North Carolina
#6of 5163B−
Above: Texas (65). Below: New Hampshire (62).
Starting up
How many businesses get founded here, and what the state takes in tax.
64+9 vs median
- Business applications per 1,000 residents1.660 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau
- State tax collected per resident$3,67868 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections
Population health
One comparable public-health read, asked the same way of every state.
41-9 vs median
- Adult obesity, 202434.5%43 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
- Firearm-injury deaths per 100,000 (crude)16.938 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCDC NCIPC, CDC NCIPC 2024
Productive base
Output per worker and how much of the job base is manufacturing.
59+8 vs median
- Output per worker$170,62962 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Manufacturing share of jobs8.8%56 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Labour market
How tight the market is, and which way it moved last month.
51+2 vs median
- Unemployment rate3.6%60 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Employment change, latest month-0.01%42 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Prosperity
What the average person in the state actually earns.
49-3 vs median
- Per-capita personal income$68,51134 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher37.1%64 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year
Things get built
Housing authorised per worker — a direct read on whether projects clear.
71+13 vs median
- Housing units authorised per 1,000 workers1.594 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau
- House price index (FHFA)707.848 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsFederal Housing Finance Agency
Fiscal standing
What the bond market thinks of the state as a counterparty.
100+8 vs median
- General-obligation ratingAaa · Stable100 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsMoody's, indicative 2025
Openness
Whether you can get an answer out of the state without telephoning it.
67+16 vs median
- Open-data portal answers an APIYes · www.nconemap.gov100 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA probe, 2026-09
- Incentive, permit & finance datasets00 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA discovery, 2026-09
- Government or agency newsroom feeds4100 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA probe, 2026-09