Poverty Rate Comparison
Income

North Carolina vs Tennessee: Poverty Rate

North Carolina has a lower poverty rate than Tennessee.

North Carolina flag
North Carolina
NC • South
Winner
12.8%
Share of residents below the federal poverty line (ACS 2023).
Tennessee flag
Tennessee
TN • South
14.0%
Share of residents below the federal poverty line (ACS 2023).

Visual Comparison

North Carolina 12.8%
Tennessee 14.0%

Difference: 1.20 percentage points — North Carolina leads.

Related Context

Poverty in Context

Poverty reflects wages, jobs, local costs, and access to public programs — rarely just one factor.

What This Means

North Carolina vs Tennessee: Poverty Rate in context

North Carolina has a poverty rate of 12.8%, compared with 14.0% in Tennessee. Share of residents below the federal poverty line (ACS 2023).

North Carolina
12.8%
Tennessee
14.0%
Difference
1.20 percentage points

People Also Ask

North Carolina vs Tennessee Poverty Rate — Common Questions

Q What is North Carolina's poverty rate?

North Carolina's poverty rate is 12.8%.

Q What is Tennessee's poverty rate?

Tennessee's poverty rate is 14.0%.

Q Which state has a lower poverty rate — North Carolina or Tennessee?

North Carolina has a lower poverty rate than Tennessee.

Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.