Assets
Asset poverty rate: 26%
Average college graduate debt: $26,129
Unbanked households: 5.8%
Economic well-being
Extreme poverty rate: 9%
Food insecurity: 14.6%
Minimum wage: $7.25
Number of Black and Hispanic children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment: 331,000
Number of Hispanic children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment: 122,000
Percent of individuals who are uninsured: 10.7%
Percent of jobs that are low-wage: 25.1%
Percent of working families under 200% of the poverty line: 36.4%
Poverty rate: 14.7%
Unemployment rate: 4.1%
Education
High school graduation rate: 86.6%
Percent of adult population with at least a high school degree: 87.2%
Percent of college graduates with debt: 55%
Percent of population over age 25 with at least a four year college degree: 31.9%
Percent of teens ages 16 to 19 not attending school and not working: 7%
Family
Children in foster care: 10,706
Number of households with grandparents responsible for grandchildren under age 18 212,539
Percent of children in immigrant families: 19%
Percent of children living in single parent families: 36%
Teen birth rate per 1,000 population ages 15-19: 20.6%
Housing
Home foreclosure rate: 0.71%
Homeless people: 9,559
Households paying more than 50% of income on housing: 315,000
Percent renters: 35%
Total households: 4,046,348
Justice System
Incarcerated persons per 100,000 residents: 341
Number of youth residing in juvenile justice and correctional facilities: 366
Participation in federal programs
Adults and children receiving welfare (TANF): 79,643
Children receiving food stamps (SNAP): 694,359
EITC recipients: 892,000
Families receiving child care subsidies: 24,300
Households receiving federal rental assistance: 138,000
Households receiving LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program): 194,163
Number of children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP: 1,437,572
Number of women and children receiving WIC (Women, Infants and Children supplemental nutrition program): 2,321,719
Participants in all Head Start programs: 21,539
Poverty by demographic
Child poverty rate: 20%
Number of Asian and Pacific Islander children below 200% poverty: 24,000
Number of Black and Hispanic children below 200% poverty: 566,000
Number of Hispanic children below 200% poverty: 258,000
Percent of single-parent families with related children that are below poverty: 34%
Senior poverty rate: 9.1%
Women in poverty: 14.9%

State governments play a significant role in developing policies that help support low-income families. Below is a list of some key North Carolina policies and a link to an organization that tracks the issue.

Tax & Asset-Building Policy

Family and Work Supports