| | County Economic Status, FY 2025 | Three-Year Average Unemployment Rate, 2020–2022 | Per Capita Market Income, 2022 | Poverty Rate, 2018–2022 | Three-Year Avg. Unemp. Rate, Percent of U.S. Avg., 2020–2022 | Per Capita Market Income, Percent of U.S. Average, 2022 | PCMI, Percent of U.S. Avg., Inversed, 2022 | Poverty Rate, Percent of U.S. Average, 2018–2022 | Composite Index Value, FY 2025 | Index Value Rank (of 3,106 counties in U.S., 1 is the best), FY 2025 | Quartile (1 is the best), FY 2025 |
|
| United States | - | 5.7% | $53,462 | 12.5% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | - | - | - |
| Appalachian Region | - | 5.2% | $38,683 | 14.3% | 92.3% | 72.4% | 138.2% | 114.1% | - | - | - |
| North Carolina | - | 5.2% | $46,153 | 13.3% | 91.8% | 86.3% | 115.8% | 106.3% | - | - | - |
| Appalachian North Carolina | - | 5.1% | $38,423 | 14.6% | 90.4% | 71.9% | 139.1% | 116.4% | - | - | - |
|
| County |
| Alexander | Transitional | 4.9% | $34,725 | 12.2% | 86.9% | 65.0% | 154.0% | 97.7% | 112.9 | 1,524 | 2 |
| Alleghany | At-Risk | 5.2% | $28,158 | 19.5% | 91.9% | 52.7% | 189.9% | 156.0% | 145.9 | 2,528 | 4 |
| Ashe | Transitional | 4.5% | $29,297 | 14.1% | 79.6% | 54.8% | 182.5% | 112.6% | 124.9 | 1,938 | 3 |
| Avery | Transitional | 4.5% | $32,610 | 11.2% | 78.8% | 61.0% | 163.9% | 89.5% | 110.8 | 1,449 | 2 |
| Buncombe | Transitional | 5.1% | $48,965 | 11.2% | 89.5% | 91.6% | 109.2% | 89.7% | 96.1 | 932 | 2 |
| Burke | Transitional | 5.0% | $30,924 | 17.0% | 88.3% | 57.8% | 172.9% | 135.2% | 132.2 | 2,162 | 3 |
| Caldwell | Transitional | 5.4% | $30,211 | 13.3% | 95.4% | 56.5% | 177.0% | 105.7% | 126.0 | 1,981 | 3 |
| Catawba | Transitional | 5.3% | $42,028 | 13.0% | 93.5% | 78.6% | 127.2% | 104.1% | 108.3 | 1,368 | 2 |
| Cherokee | At-Risk | 5.6% | $22,549 | 16.7% | 99.2% | 42.2% | 237.1% | 133.5% | 156.6 | 2,743 | 4 |
| Clay | Transitional | 5.4% | $26,079 | 13.5% | 95.8% | 48.8% | 205.0% | 107.6% | 136.1 | 2,282 | 3 |
| Cleveland | At-Risk | 5.6% | $30,279 | 18.4% | 98.9% | 56.6% | 176.6% | 146.6% | 140.7 | 2,413 | 4 |
| Davie | Transitional | 4.8% | $47,148 | 11.6% | 84.2% | 88.2% | 113.4% | 92.6% | 96.7 | 958 | 2 |
| Forsyth | Transitional | 5.3% | $45,663 | 15.2% | 93.3% | 85.4% | 117.1% | 121.3% | 110.6 | 1,446 | 2 |
| Graham | At-Risk | 7.4% | $25,667 | 11.3% | 129.9% | 48.0% | 208.3% | 90.2% | 142.8 | 2,456 | 4 |
| Haywood | Transitional | 4.9% | $34,921 | 12.1% | 86.7% | 65.3% | 153.1% | 96.7% | 112.1 | 1,497 | 2 |
| Henderson | Transitional | 4.6% | $40,542 | 11.4% | 82.0% | 75.8% | 131.9% | 90.8% | 101.5 | 1,141 | 2 |
| Jackson | Transitional | 5.3% | $32,593 | 19.3% | 93.2% | 61.0% | 164.0% | 154.3% | 137.2 | 2,314 | 3 |
| Macon | Transitional | 4.8% | $32,415 | 15.4% | 84.1% | 60.6% | 164.9% | 123.1% | 124.0 | 1,908 | 3 |
| Madison | Transitional | 4.8% | $30,021 | 12.5% | 84.9% | 56.2% | 178.1% | 99.7% | 120.9 | 1,806 | 3 |
| McDowell | Transitional | 5.0% | $28,434 | 14.9% | 87.6% | 53.2% | 188.0% | 119.2% | 131.6 | 2,151 | 3 |
| Mitchell | Transitional | 5.6% | $28,712 | 13.4% | 99.7% | 53.7% | 186.2% | 106.9% | 130.9 | 2,130 | 3 |
| Polk | Transitional | 4.9% | $44,693 | 11.0% | 86.1% | 83.6% | 119.6% | 87.8% | 97.8 | 1,007 | 2 |
| Rutherford | At-Risk | 6.8% | $27,323 | 18.4% | 119.3% | 51.1% | 195.7% | 146.6% | 153.9 | 2,699 | 4 |
| Stokes | Transitional | 4.6% | $32,341 | 12.0% | 81.6% | 60.5% | 165.3% | 95.8% | 114.3 | 1,584 | 3 |
| Surry | Transitional | 4.9% | $34,282 | 17.9% | 85.9% | 64.1% | 155.9% | 143.2% | 128.3 | 2,058 | 3 |
| Swain | At-Risk | 5.4% | $32,811 | 19.8% | 94.5% | 61.4% | 162.9% | 158.0% | 138.5 | 2,349 | 4 |
| Transylvania | Transitional | 4.5% | $39,671 | 13.4% | 79.9% | 74.2% | 134.8% | 106.8% | 107.2 | 1,335 | 2 |
| Watauga | At-Risk | 4.4% | $38,475 | 24.9% | 76.9% | 72.0% | 139.0% | 198.8% | 138.2 | 2,341 | 4 |
| Wilkes | Transitional | 5.1% | $32,324 | 17.1% | 90.6% | 60.5% | 165.4% | 136.8% | 130.9 | 2,133 | 3 |
| Yadkin | Transitional | 4.9% | $33,840 | 13.8% | 85.7% | 63.3% | 158.0% | 110.2% | 118.0 | 1,715 | 3 |
| Yancey | Transitional | 4.8% | $26,437 | 15.3% | 85.0% | 49.4% | 202.2% | 121.9% | 136.4 | 2,291 | 3 |
