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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)
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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.
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Top origin states

  1. 1Florida20,553$1.6B
  2. 2South Carolina15,305$1B
  3. 3Virginia15,148$1.2B
  4. 4New York13,811$1.1B
  5. 5California9,978$971.6M
  6. 6Georgia9,082$651.6M
  7. 7Texas8,694$760.4M
  8. 8Pennsylvania7,061$566.8M
  9. 9New Jersey6,003$571.9M
  10. 10Maryland5,264$437.1M
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Top destination states

  1. 1South Carolina18,026$1.5B
  2. 2Florida14,530$1.4B
  3. 3Virginia12,599$866.9M
  4. 4Georgia8,487$590.2M
  5. 5Texas8,387$597.4M
  6. 6New York6,906$436.7M
  7. 7California6,470$523.1M
  8. 8Tennessee5,058$365.6M
  9. 9Pennsylvania4,327$282.6M
  10. 10Maryland3,519$235.2M
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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.

Florida20,55314,530+6,023+$190.6M
South Carolina15,30518,026-2,721-$516.8M
Virginia15,14812,599+2,549+$336.6M
New York13,8116,906+6,905+$618M
Georgia9,0828,487+595+$61.4M
Texas8,6948,387+307+$162.9M
California9,9786,470+3,508+$448.5M
Pennsylvania7,0614,327+2,734+$284.2M
Tennessee4,7965,058-262-$5.6M
Maryland5,2643,519+1,745+$201.9M
New Jersey6,0032,566+3,437+$388.9M
Ohio5,0263,388+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.

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Net migration by year

Net 2012–2023: +$33.6B (+624,364 people)
20122023
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Net AGI and net people by year (nominal dollars)
YearNet AGINet 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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

PartnerShips toReceivesNetTotal
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.

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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.

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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

YearDemocraticRepublicanOtherMarginTotal
20242,715,3752,898,42385,343R +3.25,699,141
20202,684,2922,758,77381,737R +1.35,524,802
20162,189,3162,362,631189,617R +3.74,741,564
20122,178,3912,270,39556,586R +2.04,505,372
20082,142,6512,128,47439,664D +0.34,310,789
20041,525,8491,961,16613,992R +12.43,501,007
20001,257,6921,631,16322,407R +12.82,911,262
19961,107,8491,225,938182,020R +4.72,515,807
19921,114,0421,134,661363,147R +0.82,611,850
1988890,1671,237,2586,945R +16.32,134,370
1984824,2871,346,4814,593R +24.02,175,361
1980875,635915,01865,180R +2.11,855,833
1976927,365741,9608,581D +11.01,677,906

U.S. Senate races · all states →

YearWinnerDemocraticRepublicanOtherMargin
2022Ted Budd1,784,0491,905,78684,089R +3.2
2020Thom Tillis2,569,9652,665,598239,389R +1.7
2016Richard Burr2,128,1652,395,376167,592R +5.7
2014Thom Tillis1,377,6511,423,259109,721R +1.6
2010Richard Burr1,145,0741,458,04655,687R +11.8
2008Kay Hagan2,249,3111,887,510133,430D +8.5
2004Richard Burr1,632,5271,791,45047,743R +4.6
2002Elizabeth H. Dole1,047,9831,248,66433,807R +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.
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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)

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