The median household income in North Carolina is $72,388, which ranks in the top 54% nationally.
Top income thresholds in North Carolina
North Carolina ranks #38 of 51 states (and D.C.) by median household income.
States with a similar income level
This state's median household income
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Median income · Single households
How does North Carolina stack up? The figures below cover its rank among the states, income thresholds, earnings by age group and the spread across 100 counties.
The median household in North Carolina brings in $72,388, 10% below the US median of $80,734 — 38th of 51. These are nominal dollars; living costs differ between states and aren't adjusted for here.
The top-25% line is roughly $126,642 here and $141,925 for the US as a whole. The share of households at $200,000 or more is 10% versus 13% nationwide, 3 points lower.
For a more recent snapshot, the 2024 one-year survey shows $73,958 (+2% against the 2020–2024 average). We use the five-year figure elsewhere because it's more reliable for smaller areas.
About 10% of North Carolina households report income of $200,000 or more, the Census's top published bracket. By household income, the top 25% start at about $126,642, and the top 10% sit above $200,000. The table marks lines that fall above $200,000 rather than guessing their value: the Census groups everyone above that amount together, so the exact top-5% and top-1% cutoffs can't be read from this data.
On North Carolina's distribution, the national median income of $80,734 corresponds to roughly the top 45%.
The top-quarter line is 1.76 times the state's midpoint income, about the same as the national ratio of 1.77 — a rough gauge of how stretched the upper half of the income distribution is.
| Line | Household income |
|---|---|
| Median (top 50%) | $71,973 |
| Top 25% | $126,642 |
| Top 10% | Above $200,000 (top bracket) |
| Top 5% | Above $200,000 (top bracket) |
| Top 1% | Above $200,000 (top bracket) |
Looking at individual earners rather than households, the North Carolina median climbs 28% from the 25–34 group ($43,571) to the 45–54 group ($55,860). On average the state runs −9% relative to the US at each age, with the largest difference among workers aged 65+. These figures are personal earnings (wages plus self-employment) from Census microdata, so they're lower than household income, which can combine several earners.
| Age | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 25–34 | $43,571 | $46,177 |
| 35–44 | $53,696 | $58,657 |
| 45–54 | $55,860 | $60,915 |
| 55–64 | $51,325 | $55,860 |
| 65+ | $29,831 | $34,745 |
Married couples' median household income in North Carolina is $108,556; for single and non-family households it's $43,909. That 2.5× gap is mostly the second earner.
Wake County ($105,768) and Tyrrell County ($41,685) mark the two ends of a wide county range, 2.5 to 1. The five highest-income counties are Wake County, Union County, Chatham County, Currituck County, and Camden County; the five lowest are Tyrrell County, Washington County, Robeson County, Bladen County, and Richmond County.
13 of the 100 counties (13%) clear the US median of $80,734; the typical county, Caswell County, comes in at $59,755.
| Highest | Median | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wake County | $105,768 | Tyrrell County | $41,685 |
| Union County | $102,900 | Washington County | $41,813 |
| Chatham County | $94,317 | Robeson County | $41,978 |
| Currituck County | $93,511 | Bladen County | $42,422 |
| Camden County | $91,078 | Richmond County | $44,883 |
About the numbers: household figures are the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates for North Carolina and its 100 counties; the earnings-by-age table comes from 220,492 individual survey records in the same period, in 2024 dollars.
Reference statistics only — not financial advice.
US Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates (B19013, B19001)
Based on US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates — actual figures may differ from your real income/assets. Not financial advice.