Northampton County, North Carolina Income Statistics
Northampton 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.
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D
Northampton County Well below averageLess wealthy than 91% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Northampton County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $50,149 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $44,466 | $54,489 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 6.0% | 5.2% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 6.8% | 11.9% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 4.1% | 10.4% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Northampton County is about 31% lower than in North Carolina. Income has been growing faster in Northampton County (6.0%/yr) than in North Carolina (5.2%/yr).
About 7% of adults in Northampton 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 Northampton County, North Carolina grew by 71.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $50,149 in 2024. That's an average of about 6.0% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Northampton County
| Metric | Northampton County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.531 | 0.547 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $56,611 | $63,136 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $45,357 | $52,579 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 19.9% | 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 Northampton County, it is 0.531, 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 25% more than women's income in Northampton County, North Carolina. Over a 35-year career, a 25% wage gap accumulates to roughly $393,890 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Northampton County, North Carolina has narrowed from about 25% to 20% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 6% in 2020. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,958 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Northampton County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 8.1% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 5.9% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 23 | 21 | 22 |
Approximately 606 people are unemployed in Northampton County, North Carolina.
The average commute time in Northampton County is 23 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in North Carolina.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Northampton County, North Carolina has fallen from 13.9% to 8.1% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 18.9% in 2013 and fell as low as 6.3% in 2019.
Northampton County, NC Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Northampton County, NC is typical in size for this group, 16,931 residents against a local median of 18,935, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Northampton County, NC apart most is income growth: 6.0%/yr, 44% above the local median of 4.1%/yr. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 8.1% against a local median of 6.1%, 33% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while unemployment runs behind it, so Northampton County, NC is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves sit within 0.6%/yr of each other on income growth, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Northampton County, NC, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Northampton County, NC has the highest income growth of the 5 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northampton County, NC | 16,931 | $50,149 #3/5 | 6.0%/yr #1/5 | 8.1% #4/5 | 0.531 #1/5 |
| Halifax County, NC | 47,661 | $45,442 | 4.2%/yr | 9.3% | 0.550 |
| Greensville County, VA | 11,306 | $56,132 | 4.2%/yr | 6.3% | 0.637 |
| Southampton County, VA | 17,965 | $70,441 | 4.1%/yr | 5.4% | 0.543 |
| Hertford County, NC | 19,906 | $45,535 | 3.6%/yr | 5.9% | 0.569 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Northampton 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 Northampton County, North Carolina.
How Rich Is Northampton County, North Carolina?
Northampton 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 $50,149, about 31% lower than the North Carolina average of $72,438.
How has median household income changed in Northampton County, North Carolina?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Northampton County, North Carolina rose 71%, from $29,322 to $50,149. Over the same years, income here outpaced North Carolina as a whole: +71% against +61%.
What was the median household income in Northampton County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Northampton County, North Carolina was $46,850, up 2% from $45,911 in 2022. The North Carolina median that year was $69,937.
What was the median household income in Northampton County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Northampton County, North Carolina was $38,691. By 2024 it had risen 30% to $50,149.
Is it hard to find a job in Northampton County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Northampton County, North Carolina is 8.1%, well above the North Carolina rate of 4.6%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Northampton County, North Carolina?
The Gini coefficient in Northampton County is 0.531. 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 Northampton County, North Carolina?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Northampton County, North Carolina has narrowed from about 25% to 20% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 6% in 2020. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,958 since 2009.
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