North Carolina

Home/North Carolina North Carolina State-to-state migration of people and income, 2022–2023 filing years At a glance (2023) Cost of living 94 6% below the U.S. average Median home value $259,400 national $303,400 Home prices, 5 years +63.1% over the 5 years to 2023 Monthly rent $1,162 national $1,348 Homeownership 66% national 65% Unemployment 3.5% national 3.6% Household income $69,904 national $78,538 Median age 39.1 yrs national 38.7 The cost of living runs about 6% below the national average. The median home is valued at $259,400 (nominal). Home prices have risen about 63% over the five years to 2023. Median rent is about $1,162 a month. Unemployment averaged 3.5% in 2023 (national 3.6%). Median household income is $69,904. These figures describe all residents, not just tax filers, come from separate sources than the migration data on this page, and do not indicate why anyone moved. Between the 2022 and 2023 filing years, North Carolina saw a net gain of 38,810 tax-filing households and a net gain of 69,419 individuals. Against a population of about 10,835,491, that is a net inflow of about 6.4 per 1,000 residents. On net, the area gained $3.9B in associated adjusted gross income (AGI, nominal dollars). The largest inflow, about 20,553 households, came from Florida; the largest outflow, about 18,026 households, went to South Carolina. In the prior (2022) filing year, the area saw a net gain of 83,708 individuals. These figures cover federal income tax filers only and do not indicate why people moved. Net income (AGI) +$3.9B nominal dollars Net households +38,810 tax returns Net people +69,419 exemptions +6.4 net people per 1,000 residents (population 10,835,491) Income (AGI) in and out Moved in$13.9B Moved out$10B Net +$3.9B (nominal) HowAmericaMoves.com North Carolina counties Net migration by county. Hover for figures; click a county to open it. Net outNet in(AGI $) Hover an area to trace its top 5 inbound (in) and outbound (out) moves. Net income (AGI) that moved in minus out, in nominal dollars (not adjusted for inflation).Net tax returns (filing households) that moved in minus out.Net people per 1,000 residents, so larger and smaller areas compare fairly. Hover an area to trace its top moves HowAmericaMoves.com Top origin states 1Florida20,553$1.6B2South Carolina15,305$1B3Virginia15,148$1.2B4New York13,811$1.1B5California9,978$971.6M6Georgia9,082$651.6M7Texas8,694$760.4M8Pennsylvania7,061$566.8M9New Jersey6,003$571.9M10Maryland5,264$437.1M HowAmericaMoves.com Top destination states 1South Carolina18,026$1.5B2Florida14,530$1.4B3Virginia12,599$866.9M4Georgia8,487$590.2M5Texas8,387$597.4M6New York6,906$436.7M7California6,470$523.1M8Tennessee5,058$365.6M9Pennsylvania4,327$282.6M10Maryland3,519$235.2M HowAmericaMoves.com Churn by state both directions at once The biggest two-way exchanges of filing households, 2022–2023. Moved in and moved out are gross one-way counts; net is the difference. Click a column to sort. Florida 20,553 14,530 +6,023 +$190.6M South Carolina 15,305 18,026 -2,721 -$516.8M Virginia 15,148 12,599 +2,549 +$336.6M New York 13,811 6,906 +6,905 +$618M Georgia 9,082 8,487 +595 +$61.4M Texas 8,694 8,387 +307 +$162.9M California 9,978 6,470 +3,508 +$448.5M Pennsylvania 7,061 4,327 +2,734 +$284.2M Tennessee 4,796 5,058 -262 -$5.6M Maryland 5,264 3,519 +1,745 +$201.9M New Jersey 6,003 2,566 +3,437 +$388.9M Ohio 5,026 3,388 +1,638 +$182.4M Counts are filing households (IRS returns), matching the lists above; income is nominal AGI. A dash means the IRS published only one direction of that exchange (small flows are suppressed), so no net is computed. HowAmericaMoves.com Net migration by year Net 2012–2023: +$33.6B (+624,364 people) 20122023 HowAmericaMoves.com Net AGI and net people by year (nominal dollars) Year Net AGI Net people 2012 +$1.2B +26,982 2013 +$1.5B +26,207 2014 +$1.3B +21,211 2015 +$1.1B +20,790 2016 +$2.2B +48,312 2017 +$3.8B +75,332 2018 +$3B +56,978 2019 +$2.8B +48,836 2020 +$3.7B +69,067 2021 +$4.6B +77,522 2022 +$4.6B +83,708 2023 +$3.9B +69,419 Migration in context How big is this move, relative to the state? In the 2022–2023 filing year, about 69,419 more people moved into North Carolina than left (counting tax filers and their dependents) — a net gain of about $3.9B in income (nominal) — in a state of 10,871,849 people. Population 10,871,849 Census 2023 estimate Net migration rate +6.4 net people per 1,000 residents A town of 10,000 would net about +64 people. Net income per resident +$358 nominal dollars ≈ +$3.9B total across 10,871,849 residents. The rate lets you compare North Carolina with a stateof any size: it’s the net flow divided by population. The IRS counts tax filers; population counts all residents, so read the rate as a scale indicator, not a literal share of people. HowAmericaMoves.com Components of population change 2023 (Census) Where the state’s overall change came from. Census counts all residents; the IRS migration above is one slice of the domestic-migration component. Births +121,274 Deaths 108,957 Net domestic migration +98,929 Net international migration +53,771 Total change +166,081 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program. Figures are people, not tax filers. HowAmericaMoves.com Income & cost of living What a dollar is worth here Prices around North Carolina run about 6% below the national average. In plain terms: $100 spent here buys about what $106 buys in the average American community. The figures below apply that to income, each compared to the U.S. average of $70,002 per person. Income per person $62,233 what people here earn (BEA 2023, nominal) 11% below the U.S. average Price level 94.4 100 = U.S. average prices (BEA price parity) everyday costs about 5.6% lower than average What that income buys $65,925 local income restated at U.S.-average prices 6% below the U.S. average Cheaper than U.S. avgU.S. average (100)Pricier Price parity shown at the state level (BEA does not publish a single figure below the metro level). HowAmericaMoves.com Where the cost comes from price parity by category Index where 100 = U.S. average for that category. Housing is usually what separates one place from another. Housing & rents80.8 Goods96.8 Utilities83.6 Other services98.7 Housing is measured from rents (including an estimated rental value for owner-occupied homes), so a run-up in purchase prices shows here only as it reaches rents. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer income above. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Who lives here The people of North Carolina American Community Survey, 2019–2023 (a 5-year average of all residents, not just tax filers). Median age 39.1 years Median household income $69,904 per household (ACS 2019–2023, nominal) 11% below the U.S. median College degree 35% adults 25+ with a bachelor's or higher Poverty rate 13.2% residents below the poverty line Average commute 25 min mean travel time to work Broadband at home 89% households with any broadband Race and ethnicity (share of residents) White 61%Hispanic 11%Black 20%Asian 3%Other 5% White, Black, and Asian counts are people who are not Hispanic or Latino; Hispanic or Latino can be of any race. Shares are rounded and may not total 100. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer data. A 5-year estimate is an average over 2019–2023; compare years at least five apart, since consecutive windows overlap. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Housing what it costs to live here (ACS 2019–2023) Median home value $259,400 owner-occupied homes 15% below the U.S. median Median rent $1,162 gross rent per month 14% below the U.S. median Homeownership 66% of occupied homes are owner-occupied Home-price appreciation FHFA index, 2023 Past year +8.8% price change, 2022 to 2023 Past 5 years +63% price change, 2018 to 2023 A repeat-sales index (how much the same homes changed in price), so it tracks the market over time rather than the current level. Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual all-transactions HPI; the county series is FHFA’s developmental index. New home construction building permits, 2023 98,853new housing units authorized in 2023 Single-family 67%Multifamily 33% Units authorized by residential building permits (new supply), summed from counties for the state and U.S. Permits are authorizations, not completions. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Home value is what owners estimate their homes are worth, not recent sale prices. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2019–2023), nominal dollars. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Local economy & risk Jobs and natural hazards Unemployment rate 3.5% BLS 2023 annual average Labor force 5,272,358 5,088,209 employed Disaster declarations — major federal, 2023 Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS) and FEMA. A disaster declaration marks federal assistance eligibility, not damage severity, and says nothing about why anyone moved. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Unemployment now 3.5% May 2026 ▼ 0.2 points vs May 2025 January 2024May 2026 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS). Monthly unemployment for this state, not seasonally adjusted. Updated every month, so it moves faster than the annual average above. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Who’s moving by income Net migration by income bracket Tax-filing households that moved into North Carolina minus those that left, by the adjusted gross income they reported, 2022–2023. Positive means more arrived than left at that income level. $1–$10k +2,001 In 13,350Out 11,349+$11.2M AGI $10k–$25k +5,301 In 30,796Out 25,495+$94.6M AGI $25k–$50k +8,596 In 44,718Out 36,122+$311.3M AGI $50k–$75k +6,002 In 27,225Out 21,223+$371.1M AGI $75k–$100k +4,068 In 16,656Out 12,588+$353.3M AGI $100k–$200k +7,807 In 26,452Out 18,645+$1.1B AGI $200k+ +4,784 In 12,513Out 7,729+$1.7B AGI Among the highest earners ($200k+), North Carolina ranks #3 of 51 states for net household migration (+4,784). Source: IRS Statistics of Income, state-level gross migration file (returns with negative AGI are excluded, so this won’t exactly match the totals above). Income is what filers reported, not a reason anyone moved. Compare all states by income bracket. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Goods trade What North Carolina ships and receives Physical goods shipped between North Carolina and other states, 2022. This is freight, not the migration of people or income shown above. $337.5B Ships to other states +27% since 2017 $274.4B Receives from states +29% since 2017 +$63.1B Net balance Top goods shipped out Electronic and other electrical equipment and components, and office equipment $57.1B Mixed freight $53.7B Pharmaceutical products $43.5B Machinery $37.1B Plastics and rubber $30.2B Tobacco products $30.1B Top goods received Mixed freight $46.4B Electronic and other electrical equipment and components, and office equipment $32.4B Tobacco products $30.3B Pharmaceutical products $25.3B Plastics and rubber $25.0B Machinery $23.2B Biggest trading partners (both ways) Goods trade runs in both directions: states swap different goods, so a partner is often near the top of both columns. Net is ships minus receives (positive means North Carolina ships more to that partner than it gets back). Partner Ships to Receives Net Total Georgia $24.0B $28.5B -$4.5B $52.6B Virginia $27.3B $22.3B +$4.9B $49.6B South Carolina $26.0B $22.2B +$3.7B $48.2B Florida $34.6B $12.3B +$22.4B $46.9B Texas $22.6B $15.7B +$6.8B $38.3B California $18.1B $19.0B -$911M $37.0B Ohio $14.2B $15.3B -$1.1B $29.5B Indiana $17.4B $10.7B +$6.7B $28.1B Goods shipped every five years by the Census Commodity Flow Survey (a sample, so figures are estimates and the smallest flows are withheld). Value is nominal. The totals and partner table above count trade between North Carolina and other states; the goods lists count everything the state ships or receives, including within-state shipments. Compare all states. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Taxes the state collects What North Carolina collects in taxes Total state taxes $39.1B FY 2023, nominal Per resident $3,594 total state taxes ÷ population Largest categories (share of total) Individual income tax$16.9B 43% General sales & gross receipts$11.9B 30% Motor fuels sales tax$2.4B 6% Corporation net income tax$1.6B 4% Other selective sales tax$1.3B 3% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections. This is what the state government collected (not local taxes), not a measure of any individual’s tax burden. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Elections National maps → How North Carolina has voted. Certified returns, popular vote only. This is a separate dataset from the migration figures on this page. President, 1976–2024 Year Democratic Republican Other Margin Total 2024 2,715,375 2,898,423 85,343 R +3.2 5,699,141 2020 2,684,292 2,758,773 81,737 R +1.3 5,524,802 2016 2,189,316 2,362,631 189,617 R +3.7 4,741,564 2012 2,178,391 2,270,395 56,586 R +2.0 4,505,372 2008 2,142,651 2,128,474 39,664 D +0.3 4,310,789 2004 1,525,849 1,961,166 13,992 R +12.4 3,501,007 2000 1,257,692 1,631,163 22,407 R +12.8 2,911,262 1996 1,107,849 1,225,938 182,020 R +4.7 2,515,807 1992 1,114,042 1,134,661 363,147 R +0.8 2,611,850 1988 890,167 1,237,258 6,945 R +16.3 2,134,370 1984 824,287 1,346,481 4,593 R +24.0 2,175,361 1980 875,635 915,018 65,180 R +2.1 1,855,833 1976 927,365 741,960 8,581 D +11.0 1,677,906 U.S. Senate races all states → Year Winner Democratic Republican Other Margin 2022 Ted Budd 1,784,049 1,905,786 84,089 R +3.2 2020 Thom Tillis 2,569,965 2,665,598 239,389 R +1.7 2016 Richard Burr 2,128,165 2,395,376 167,592 R +5.7 2014 Thom Tillis 1,377,651 1,423,259 109,721 R +1.6 2010 Richard Burr 1,145,074 1,458,046 55,687 R +11.8 2008 Kay Hagan 2,249,311 1,887,510 133,430 D +8.5 2004 Richard Burr 1,632,527 1,791,450 47,743 R +4.6 2002 Elizabeth H. Dole 1,047,983 1,248,664 33,807 R +8.6 U.S. House seats won district maps → 2024 D 4 R 10 2022 D 7 R 7 2020 D 5 R 8 2018 D 3 R 10 2016 D 3 R 10 2014 D 3 R 10 2012 D 4 R 9 2010 D 7 R 6 2008 D 8 R 5 2006 D 7 R 6 2004 D 6 R 7 2002 D 6 R 7 2000 D 5 R 7 2024 results by county Republican wonDemocratic wonIndependent / other Which party received the most votes, as a solid color.Winning margin as a share of all votes cast.Change in margin since 2020, in percentage points.Total votes cast, all candidates. HowAmericaMoves.com Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab county returns (CC0). Margins are the popular-vote gap as a share of all votes cast. Counties in North Carolina (100) Alamance CountyAlexander CountyAlleghany CountyAnson CountyAshe CountyAvery CountyBeaufort CountyBertie CountyBladen CountyBrunswick CountyBuncombe CountyBurke CountyCabarrus CountyCaldwell CountyCamden CountyCarteret CountyCaswell CountyCatawba CountyChatham CountyCherokee CountyChowan CountyClay CountyCleveland CountyColumbus CountyCraven CountyCumberland CountyCurrituck CountyDare CountyDavidson CountyDavie CountyDuplin CountyDurham CountyEdgecombe CountyForsyth CountyFranklin CountyGaston CountyGates CountyGraham CountyGranville CountyGreene CountyGuilford CountyHalifax CountyHarnett CountyHaywood CountyHenderson CountyHertford CountyHoke CountyHyde CountyIredell CountyJackson CountyJohnston CountyJones CountyLee CountyLenoir CountyLincoln CountyMacon CountyMadison CountyMartin CountyMcDowell CountyMecklenburg CountyMitchell CountyMontgomery CountyMoore CountyNash CountyNew Hanover CountyNorthampton CountyOnslow CountyOrange CountyPamlico CountyPasquotank CountyPender CountyPerquimans CountyPerson CountyPitt CountyPolk CountyRandolph CountyRichmond CountyRobeson CountyRockingham CountyRowan CountyRutherford CountySampson CountyScotland CountyStanly CountyStokes CountySurry CountySwain CountyTransylvania CountyTyrrell CountyUnion CountyVance CountyWake CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWatauga CountyWayne CountyWilkes CountyWilson CountyYadkin CountyYancey County Get the next update for North Carolina The IRS releases new migration data once a year. 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