NC / county disease rankings
Counties with the lowest life expectancy in North Carolina
Among 100 North Carolina counties with published values, the counties with the lowest life expectancy are Swain County, NC (67.3, against the U.S. county median of 75.3), Robeson County, NC (67.9, against the U.S. county median of 75.3) and Richmond County, NC (68.7, against the U.S. county median of 75.3). Values are years.
Source: County Health Rankings, built from CDC National Vital Statistics System death records. These are county-level figures, compared with the U.S. county median. A high rate does not prove an environmental cause: age, smoking, income, access to care, screening and chance all move county rates, and small counties swing widely.
All North Carolina counties, lowest first
Life expectancy, years.
| Rank | County | State | Value | U.S. county median | Times reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swain County | NC | 67.3 | 75.3 | 0.89x |
| 2 | Robeson County | NC | 67.9 | 75.3 | 0.9x |
| 3 | Richmond County | NC | 68.7 | 75.3 | 0.91x |
| 4 | Scotland County | NC | 69.5 | 75.3 | 0.92x |
| 5 | Columbus County | NC | 69.7 | 75.3 | 0.93x |
| 6 | Vance County | NC | 70.1 | 75.3 | 0.93x |
| 7 | Bladen County | NC | 70.3 | 75.3 | 0.93x |
| 8 | Anson County | NC | 70.4 | 75.3 | 0.93x |
| 9 | Halifax County | NC | 70.4 | 75.3 | 0.93x |
| 10 | Edgecombe County | NC | 70.5 | 75.3 | 0.94x |
| 11 | Lenoir County | NC | 70.9 | 75.3 | 0.94x |
| 12 | Martin County | NC | 71.1 | 75.3 | 0.94x |
| 13 | Washington County | NC | 71.2 | 75.3 | 0.95x |
| 14 | Rockingham County | NC | 71.9 | 75.3 | 0.95x |
| 15 | Rutherford County | NC | 71.9 | 75.3 | 0.95x |
| 16 | Bertie County | NC | 72 | 75.3 | 0.96x |
| 17 | Cleveland County | NC | 72 | 75.3 | 0.96x |
| 18 | Northampton County | NC | 72 | 75.3 | 0.96x |
| 19 | Hertford County | NC | 72.2 | 75.3 | 0.96x |
| 20 | Montgomery County | NC | 72.3 | 75.3 | 0.96x |
| 21 | Caldwell County | NC | 72.4 | 75.3 | 0.96x |
| 22 | Jones County | NC | 72.4 | 75.3 | 0.96x |
| 23 | Wilson County | NC | 72.6 | 75.3 | 0.96x |
| 24 | Hoke County | NC | 72.7 | 75.3 | 0.97x |
| 25 | Rowan County | NC | 72.7 | 75.3 | 0.97x |
| 26 | Sampson County | NC | 72.7 | 75.3 | 0.97x |
| 27 | Cumberland County | NC | 72.9 | 75.3 | 0.97x |
| 28 | Randolph County | NC | 72.9 | 75.3 | 0.97x |
| 29 | Gaston County | NC | 73 | 75.3 | 0.97x |
| 30 | Warren County | NC | 73 | 75.3 | 0.97x |
| 31 | Wayne County | NC | 73.2 | 75.3 | 0.97x |
| 32 | Davidson County | NC | 73.3 | 75.3 | 0.97x |
| 33 | Nash County | NC | 73.5 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 34 | Craven County | NC | 73.6 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 35 | Yadkin County | NC | 73.6 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 36 | Beaufort County | NC | 73.7 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 37 | Lee County | NC | 73.7 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 38 | Perquimans County | NC | 73.7 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 39 | Stokes County | NC | 73.7 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 40 | Surry County | NC | 73.7 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 41 | Wilkes County | NC | 73.7 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 42 | Duplin County | NC | 73.8 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 43 | Pamlico County | NC | 73.8 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 44 | Pasquotank County | NC | 73.8 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 45 | Catawba County | NC | 73.9 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 46 | Alexander County | NC | 74.1 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 47 | Mitchell County | NC | 74.1 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 48 | Onslow County | NC | 74.1 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 49 | Stanly County | NC | 74.1 | 75.3 | 0.98x |
| 50 | Burke County | NC | 74.2 | 75.3 | 0.99x |
| 51 | Cherokee County | NC | 74.2 | 75.3 | 0.99x |
| 52 | McDowell County | NC | 74.3 | 75.3 | 0.99x |
| 53 | Caswell County | NC | 74.4 | 75.3 | 0.99x |
| 54 | Chowan County | NC | 74.4 | 75.3 | 0.99x |
| 55 | Graham County | NC | 74.5 | 75.3 | 0.99x |
| 56 | Gates County | NC | 74.6 | 75.3 | 0.99x |
| 57 | Harnett County | NC | 74.6 | 75.3 | 0.99x |
| 58 | Haywood County | NC | 74.6 | 75.3 | 0.99x |
| 59 | Madison County | NC | 74.7 | 75.3 | 0.99x |
| 60 | Person County | NC | 74.8 | 75.3 | 0.99x |
| 61 | Greene County | NC | 74.9 | 75.3 | 0.99x |
| 62 | Pitt County | NC | 74.9 | 75.3 | 0.99x |
| 63 | Alamance County | NC | 75.4 | 75.3 | 1x |
| 64 | Macon County | NC | 75.4 | 75.3 | 1x |
| 65 | Carteret County | NC | 75.6 | 75.3 | 1x |
| 66 | Granville County | NC | 75.6 | 75.3 | 1x |
| 67 | Ashe County | NC | 75.7 | 75.3 | 1.01x |
| 68 | Pender County | NC | 75.7 | 75.3 | 1.01x |
| 69 | Forsyth County | NC | 75.8 | 75.3 | 1.01x |
| 70 | Avery County | NC | 75.9 | 75.3 | 1.01x |
| 71 | Camden County | NC | 75.9 | 75.3 | 1.01x |
| 72 | Tyrrell County | NC | 76 | 75.3 | 1.01x |
| 73 | Yancey County | NC | 76 | 75.3 | 1.01x |
| 74 | Guilford County | NC | 76.2 | 75.3 | 1.01x |
| 75 | Lincoln County | NC | 76.2 | 75.3 | 1.01x |
| 76 | Franklin County | NC | 76.3 | 75.3 | 1.01x |
| 77 | Jackson County | NC | 76.3 | 75.3 | 1.01x |
| 78 | Davie County | NC | 76.4 | 75.3 | 1.01x |
| 79 | Johnston County | NC | 76.5 | 75.3 | 1.02x |
| 80 | Polk County | NC | 76.5 | 75.3 | 1.02x |
| 81 | Iredell County | NC | 76.6 | 75.3 | 1.02x |
| 82 | Clay County | NC | 76.8 | 75.3 | 1.02x |
| 83 | Moore County | NC | 77 | 75.3 | 1.02x |
| 84 | Brunswick County | NC | 77.1 | 75.3 | 1.02x |
| 85 | Currituck County | NC | 77.1 | 75.3 | 1.02x |
| 86 | Cabarrus County | NC | 77.2 | 75.3 | 1.03x |
| 87 | Alleghany County | NC | 77.3 | 75.3 | 1.03x |
| 88 | Buncombe County | NC | 77.4 | 75.3 | 1.03x |
| 89 | Henderson County | NC | 77.4 | 75.3 | 1.03x |
| 90 | New Hanover County | NC | 77.6 | 75.3 | 1.03x |
| 91 | Hyde County | NC | 77.9 | 75.3 | 1.03x |
| 92 | Dare County | NC | 78.2 | 75.3 | 1.04x |
| 93 | Union County | NC | 78.5 | 75.3 | 1.04x |
| 94 | Mecklenburg County | NC | 78.8 | 75.3 | 1.05x |
| 95 | Transylvania County | NC | 79.1 | 75.3 | 1.05x |
| 96 | Durham County | NC | 79.2 | 75.3 | 1.05x |
| 97 | Watauga County | NC | 79.4 | 75.3 | 1.05x |
| 98 | Chatham County | NC | 79.9 | 75.3 | 1.06x |
| 99 | Wake County | NC | 81 | 75.3 | 1.08x |
| 100 | Orange County | NC | 81.6 | 75.3 | 1.08x |