North Carolina

State

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2024 Population
10.7M
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2024 Poverty Rate
13%
1.04% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$72,388
3.55% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$288,900
11.4% 1-year growth
2023 Employed Population
4.83M
1.35% 1-year growth

About

13.5% of the households in North Carolina reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

94.8% of the residents in North Carolina are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in North Carolina are North Carolina State University at Raleigh (10,697 degrees awarded in 2023), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (10,490 degrees), and University of North Carolina at Charlotte (8,573 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in North Carolina was $288,900, and the homeownership rate was 66.6%.

Most people in North Carolina drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.1 minutes. The average car ownership in North Carolina was 2 cars per household.

North Carolina borders Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Photo by Jeremy Taylor
United States

Population & Diversity

North Carolina is home to a population of 10.7M people, from which 94.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 9.02% of North Carolina residents were born outside of the country (967k people).

In 2024, there were 3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (6.44M people) in North Carolina than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.15M Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 510k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in North Carolina are Spanish (876,033 households), Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (40,402 households), and French (Incl. Cajun) (32,625 households).

Population & Diversity

Population by Location

Sex *(USED)
RACE/ETHNICITY
The 3 PUMAS with the highest resident population
  1. Columbus, Bladen & Robeson Counties PUMA, NC
    197,073
  2. Durham County (South)--Durham City (South) PUMA, NC
    182,189
  3. Mecklenburg County (North)--Huntersville, Cornelius & Davidson Towns PUMA, NC
    177,276

In 2023 there were 10,584,340 residents in North Carolina.

The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) with the highest resident population were Columbus, Bladen & Robeson Counties PUMA, NC (197,073 people), Durham County (South)--Durham City (South) PUMA, NC (182,189 people), and Mecklenburg County (North)--Huntersville, Cornelius & Davidson Towns PUMA, NC (177,276 people).

The following map shows all of the states in North Carolina colored by the resident population.

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Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY
5,406,299
Women
51.1%
5,178,041
Men
48.9%

The resident population of United States in 2023 was 10,584,340 inhabitants, with 48.9% men, and 51.1% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in North Carolina.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

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Citizenship

94.8%
2024 Citizenship
95%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 94.8% of North Carolina residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in North Carolina was 95%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in North Carolina compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in North Carolina
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    6.44M ± 4.9k
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    2.15M ± 7k
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    510k ± 9.71k
11.3%
Hispanic Population
1.21M people

In 2024, there were 3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (6.44M people) in North Carolina than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.15M Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 510k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

11.3% of the people in North Carolina are hispanic (1.21M people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in North Carolina as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    224,963 ± 11,520 people
  2. India
    83,219 ± 7,055 people
  3. Honduras
    48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

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Foreign-Born Population

9.02%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
967k people
8.68%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
918k people

As of 2024, 9.02% of North Carolina residents (967k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in North Carolina was 8.68%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in North Carolina compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages
  1. Spanish
    876,033 households (8.65%)
  2. Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
    40,402 households (0.399%)
  3. French (Incl. Cajun)
    32,625 households (0.322%)

13.5% of the households in North Carolina reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 22.3%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2024, the most common non-English language spoken in households in North Carolina was Spanish. 8.65% of the households in North Carolina reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    178,729 ± 3,629
  2. Vietnam
    178,590 ± 2,654
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    109,410 ± 2,753

North Carolina has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in North Carolina.

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Economy

The economy of North Carolina employs 4.83M people. In 2023, the largest industries in North Carolina were Construction (326,236 people), Restaurants & Food Services (302,274 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (257,013 people), and the highest paying industries were Miscellaneous petroleum & coal products ($172,553), Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($144,412), and Computer & peripheral equipment manufacturing ($139,731).

Males in North Carolina have an average income that is 1.3 times higher than the average income of females, which is $60,738. The income inequality in North Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.467, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure
RACE/ETHNICITY
2,318,637
Women
48%
2,512,564
Men
52%

The workforce of North Carolina in 2023 was 4,831,201 people, with 48% woman, and 52% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in North Carolina.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

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Workforce and Wage by Location

Measure
RACE/ETHNICITY

In 2023 there were 4,831,201 people working in North Carolina. The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) that concentrated the largest workforce were Durham County (South)--Durham City (South) PUMA, NC (99,379 people), Mecklenburg County (North)--Huntersville, Cornelius & Davidson Towns PUMA, NC (93,525 people), and Onslow County (South)--Jacksonville City PUMA, NC (85,466 people).

The following map shows all of the PUMAs in North Carolina colored by workforce or average wage.

With the upper buttons you can see the yearly change and add a filter by race.

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Occupations

4.83M
2023 Value
1.35%
1 Year growth
± 1.35%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in North Carolina grew at a rate of 1.35%, from 4.77M employees to 4.83M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in North Carolina, are Other managers (134,483 people), Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (117,226 people), and Registered nurses (109,096 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of North Carolina.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

4.83M
2023 Value
1.35%
1 Year growth
± 1.35%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in North Carolina grew at a rate of 1.35%, from 4.77M employees to 4.83M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in North Carolina, are Construction (326,236 people), Restaurants & Food Services (302,274 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (257,013 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of North Carolina, though some of these residents may live in North Carolina and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$52,283
Median earning men ± $255
$40,678
Median earning women ± $176

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($96,109), Information ($75,357), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($71,643).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,662), Public Administration ($55,261), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($50,297).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.
Y-Axis
3.04%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 19,542
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  2. 18,240
    Construction
  3. 16,727
    Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $37.2M
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  2. $28.2M
    Manufacturing
  3. $25.8M
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from North Carolina to other states, or from other states to North Carolina.
Top Domestic Production in Dollars
  1. Pharmaceuticals
    $68.5B
  2. Mixed freight
    $52.9B
  3. Machinery
    $45.4B

In 2024, the top outbound North Carolina product (by dollars) was Pharmaceuticals with $68.5B, followed by Mixed freight ($52.9B) and Machinery ($45.4B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound North Carolina products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for North Carolina.
$478B
2024 Value in North Carolina
$926B
Projected 2050 Value in North Carolina
93.8% growth

In 2024, total outbound North Carolina trade was $478B. This is expected to increase 93.8% to $926B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound North Carolina trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from North Carolina to other states, or from other states to North Carolina.
Most Common Trade Partners
  1. South Carolina
    $34.3B
  2. Virginia
    $28.1B
  3. Georgia
    $18.9B

In 2024, the top outbound North Carolina domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was South Carolina with $34.3B, followed by Virginia with $28.1B and Georgia and $18.9B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that North Carolina shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Education

In 2023, universities in North Carolina awarded 158,934 degrees. The student population of North Carolina in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 229,938 male students and 336,174 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in North Carolina are White (89,560 and 59.4%), Black or African American (27,381 and 18.2%), Hispanic or Latino (15,637 and 10.4%), and Asian (6,597 and 4.37%).

The largest universities in North Carolina by number of degrees awarded are North Carolina State University at Raleigh (10,697 and 6.73%), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (10,490 and 6.6%), and University of North Carolina at Charlotte (8,573 and 5.39%).

The most popular majors in North Carolina are Liberal Arts & Sciences (15,445 and 9.72%), General Business Administration & Management (12,360 and 7.78%), and Registered Nursing (6,117 and 3.85%).

The median tuition costs in North Carolina are $29,700 for private four year colleges, and $4,122 and $18,474 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in North Carolina, the percentage of applicants admitted was 57.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 18.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 566,112 (40.6% men and 59.4% women).

The map shows the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

The line chart below shows the annual evolution of the indicator by gender.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 566,112 students enrolled in North Carolina, 40.6% men and 59.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 293,367 records, of which 57.7% were women and 42.3% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Biological Sciences
    3,414 degrees awarded
  2. General Psychology
    3,353 degrees awarded
  3. General Business Administration & Management
    5,077 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in North Carolina was General Biological Sciences with 3,414 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in North Carolina according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. North Carolina State University at Raleigh
    10,697 degrees awarded
  2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    10,490 degrees awarded
  3. University of North Carolina at Charlotte
    8,573 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was North Carolina State University at Raleigh with 10,697 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 64,640 men were awarded degrees from institutions in North Carolina, which is 0.686 times less than the 94,294 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 89,560 degrees mean that there were 3.27 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 27,381 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($29,700) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($3,046) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,613) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2023, 0.995% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.855% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

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Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of North Carolina in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (2.18M), Some college (1.81M), and Bachelors Degree (1.69M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in North Carolina was $288,900 in 2024, which is 0.868 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $259,400 to $288,900, a 11.4% increase. The homeownership rate in North Carolina is 66.6%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in North Carolina have an average commute time of 25.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in North Carolina is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in North Carolina. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.62%.

Housing

Property

$288,900
Median Property Value 2024
±$1,086
$2.85M
Median Property Taxes
±$13,749

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In North Carolina the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in North Carolina compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

66.6%
Homeownership
2024
68.3%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 66.6% of the housing units in North Carolina were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in North Carolina compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$72,388
Median Household Income
± $324
4.28M
Number of Households
± 17,628

In 2024, the median household income of the 4.28M households in North Carolina grew to $72,388 from the previous year's value of $69,904.

The following chart displays the households in North Carolina distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

0.467
2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina
0.47
2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (71.5%)
  2. Worked At Home (16.3%)
  3. Carpooled (8.45%)

In 2024, 71.5% of workers in North Carolina drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (16.3%) and those who carpooled to work (8.45%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

25.1 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in North Carolina have a shorter commute time (25.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.1% of the workforce in North Carolina have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in North Carolina compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in North Carolina distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in North Carolina have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in North Carolina. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.62%.

The map show the severe housing problems rate in the counties of California. The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

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Poverty & Diversity

13% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in North Carolina (1.36M out of 10.4M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in North Carolina is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Children in Poverty

In 2025, 17.5% of the children was living in poverty in North Carolina. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 8.3%.

The map show the children in poverty rate in the counties of California. The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the percentage of children in poverty.

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Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 351 in North Carolina. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 20.9 per 100,000 population.

The following map shows the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in North Carolina.

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Health

90.1% of the population of North Carolina has health coverage, with 44.6% on employee plans, 15.5% on Medicaid, 12.8% on Medicare, 14.6% on non-group plans, and 2.6% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1,413 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1634 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 299 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,413 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in North Carolina

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see an average of 1,413 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in North Carolina in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.6% under 18 years, 20.9% between 18 and 34 years, 38.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

9.85%
Uninsured
44.6%
Employer Coverage
15.5%
Medicaid
12.8%
Medicare
14.6%
Non-Group
2.6%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in North Carolina declined by 4.89% from 10.4% to 9.85%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in North Carolina changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 61.8 in North Carolina.

The  map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of North Carolina and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in North Carolina.

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 34.2% in North Carolina.

The  map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of North Carolina and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in North Carolina.

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Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 11.2% in North Carolina.

The  map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of North Carolina and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in North Carolina.

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