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#20. Sampson County and Duplin County
- Sampson County population: 59,601
- Duplin County population: 49,520
- Social connectedness index: 2,335,946
Most socially connected counties in North Carolina
In today's digital age, social media platforms enable people to bridge geographic distances and connect with their friends, family, and community, no matter where they are. According to a 2022 Gallup and Meta study, at least 1 in 3 people across seven countries, including the U.S., said they used social media to interact with others at least once a day in the past week.
While social media has its drawbacks—such as pulling attention away from other tasks or fostering a problematic comparison culture—it remains a vital tool for helping people stay connected.
A majority of students in grades 3 to 12 said social media helped them develop relationships, learn social skills, and make a positive impact in their community, according to a 2024 report from The Social Institute.
Spokeo compiled a ranking of the most socially connected counties in North Carolina using 2021 data from Facebook, based on a national analysis. County pairs were ranked by their social connectedness index, which measures the relative probability that two individuals across two locations are friends with each other on Facebook. The social connectedness index is a scaled value up to a billion. Larger indexes indicate a greater share of Facebook friends between county pairs.
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#19. Pitt County and Martin County
- Pitt County population: 175,119
- Martin County population: 21,447
- Social connectedness index: 2,399,429
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#18. Yadkin County and Surry County
- Yadkin County population: 37,774
- Surry County population: 71,462
- Social connectedness index: 2,641,870
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#17. Montgomery County and Stanly County
- Montgomery County population: 26,085
- Stanly County population: 65,699
- Social connectedness index: 2,971,849
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#16. Caswell County and Person County
- Caswell County population: 22,807
- Person County population: 39,737
- Social connectedness index: 3,292,598
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#15. Alleghany County and Ashe County
- Alleghany County population: 11,342
- Ashe County population: 27,063
- Social connectedness index: 3,501,022
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#14. Craven County and Pamlico County
- Craven County population: 102,391
- Pamlico County population: 12,423
- Social connectedness index: 3,694,344
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#13. Columbus County and Bladen County
- Columbus County population: 50,121
- Bladen County population: 29,484
- Social connectedness index: 4,683,852
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#12. Greene County and Lenoir County
- Greene County population: 20,530
- Lenoir County population: 54,895
- Social connectedness index: 5,007,695
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#11. Beaufort County and Hyde County
- Beaufort County population: 44,481
- Hyde County population: 4,607
- Social connectedness index: 5,694,208
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#10. Swain County and Jackson County
- Swain County population: 13,916
- Jackson County population: 44,574
- Social connectedness index: 5,859,849
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#9. Graham County and Cherokee County
- Graham County population: 8,052
- Cherokee County population: 29,959
- Social connectedness index: 6,117,968
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#8. Edgecombe County and Nash County
- Edgecombe County population: 48,832
- Nash County population: 96,551
- Social connectedness index: 6,406,316
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#7. Pasquotank County and Camden County
- Pasquotank County population: 41,444
- Camden County population: 11,137
- Social connectedness index: 8,342,461
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#6. Northampton County and Halifax County
- Northampton County population: 16,715
- Halifax County population: 47,298
- Social connectedness index: 10,888,619
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#5. Perquimans County and Chowan County
- Perquimans County population: 13,377
- Chowan County population: 13,891
- Social connectedness index: 11,584,257
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#4. Vance County and Warren County
- Vance County population: 42,301
- Warren County population: 18,836
- Social connectedness index: 11,836,297
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#3. Mitchell County and Yancey County
- Mitchell County population: 14,999
- Yancey County population: 18,938
- Social connectedness index: 15,568,012
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#2. Bertie County and Hertford County
- Bertie County population: 16,922
- Hertford County population: 19,453
- Social connectedness index: 17,890,839
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#1. Washington County and Tyrrell County
- Washington County population: 10,713
- Tyrrell County population: 3,461
- Social connectedness index: 19,772,959
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kayla Zhu, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.
