Lenoir County, North Carolina Income Statistics
Lenoir County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
-
D
Lenoir County Well below averageLess wealthy than 82% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Lenoir County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $45,135 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $42,450 | $54,489 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 2.6% | 5.2% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 5.0% | 11.9% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 3.2% | 10.4% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Lenoir County is about 38% lower than in North Carolina. Income has been growing slower in Lenoir County (2.6%/yr) than in North Carolina (5.2%/yr).
About 5% of adults in Lenoir County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the North Carolina average of 12%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Lenoir County, North Carolina grew by 38.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $45,135 in 2024. That's an average of about 2.6% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Lenoir County
| Metric | Lenoir County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.535 | 0.547 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $52,811 | $63,136 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $42,601 | $52,579 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 19.3% | 16.7% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Lenoir County, it is 0.535, lower than North Carolina's 0.547, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 24% more than women's income in Lenoir County, North Carolina. Over a 35-year career, a 24% wage gap accumulates to roughly $357,350 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Lenoir County, North Carolina has widened from about 16% to 19% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 2% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $5,065 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Lenoir County widened by 3.7 points while North Carolina's narrowed by 3.0 points.
Employment
| Metric | Lenoir County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 9.0% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 3.4% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 18 | 21 | 22 |
Approximately 2,233 people are unemployed in Lenoir County, North Carolina.
The average commute time in Lenoir County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in North Carolina.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Lenoir County, North Carolina has fallen from 10.9% to 9.0% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 13.3% in 2012 and fell as low as 7.1% in 2022.
Lenoir County, NC Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Lenoir County, NC is typical in size for this group, 54,882 residents against a local median of 49,292, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Lenoir County, NC apart most is unemployment: 9.0%, 70% above the local median of 5.3%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 2.6%/yr against a local median of 5.0%/yr, 49% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Lenoir County, NC reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 3.4% on unemployment, so Lenoir County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lenoir County, NC has the 6th lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lenoir County, NC | 54,882 | $45,135 #6/6 | 2.6%/yr #6/6 | 9.0% #6/6 | 0.535 #4/6 |
| Greene County, NC | 20,465 | $52,621 | 4.0%/yr | 5.6% | 0.580 |
| Jones County, NC | 9,300 | $59,628 | 7.4%/yr | 4.3% | 0.521 |
| Wayne County, NC | 118,630 | $59,780 | 5.0%/yr | 4.9% | 0.530 |
| Duplin County, NC | 49,292 | $55,498 | 5.8%/yr | 5.3% | 0.515 |
| Pitt County, NC | 177,193 | $57,898 | 4.0%/yr | 7.7% | 0.558 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lenoir County, North Carolina has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than North Carolina, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Lenoir County, North Carolina.
How Rich Is Lenoir County, North Carolina?
Lenoir County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $45,135, about 38% lower than the North Carolina average of $72,438.
Are incomes growing in Lenoir County, North Carolina?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Lenoir County, North Carolina rose 39%, from $32,562 to $45,135. Over the same years, income here lagged behind North Carolina as a whole: +39% against +61%.
What was the median household income in Lenoir County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Lenoir County, North Carolina was $44,771, up 5% from $42,689 in 2022. The North Carolina median that year was $69,937.
What was the median household income in Lenoir County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Lenoir County, North Carolina was $39,907. By 2024 it had risen 13% to $45,135.
Is it hard to find a job in Lenoir County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Lenoir County, North Carolina is 9.0%, well above the North Carolina rate of 4.6%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Lenoir County, North Carolina?
The Gini coefficient in Lenoir County is 0.535. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Lenoir County, North Carolina?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Lenoir County, North Carolina has widened from about 16% to 19% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 2% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $5,065 since 2009.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →