A new study from SmartAsset analyzes the places in North Carolina with the highest per capita wealth, and Chatham County made the list. The study measured the amount of investment income being generated in each county, in addition to the per capita income and median home value to find the wealthiest places.
What are the top 10 wealthiest counties in NC?
Here are the top 10 counties in North Carolina, according to SmartAsset data (median income, investment income, median home value, wealth index):
- Wake County ($96,734) ($68,847) ($496,360) (32.91)
- Union County ($95,533) ($74,959) ($444,592) (32.06)
- Orange County ($85,785) ($110,015) ($501,601) (31.86)
- Chatham County ($84,222) ($81,248) ($560,160) (31.34)
- Dare County ($79,742) ($67,270) ($599,557) (30.38)
- Currituck County ($82,793) ($30,094) ($531,066) (28.74)
- Mecklenburg County ($79,265) ($90,138) ($425,332) (28.45)
- Moore County ($77,981) ($69,163) ($408,461) (27.14)
- Cabarrus County ($83,828) ($35,003) ($382,326) (26.92)
- Durham County ($74,927) ($53,303) ($412,001) (25.90)
North Carolina’s median income is $50,305, average investment income is $44,268 and median home value is $238,567.
What NC county has the highest median home value?
Dare was the highest on the list for median home value in N.C. with a value of $599,557. Next was Chatham, with a value of $560,160, and Currituck with a value of $531,066.
What NC county had the lowest ranking in wealth?
Of the state’s 100 counties, Washington County ranked last, with a median income of $38,927, median investment income of $26,869 and median home value more than $150,000 lower than the state average at $114,573.
The study’s methodology and interactive map can be found here.