| | County Economic Status, FY 2024 | Three-Year Average Unemployment Rate, 2019–2021 | Per Capita Market Income, 2021 | Poverty Rate, 2017–2021 | Three-Year Avg. Unemp. Rate, Percent of U.S. Avg., 2019–2021 | Per Capita Market Income, Percent of U.S. Average, 2021 | PCMI, Percent of U.S. Avg., Inversed, 2021 | Poverty Rate, Percent of U.S. Average, 2017–2021 | Composite Index Value, FY 2024 | Index Value Rank (of 3,113 counties in U.S., 1 is the best), FY 2024 | Quartile (1 is the best), FY 2024 |
|
| United States | - | 5.7% | $50,231 | 12.6% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | - | - | - |
| Appalachian Region | - | 5.4% | $36,193 | 14.5% | 94.8% | 72.1% | 138.8% | 114.5% | - | - | - |
| North Carolina | - | 5.2% | $42,718 | 13.7% | 92.0% | 85.0% | 117.6% | 108.2% | - | - | - |
| Appalachian North Carolina | - | 5.1% | $35,519 | 14.6% | 90.0% | 70.7% | 141.4% | 115.9% | - | - | - |
|
| County |
| Alexander | Transitional | 4.9% | $31,584 | 11.5% | 86.5% | 62.9% | 159.0% | 91.4% | 112.3 | 1,512 | 2 |
| Alleghany | At-Risk | 5.4% | $27,879 | 21.5% | 95.5% | 55.5% | 180.2% | 169.9% | 148.5 | 2,592 | 4 |
| Ashe | Transitional | 4.5% | $27,389 | 14.0% | 79.9% | 54.5% | 183.4% | 110.5% | 124.6 | 1,943 | 3 |
| Avery | Transitional | 4.5% | $28,304 | 13.3% | 80.1% | 56.3% | 177.5% | 105.2% | 120.9 | 1,830 | 3 |
| Buncombe | Transitional | 5.0% | $44,097 | 10.9% | 88.7% | 87.8% | 113.9% | 86.2% | 96.3 | 948 | 2 |
| Burke | Transitional | 5.0% | $29,387 | 18.1% | 88.9% | 58.5% | 170.9% | 143.5% | 134.4 | 2,248 | 3 |
| Caldwell | Transitional | 5.5% | $28,042 | 13.4% | 97.0% | 55.8% | 179.1% | 106.1% | 127.4 | 2,033 | 3 |
| Catawba | Transitional | 5.3% | $38,682 | 12.8% | 93.4% | 77.0% | 129.9% | 101.5% | 108.2 | 1,371 | 2 |
| Cherokee | At-Risk | 5.7% | $21,898 | 16.9% | 99.9% | 43.6% | 229.4% | 133.7% | 154.3 | 2,705 | 4 |
| Clay | Transitional | 5.5% | $24,899 | 14.2% | 97.0% | 49.6% | 201.7% | 112.2% | 137.0 | 2,324 | 3 |
| Cleveland | At-Risk | 5.6% | $28,896 | 18.3% | 98.4% | 57.5% | 173.8% | 145.2% | 139.1 | 2,379 | 4 |
| Davie | Transitional | 4.7% | $42,861 | 12.6% | 82.8% | 85.3% | 117.2% | 99.5% | 99.8 | 1,098 | 2 |
| Forsyth | Transitional | 5.2% | $42,924 | 15.6% | 92.0% | 85.5% | 117.0% | 123.9% | 111.0 | 1,465 | 2 |
| Graham | At-Risk | 7.2% | $25,491 | 13.4% | 127.3% | 50.7% | 197.1% | 105.9% | 143.4 | 2,492 | 4 |
| Haywood | Transitional | 4.9% | $32,247 | 12.4% | 86.7% | 64.2% | 155.8% | 97.9% | 113.5 | 1,544 | 2 |
| Henderson | Transitional | 4.6% | $36,746 | 10.4% | 81.6% | 73.2% | 136.7% | 82.0% | 100.1 | 1,105 | 2 |
| Jackson | At-Risk | 5.3% | $30,193 | 19.2% | 93.4% | 60.1% | 166.4% | 152.4% | 137.4 | 2,336 | 4 |
| Macon | Transitional | 4.8% | $32,113 | 16.3% | 85.3% | 63.9% | 156.4% | 129.4% | 123.7 | 1,919 | 3 |
| Madison | Transitional | 4.8% | $27,319 | 13.8% | 84.8% | 54.4% | 183.9% | 109.4% | 126.0 | 1,990 | 3 |
| McDowell | Transitional | 5.0% | $26,158 | 13.8% | 87.9% | 52.1% | 192.0% | 109.5% | 129.8 | 2,104 | 3 |
| Mitchell | Transitional | 5.7% | $27,053 | 13.0% | 100.4% | 53.9% | 185.7% | 102.7% | 129.6 | 2,098 | 3 |
| Polk | Transitional | 4.8% | $41,644 | 9.5% | 84.4% | 82.9% | 120.6% | 75.4% | 93.5 | 832 | 2 |
| Rutherford | At-Risk | 6.7% | $25,671 | 18.2% | 118.6% | 51.1% | 195.7% | 144.4% | 152.9 | 2,673 | 4 |
| Stokes | Transitional | 4.6% | $30,384 | 14.8% | 81.6% | 60.5% | 165.3% | 116.9% | 121.3 | 1,843 | 3 |
| Surry | Transitional | 4.8% | $30,988 | 16.6% | 85.2% | 61.7% | 162.1% | 131.3% | 126.2 | 1,994 | 3 |
| Swain | Transitional | 5.5% | $30,369 | 18.7% | 97.4% | 60.5% | 165.4% | 148.0% | 136.9 | 2,322 | 3 |
| Transylvania | Transitional | 4.5% | $35,286 | 13.1% | 80.0% | 70.2% | 142.4% | 103.6% | 108.7 | 1,385 | 2 |
| Watauga | Transitional | 4.3% | $35,881 | 23.2% | 76.6% | 71.4% | 140.0% | 183.3% | 133.3 | 2,220 | 3 |
| Wilkes | Transitional | 5.1% | $29,400 | 17.3% | 89.4% | 58.5% | 170.9% | 137.1% | 132.5 | 2,182 | 3 |
| Yadkin | Transitional | 4.8% | $30,816 | 15.4% | 84.8% | 61.3% | 163.0% | 122.0% | 123.3 | 1,904 | 3 |
| Yancey | Transitional | 4.8% | $25,240 | 14.7% | 84.2% | 50.2% | 199.0% | 116.7% | 133.3 | 2,221 | 3 |
