capita Market Income, Percent of U.S. Average, 2019 | PCMI, Percent of U.S. Avg., Inversed, 2019 | Poverty Rate, Percent of U.S. Average, 2015–2019 | Composite Index Value, FY 2022 | Index Value Rank (of 3,113 counties in U.S., 1 is the best), FY 2022 | Quartile (1 is the best), FY 2022 |
|
| United States | - | 4.0% | $46,969 | 13.4% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | - | - | - |
| Appalachian Region | - | 4.3% | $33,926 | 15.3% | 108.9% | 72.2% | 138.4% | 113.6% | - | - | - |
| North Carolina | - | 4.1% | $38,446 | 14.7% | 103.3% | 81.9% | 122.2% | 109.5% | - | - | - |
| Appalachian North Carolina | - | 3.8% | $32,352 | 15.6% | 96.3% | 68.9% | 145.2% | 116.0% | - | - | - |
|
| County |
| Alexander | Transitional | 3.4% | $27,385 | 13.6% | 85.0% | 58.3% | 171.5% | 101.4% | 119.3 | 1,593 | 3 |
| Alleghany | At-Risk | 4.8% | $26,082 | 23.4% | 120.4% | 55.5% | 180.1% | 174.5% | 158.3 | 2,614 | 4 |
| Ashe | Transitional | 3.8% | $24,570 | 16.3% | 95.8% | 52.3% | 191.2% | 121.3% | 136.1 | 2,107 | 3 |
| Avery | Transitional | 3.9% | $26,176 | 15.1% | 98.0% | 55.7% | 179.4% | 112.5% | 130.0 | 1,930 | 3 |
| Buncombe | Competitive | 3.1% | $40,940 | 12.2% | 78.9% | 87.2% | 114.7% | 90.9% | 94.8 | 771 | 1 |
| Burke | Transitional | 3.8% | $25,734 | 18.1% | 96.7% | 54.8% | 182.5% | 134.7% | 138.0 | 2,171 | 3 |
| Caldwell | Transitional | 4.1% | $25,703 | 15.1% | 103.7% | 54.7% | 182.7% | 112.6% | 133.0 | 2,018 | 3 |
| Catawba | Transitional | 3.8% | $36,084 | 13.2% | 94.4% | 76.8% | 130.2% | 98.5% | 107.7 | 1,230 | 2 |
| Cherokee | At-Risk | 4.6% | $19,572 | 16.7% | 116.6% | 41.7% | 240.0% | 124.1% | 160.2 | 2,649 | 4 |
| Clay | At-Risk | 4.6% | $20,995 | 13.9% | 116.2% | 44.7% | 223.7% | 103.2% | 147.7 | 2,412 | 4 |
| Cleveland | At-Risk | 4.2% | $26,643 | 20.4% | 105.4% | 56.7% | 176.3% | 151.7% | 144.4 | 2,339 | 4 |
| Davie | Transitional | 3.6% | $39,021 | 13.9% | 90.8% | 83.1% | 120.4% | 103.6% | 104.9 | 1,141 | 2 |
| Forsyth | Transitional | 4.0% | $39,938 | 16.8% | 100.0% | 85.0% | 117.6% | 125.4% | 114.3 | 1,430 | 2 |
| Graham | At-Risk | 6.0% | $22,883 | 17.1% | 151.3% | 48.7% | 205.3% | 127.0% | 161.2 | 2,672 | 4 |
| Haywood | Transitional | 3.6% | $29,320 | 13.4% | 90.5% | 62.4% | 160.2% | 100.0% | 116.9 | 1,524 | 2 |
| Henderson | Transitional | 3.4% | $33,968 | 10.9% | 86.8% | 72.3% | 138.3% | 81.5% | 102.2 | 1,053 | 2 |
| Jackson | Transitional | 4.4% | $25,617 | 18.7% | 109.8% | 54.5% | 183.3% | 139.3% | 144.2 | 2,326 | 3 |
| Macon | Transitional | 4.1% | $28,382 | 15.4% | 104.4% | 60.4% | 165.5% | 114.9% | 128.3 | 1,873 | 3 |
| Madison | Transitional | 3.8% | $24,679 | 16.4% | 96.7% | 52.5% | 190.3% | 121.9% | 136.3 | 2,111 | 3 |
| McDowell | Transitional | 3.8% | $23,659 | 16.8% | 94.6% | 50.4% | 198.5% | 124.9% | 139.4 | 2,212 | 3 |
| Mitchell | Transitional | 4.8% | $24,647 | 13.0% | 120.0% | 52.5% | 190.6% | 96.5% | 135.7 | 2,093 | 3 |
| Polk | Transitional | 3.9% | $33,241 | 9.8% | 98.4% | 70.8% | 141.3% | 73.3% | 104.3 | 1,120 | 2 |
| Rutherford | At-Risk | 5.3% | $22,673 | 17.9% | 134.6% | 48.3% | 207.2% | 133.6% | 158.4 | 2,617 | 4 |
| Stokes | Transitional | 3.8% | $27,743 | 13.8% | 96.2% | 59.1% | 169.3% | 102.6% | 122.7 | 1,717 | 3 |
| Surry | Transitional | 3.8% | $28,304 | 16.4% | 95.1% | 60.3% | 165.9% | 122.4% | 127.8 | 1,862 | 3 |
| Swain | Transitional | 4.4% | $27,712 | 17.5% | 112.0% | 59.0% | 169.5% | 130.1% | 137.2 | 2,145 | 3 |
| Transylvania | Transitional | 3.9% | $30,806 | 14.3% | 99.1% | 65.6% | 152.5% | 106.6% | 119.4 | 1,595 | 3 |
| Watauga | Transitional | 3.7% | $31,209 | 25.3% | 92.7% | 66.4% | 150.5% | 188.9% | 144.0 | 2,322 | 3 |
| Wilkes | Transitional | 4.0% | $25,746 | 17.7% | 101.3% | 54.8% | 182.4% | 131.8% | 138.5 | 2,187 | 3 |
| Yadkin | Transitional | 3.6% | $28,028 | 15.4% | 90.1% | 59.7% | 167.6% | 114.6% | 124.1 | 1,763 | 3 |
| Yancey | Transitional | 3.9% | $25,472 | 16.4% | 99.4% | 54.2% | 184.4% | 122.0% | 135.3 | 2,077 | 3 |
