State economy
North Carolina economy
North Carolina's unemployment rate was 3.4% in September 2026, down from 3.5% the month before and 3.9% a year earlier. That ranks 15 of 51 (1 = lowest); the national rate was 4.1%. Employers had 5.13 million jobs on their payrolls in September 2026, a gain of 67,000 (+1.3%) from a year earlier. Home prices (FHFA index) were +2.4% from a year earlier in Q2 2026. Median household income was $80,250 in 2025.
3.4%
unemployment rate
September 2026Unemployment rate3.4%Rank 15 of 51 (1 = lowest)
10-year range3.4–14.2%Low Apr 2023 · high Apr 2020
Nonfarm jobs5.13M+1.3% in a year · rank 6
Home prices (FHFA)+2.4%1-year change · Q2 2026 · 5-yr +51%
Median household income$80,2502025 · rank 39 of 51
North Carolina: unemployment rate
North Carolina: jobs, change from a year earlier
North Carolina: home prices, change from a year earlier
North Carolina: median household income
Other states
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (unemployment, nonfarm payrolls; seasonally adjusted), Federal Housing Finance Agency (all-transactions house price index), U.S. Census Bureau (median household income, current dollars), via FRED. US unemployment rate: 4.1% (October 2026).