North Carolina Unveils Updated County Tier Designations for 2026
In a significant development for North Carolina’s economic landscape, the state’s Department of Commerce has revealed the county tier designations for the year 2026. These designations, required by state legislation, influence various programs aimed at fostering economic growth.
The latest update sees changes in tier status for eighteen counties across the state.
Among those moving to a less economically challenged tier are Beaufort, Camden, Davie, Graham, Macon, Montgomery, Randolph, Stanly, and Surry counties.
Conversely, counties such as Buncombe, Burke, Granville, Haywood, Henderson, Jones, Madison, Pasquotank, and Yancey are facing a shift to a more economically distressed tier.
The 2026 designations adhere to the procedures established by the North Carolina General Assembly under General Statue §143B-437.08. This statute outlines four key economic indicators—unemployment rate, median household income, population growth, and assessed property value per capita—used by N.C. Commerce to evaluate and rank all 100 counties in the state. Counties are then categorized into one of three tiers, with Tier 1 indicating the highest level of economic distress and Tier 3 the lowest.
According to the statute, 40 counties are designated as Tier 1, 40 as Tier 2, and 20 as Tier 3. These tier designations are critical as they determine the eligibility criteria for several grant programs managed by N.C. Commerce. These include the One North Carolina Fund and grants for building reuse and water and sewer infrastructure, among others. Furthermore, tier rankings play a vital role in the state’s Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) program, directing resources to the Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account to enhance infrastructure in more economically challenged areas.
To learn more about the tier designation system, please visit:
commerce.nc.gov/tiers
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