Counties with the highest cancer rates in North Carolina

Several factors contribute to cancer rates, from personal habits and genetics to air pollution or groundwater quality in a given area. People experiencing social, economic, or environmental disadvantages are disproportionately affected by high cancer rates in certain regions—including access or barriers to early screening and care.

Cancer rates also fluctuate by jobs: Higher rates of cancer can be found among meat industry and rubber manufacturing workers, and farmers.

Stacker compiled the counties with the highest cancer rates in North Carolina using data from the CDC. Keep reading to see where in your state cancer cases are the most common.

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#50. Craven County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 654.0
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 495.8

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#49. Buncombe County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 654.9
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 468.2

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#48. Randolph County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 656.9
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 496.5

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#47. Lincoln County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 660.9
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 491.6

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#46. Alexander County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 664.9
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 467.3

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#45. Avery County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 669.3
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 441.2

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#44. Anson County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 671.3
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 491.1

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#43. Alleghany County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 678.4
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 360.3

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#42. Beaufort County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 679.0
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 424.4

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#41. Burke County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 679.8
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 466.2

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#40. Bertie County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 682.3
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 445.6

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#39. Cleveland County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 687.0
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 507.9

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#38. Chowan County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 687.4
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 413.8

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#37. Granville County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 694.4
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 525.5

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#36. Stanly County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 695.3
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 516.6

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#35. Davie County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 697.7
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 476.3

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#34. Caldwell County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 699.3
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 485.5

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#33. Stokes County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 701.7
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 469.3

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#32. Rutherford County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 702.4
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 471.1

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#31. Ashe County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 705.7
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 413.7

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#30. Perquimans County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 706.0
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 399.2

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#29. Person County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 709.8
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 494.1

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#28. Northampton County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 716.8
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 427.7

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#27. Lenoir County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 717.3
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 511.2

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#26. Madison County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 718.2
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 473.7

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#25. Halifax County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 719.8
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 497.5

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#24. Surry County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 722.4
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 495.7

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#23. Rockingham County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 725.1
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 489.4

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#22. Swain County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 734.5
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 534.5

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#21. Washington County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 734.6
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 440.3

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#20. Warren County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 740.4
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 450.0

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#19. Tyrrell County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 749.2
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 530.6

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#18. Caswell County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 749.8
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 490.2

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#17. Martin County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 749.9
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 469.9

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#16. Chatham County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 751.4
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 464.3

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#15. Mitchell County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 752.7
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 456.9

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#14. McDowell County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 763.4
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 518.0

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#13. Moore County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 765.8
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 489.0

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#12. Henderson County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 776.5
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 464.6

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#11. Carteret County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 779.5
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 463.6

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#10. Polk County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 782.3
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 413.5

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#9. Jones County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 793.4
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 502.6

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#8. Transylvania County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 795.0
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 415.5

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#7. Yancey County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 799.1
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 482.2

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#6. Macon County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 817.7
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 456.2

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#5. Haywood County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 827.3
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 506.3

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#4. Clay County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 828.7
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 441.1

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#3. Cherokee County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 848.2
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 455.9

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#2. Pamlico County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 877.4
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 484.7

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#1. Brunswick County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 896.4
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 465.6

Counties with the highest cancer rates in North Carolina

#50. Craven County

#49. Buncombe County

#48. Randolph County

#47. Lincoln County

#46. Alexander County

#45. Avery County

#44. Anson County

#43. Alleghany County

#42. Beaufort County

#41. Burke County

#40. Bertie County

#39. Cleveland County

#38. Chowan County

#37. Granville County

#36. Stanly County

#35. Davie County

#34. Caldwell County

#33. Stokes County

#32. Rutherford County

#31. Ashe County

#30. Perquimans County

#29. Person County

#28. Northampton County

#27. Lenoir County

#26. Madison County

#25. Halifax County

#24. Surry County

#23. Rockingham County

#22. Swain County

#21. Washington County

#20. Warren County

#19. Tyrrell County

#18. Caswell County

#17. Martin County

#16. Chatham County

#15. Mitchell County

#14. McDowell County

#13. Moore County

#12. Henderson County

#11. Carteret County

#10. Polk County

#9. Jones County

#8. Transylvania County

#7. Yancey County

#6. Macon County

#5. Haywood County

#4. Clay County

#3. Cherokee County

#2. Pamlico County

#1. Brunswick County

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