Most cash-strapped cities in North Carolina (2026)
All 92 North Carolina cities ranked
| Rank | City | Score | Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | Households under $35k | Poverty rate | Unemployment rate | Rent as % of median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinston | 99.1 | 47.4% | 46.6% | 27.9% | 16.1% | 28.2% |
| 2 | Laurinburg | 97.5 | 55.2% | 44.1% | 31.1% | 11.0% | 22.0% |
| 3 | Henderson | 96.9 | 56.3% | 42.5% | 27.3% | 9.4% | 25.5% |
| 4 | Kings Mountain | 95.1 | 70.3% | 36.7% | 23.0% | 7.7% | 23.2% |
| 5 | Lumberton | 93.2 | 48.7% | 45.6% | 30.8% | 5.6% | 24.2% |
| 6 | Smithfield | 92.7 | 61.5% | 42.0% | 27.3% | 7.2% | 18.2% |
| 7 | Greenville | 92.4 | 52.6% | 33.4% | 24.6% | 9.0% | 24.3% |
| 8 | Albemarle | 90.3 | 56.9% | 41.2% | 24.9% | 5.6% | 22.5% |
| 9 | Lexington | 90.0 | 46.4% | 39.9% | 27.8% | 6.0% | 24.8% |
| 10 | Eden | 89.8 | 57.2% | 40.5% | 19.2% | 8.3% | 20.3% |
| 11 | Goldsboro | 89.6 | 49.3% | 36.5% | 22.8% | 8.0% | 24.0% |
| 12 | Salisbury | 89.5 | 53.8% | 36.4% | 26.3% | 5.8% | 23.9% |
| 13 | Reidsville | 87.1 | 53.6% | 37.1% | 21.1% | 6.4% | 23.0% |
| 14 | Spring Lake | 87.0 | 51.6% | 31.2% | 17.7% | 5.4% | 31.2% |
| 15 | Tarboro | 86.2 | 64.1% | 42.3% | 18.5% | 4.5% | 20.3% |
| 16 | Mount Airy | 85.7 | 46.8% | 45.2% | 26.9% | 4.1% | 21.6% |
| 17 | Fayetteville | 85.6 | 52.5% | 27.9% | 17.7% | 7.9% | 25.7% |
| 18 | Statesville | 83.3 | 52.9% | 30.5% | 20.4% | 6.8% | 22.7% |
| 19 | Elizabeth City | 82.4 | 51.4% | 33.4% | 13.3% | 7.0% | 25.7% |
| 20 | Wilson | 82.3 | 46.1% | 33.1% | 23.0% | 6.7% | 22.2% |
| 21 | Lincolnton | 81.5 | 49.1% | 35.8% | 22.7% | 3.8% | 25.0% |
| 22 | Hendersonville | 81.3 | 59.9% | 29.1% | 14.6% | 3.2% | 29.9% |
| 23 | Pineville | 80.5 | 62.8% | 24.1% | 13.8% | 5.2% | 26.9% |
| 24 | Morganton | 79.0 | 48.0% | 34.7% | 25.7% | 3.8% | 22.1% |
| 25 | Shelby | 77.2 | 52.2% | 37.4% | 17.6% | 3.6% | 23.4% |
| 26 | Rocky Mount | 76.5 | 42.2% | 30.4% | 19.7% | 8.0% | 20.7% |
| 27 | Sanford | 75.9 | 49.4% | 32.2% | 22.0% | 4.4% | 21.9% |
| 28 | Roanoke Rapids | 75.3 | 42.7% | 33.2% | 18.4% | 8.1% | 19.2% |
| 29 | Chapel Hill | 75.1 | 60.8% | 23.6% | 18.6% | 4.5% | 22.5% |
| 30 | Gastonia | 74.8 | 54.3% | 27.5% | 16.3% | 5.7% | 22.6% |
| 31 | Greensboro | 74.2 | 54.7% | 27.3% | 17.0% | 5.1% | 22.9% |
| 32 | Wilmington | 73.9 | 56.4% | 25.5% | 16.0% | 4.3% | 25.1% |
| 33 | Winston-Salem | 73.8 | 50.7% | 29.0% | 17.7% | 5.7% | 22.0% |
| 34 | Burlington | 73.3 | 46.8% | 30.2% | 16.4% | 6.5% | 22.2% |
| 35 | Graham | 72.6 | 45.1% | 27.9% | 16.8% | 6.8% | 22.9% |
| 36 | Asheboro | 70.9 | 47.1% | 31.6% | 19.7% | 4.0% | 23.0% |
| 37 | Asheville | 69.4 | 54.1% | 24.9% | 14.3% | 5.1% | 23.7% |
| 38 | Hope Mills | 68.3 | 46.3% | 24.3% | 14.1% | 8.2% | 20.8% |
| 39 | Waynesville | 65.0 | 52.4% | 33.5% | 15.9% | 1.9% | 23.4% |
| 40 | Winterville | 64.4 | 66.6% | 16.0% | 9.8% | 5.4% | 22.1% |
| 41 | New Bern | 62.7 | 46.5% | 28.0% | 17.3% | 4.6% | 21.3% |
| 42 | Newton | 60.4 | 45.3% | 28.1% | 12.0% | 6.2% | 21.1% |
| 43 | High Point | 58.7 | 45.7% | 26.2% | 15.7% | 5.2% | 20.7% |
| 44 | Southern Pines | 57.1 | 53.6% | 24.0% | 9.6% | 6.7% | 18.4% |
| 45 | Garner | 55.6 | 53.3% | 15.9% | 8.4% | 6.2% | 23.6% |
| 46 | Monroe | 52.4 | 49.1% | 22.7% | 13.3% | 4.6% | 20.6% |
| 47 | Anderson Creek | 52.3 | 44.8% | 21.4% | 14.6% | 7.1% | 17.2% |
| 48 | Charlotte | 52.2 | 49.8% | 18.1% | 11.7% | 4.6% | 23.6% |
| 49 | Carrboro | 52.1 | 55.8% | 21.8% | 12.2% | 3.6% | 20.6% |
| 50 | Raleigh | 50.8 | 52.1% | 18.0% | 11.9% | 4.4% | 22.1% |
| 51 | Kannapolis | 48.6 | 48.7% | 21.0% | 12.6% | 4.1% | 21.4% |
| 52 | Concord | 47.1 | 51.7% | 17.9% | 9.6% | 5.5% | 20.0% |
| 53 | Hickory | 47.0 | 40.3% | 25.6% | 17.1% | 3.8% | 19.8% |
| 54 | Thomasville | 45.6 | 38.4% | 28.9% | 16.3% | 4.6% | 17.3% |
| 55 | Mount Holly | 45.5 | 53.5% | 18.5% | 8.2% | 5.5% | 19.0% |
| 56 | Durham | 45.0 | 48.5% | 18.7% | 11.7% | 3.8% | 22.2% |
| 57 | Lenoir | 44.6 | 35.9% | 35.4% | 14.6% | 4.6% | 16.0% |
| 58 | Clayton | 43.1 | 54.2% | 17.6% | 5.9% | 2.8% | 25.3% |
| 59 | Leland | 42.6 | 56.5% | 12.2% | 6.1% | 4.7% | 22.6% |
| 60 | Murraysville | 40.5 | 45.5% | 10.9% | 4.5% | 5.8% | 26.3% |
| 61 | Piney Green | 39.4 | 41.3% | 17.3% | 10.8% | 5.9% | 20.0% |
| 62 | Mebane | 38.1 | 55.3% | 19.0% | 7.2% | 3.9% | 18.5% |
| 63 | Spout Springs | 37.2 | 47.4% | 7.0% | 4.2% | 5.7% | 26.1% |
| 64 | Pinehurst | 35.5 | 56.6% | 14.6% | 4.3% | 5.2% | 18.2% |
| 65 | Weddington | 35.4 | 90.9% | 8.5% | 4.0% | 1.8% | 12.1% |
| 66 | Kernersville | 35.0 | 45.9% | 23.3% | 12.6% | 2.7% | 18.1% |
| 67 | Indian Trail | 32.5 | 47.2% | 9.3% | 5.4% | 5.3% | 23.0% |
| 68 | Belmont | 32.4 | 49.4% | 20.5% | 7.9% | 4.0% | 17.3% |
| 69 | Mooresville | 31.8 | 44.2% | 15.0% | 7.3% | 4.4% | 21.8% |
| 70 | Clemmons | 25.1 | 47.9% | 14.7% | 6.5% | 4.5% | 17.4% |
| 71 | Mint Hill | 22.7 | 44.0% | 13.7% | 8.4% | 4.1% | 18.2% |
| 72 | Archdale | 22.2 | 45.0% | 21.4% | 5.2% | 2.5% | 19.2% |
| 73 | Knightdale | 21.5 | 44.6% | 16.4% | 5.3% | 3.4% | 19.5% |
| 74 | Stallings | 18.9 | 41.2% | 9.3% | 4.8% | 5.3% | 19.5% |
| 75 | Fuquay-Varina | 16.3 | 40.9% | 12.3% | 8.2% | 3.6% | 17.9% |
| 76 | Wendell | 15.9 | 54.1% | 15.0% | 3.2% | 1.3% | 18.3% |
| 77 | Cornelius | 15.7 | 48.9% | 12.3% | 5.4% | 2.4% | 18.2% |
| 78 | Davidson | 14.0 | 48.9% | 13.8% | 7.0% | 4.1% | 11.9% |
| 79 | Holly Springs | 13.8 | 48.9% | 7.6% | 4.8% | 3.4% | 17.9% |
| 80 | Wake Forest | 12.3 | 46.3% | 10.8% | 4.5% | 4.0% | 15.5% |
| 81 | Matthews | 10.3 | 45.4% | 10.3% | 3.7% | 2.1% | 19.5% |
| 82 | Huntersville | 9.0 | 44.4% | 7.5% | 3.1% | 3.2% | 18.3% |
| 83 | Harrisburg | 7.9 | 34.7% | 8.6% | 3.7% | 3.0% | 21.4% |
| 84 | Waxhaw | 6.9 | 32.3% | 9.2% | 4.5% | 4.9% | 16.7% |
| 85 | Cary | 6.7 | 38.2% | 9.8% | 5.7% | 3.5% | 15.5% |
| 86 | Myrtle Grove | 6.7 | 37.8% | 11.1% | 6.2% | 3.1% | 15.5% |
| 87 | Apex | 6.2 | 44.2% | 6.2% | 2.2% | 3.8% | 15.8% |
| 88 | Rolesville | 3.8 | 53.8% | 7.1% | 1.1% | 3.7% | 8.7% |
| 89 | Lewisville | 3.0 | 27.8% | 15.2% | 10.2% | 1.9% | 13.0% |
| 90 | Summerfield | 2.8 | 41.5% | 8.0% | 7.1% | 2.1% | 11.4% |
| 91 | Lake Norman of Iredell | 1.7 | 42.8% | 8.7% | 2.5% | 3.1% | 9.2% |
| 92 | Morrisville | 1.6 | 24.8% | 6.8% | 3.1% | 3.3% | 17.8% |
Score = national percentile (100 = more strain than every other ranked U.S. city). See the national ranking, or personal loans in North Carolina.
Download the full dataset (CSV)
Methodology
The Cash Strain Index combines five measures of household financial pressure for every U.S. city with 10,000+ residents that has complete data (4,121 cities; college towns with a median age under 25 are excluded because student households distort income measures): the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, the share of households earning under $35,000, the poverty rate, the unemployment rate, and median annual rent as a percentage of median household income. Each measure is standardized (z-score) across all ranked cities and the five are averaged with equal weight. The score shown is a percentile from 0 to 100, where 100 means more strain than every other ranked city. The national list ranks cities with 100,000+ residents; state lists rank every city with 10,000+ residents.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates (tables B25070, B19001, B17001, B23025, B25064, B19013). ACS estimates carry margins of error, so small differences between neighboring ranks are not meaningful.
Use this data
Journalists, researchers and bloggers may use these rankings and the CSV with credit and a link to this page (“Zebra Finance Cash Strain Index 2026”). Questions or a custom cut for your city: support@zebrafinance.com.