News & Media

North Carolina Releases Their 2025 Average Wage and County Tier Designations

The North Carolina Department of Commerce recently released their annual ranking of the state’s 100 counties based on economic well-being.  Since 2007, the state has utilized a three-level system to assign each county a Tier which they then use to determine a variety of state funding opportunities to assist economic development.  The current statewide county tier map and designation can be found here.

County Tiers are calculated using four factors:

  • Average unemployment rate.
  • Median household income.
  • Percentage growth in population.
  • Adjusted property tax base per capita.

Iredell County continues to rank as a Tier 3 or least distressed county although it has fallen out of the top ten from 92 out of 100 counties in 2024 to 88 in 2025.  Similarly, the average wage, which reached a high of $64,433 in 2023, has declined to $62,669.  This, however, remains the 6th highest wage in North Carolina behind Durham at $97,531, Mecklenburg at $86,830, Wake at $76,643, Orange with $69,738, and Forsyth with $65,319.

Iredell County continues to rank in the top ten in terms of population with a growth rate of 7.32%

Included is the memo regarding the state’s methodology for the rankings and list of all 100 counties, designation, and wages 2025 North Carolina Development Tier Designations as well as North Carolina’s County Average Private Sector Wages.