| | County Economic Status, FY 2020 | Three-Year Average Unemployment Rate, 2015–2017 | Per Capita Market Income, 2017 | Poverty Rate, 2013–2017 | Three-Year Avg. Unemp. Rate, Percent of U.S. Avg., 2015–2017 | Per Capita Market Income, Percent of U.S. Average, 2017 | PCMI, Percent of U.S. Avg., Inversed, 2017 | Poverty Rate, Percent of U.S. Average, 2013–2017 | Composite Index Value, FY 2020 | Quartile (1 is the best), FY 2020 | Index Value Rank (of 3,113 counties in U.S., 1 is the best), FY 2020 |
|
| United States | - | 4.8% | $42,861 | 14.6% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | - | - | - |
| Appalachian Region | - | 5.4% | $31,311 | 16.3% | 111.8% | 73.1% | 136.9% | 111.5% | - | - | - |
| North Carolina | - | 5.1% | $35,565 | 16.1% | 105.9% | 83.0% | 120.5% | 110.7% | - | - | - |
| Appalachian North Carolina | - | 4.8% | $30,145 | 17.1% | 99.4% | 70.3% | 142.2% | 117.5% | - | - | - |
|
| County |
| Alexander | Transitional | 4.3% | $26,389 | 14.7% | 88.5% | 61.6% | 162.4% | 101.0% | 117.3 | 3 | 1,573 |
| Alleghany | At-Risk | 5.6% | $25,708 | 21.0% | 115.9% | 60.0% | 166.7% | 143.7% | 142.1 | 4 | 2,343 |
| Ashe | Transitional | 5.0% | $24,407 | 19.4% | 103.2% | 56.9% | 175.6% | 133.3% | 137.4 | 3 | 2,206 |
| Avery | Transitional | 5.1% | $24,930 | 14.7% | 105.6% | 58.2% | 171.9% | 100.5% | 126.0 | 3 | 1,864 |
| Buncombe | Transitional | 3.9% | $36,870 | 13.2% | 80.6% | 86.0% | 116.2% | 90.8% | 95.9 | 2 | 852 |
| Burke | Transitional | 4.9% | $24,393 | 19.3% | 101.7% | 56.9% | 175.7% | 132.6% | 136.7 | 3 | 2,185 |
| Caldwell | Transitional | 5.3% | $23,873 | 16.4% | 110.0% | 55.7% | 179.5% | 112.6% | 134.0 | 3 | 2,088 |
| Cherokee | At-Risk | 5.7% | $18,503 | 16.8% | 118.7% | 43.2% | 231.6% | 115.5% | 155.3 | 4 | 2,595 |
| Clay | At-Risk | 5.6% | $20,598 | 17.5% | 114.9% | 48.1% | 208.1% | 120.1% | 147.7 | 4 | 2,462 |
| Davie | Transitional | 4.5% | $35,985 | 14.0% | 93.6% | 84.0% | 119.1% | 96.0% | 102.9 | 2 | 1,101 |
| Forsyth | Transitional | 4.9% | $38,287 | 18.7% | 102.0% | 89.3% | 111.9% | 128.3% | 114.1 | 2 | 1,460 |
| Graham | Distressed | 9.2% | $20,057 | 19.0% | 190.8% | 46.8% | 213.7% | 130.2% | 178.2 | 4 | 2,895 |
| Haywood | Transitional | 4.6% | $27,231 | 16.6% | 95.7% | 63.5% | 157.4% | 113.8% | 122.3 | 3 | 1,743 |
| Henderson | Transitional | 4.3% | $30,564 | 11.8% | 88.7% | 71.3% | 140.2% | 81.2% | 103.4 | 2 | 1,115 |
| Jackson | At-Risk | 5.4% | $23,744 | 21.6% | 112.8% | 55.4% | 180.5% | 148.0% | 147.1 | 4 | 2,442 |
| Macon | Transitional | 5.4% | $26,803 | 17.7% | 112.2% | 62.5% | 159.9% | 121.2% | 131.1 | 3 | 2,013 |
| Madison | Transitional | 5.0% | $22,127 | 17.8% | 102.7% | 51.6% | 193.7% | 122.3% | 139.6 | 3 | 2,271 |
| McDowell | At-Risk | 4.8% | $21,967 | 19.3% | 99.8% | 51.3% | 195.1% | 132.2% | 142.4 | 4 | 2,348 |
| Mitchell | Transitional | 6.1% | $23,026 | 15.4% | 126.3% | 53.7% | 186.1% | 105.6% | 139.3 | 3 | 2,261 |
| Polk | Transitional | 4.6% | $31,754 | 10.9% | 96.1% | 74.1% | 135.0% | 74.9% | 102.0 | 2 | 1,072 |
| Rutherford | At-Risk | 6.9% | $20,827 | 19.6% | 142.3% | 48.6% | 205.8% | 134.6% | 160.9 | 4 | 2,683 |
| Stokes | Transitional | 4.8% | $25,622 | 13.9% | 100.0% | 59.8% | 167.3% | 95.0% | 120.8 | 3 | 1,699 |
| Surry | Transitional | 4.8% | $26,850 | 17.6% | 99.7% | 62.6% | 159.6% | 120.6% | 126.6 | 3 | 1,885 |
| Swain | At-Risk | 6.3% | $25,835 | 20.9% | 130.0% | 60.3% | 165.9% | 143.0% | 146.3 | 4 | 2,427 |
| Transylvania | Transitional | 4.9% | $28,996 | 15.5% | 101.0% | 67.7% | 147.8% | 106.6% | 118.5 | 3 | 1,618 |
| Watauga | At-Risk | 4.5% | $28,628 | 28.3% | 92.7% | 66.8% | 149.7% | 194.1% | 145.5 | 4 | 2,413 |
| Wilkes | Transitional | 4.9% | $24,508 | 20.9% | 101.7% | 57.2% | 174.9% | 143.0% | 139.9 | 3 | 2,286 |
| Yadkin | Transitional | 4.5% | $26,072 | 17.3% | 92.4% | 60.8% | 164.4% | 118.6% | 125.1 | 3 | 1,834 |
| Yancey | At-Risk | 5.2% | $22,573 | 19.6% | 108.0% | 52.7% | 189.9% | 134.4% | 144.1 | 4 | 2,387 |
