North Carolina vs Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania comes out ahead of North Carolina on 409 of 805 statistics where one end is better, to 373 with 23 ties. North Carolina leads on Agriculture, Geography and Travel and 4 more categories. Pennsylvania leads on Education, Tech & Business and Culture and 6 more categories.

805 statistics with a better end, compared

Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 23 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.

Wins
373
Avg. percentile
49
Categories led
7
Wins
409
Avg. percentile
51
Categories led
9

At a glance

Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.

StatisticNorth CarolinaPennsylvania
Population
11,343,875
9th of 51
13,073,016
5th of 51
Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)
$72,388
38th of 51
$77,971
24th of 51
Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS)
3.8%
tied 20th of 51
4.3%
tied 33rd of 51
Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)
13.0%
35th of 51
11.7%
25th of 51
Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities)
94.3
21st of 51
97.6
28th of 51
Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State
$56,310
33rd of 51
$58,620
24th of 51
Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS)
$64,290
29th of 51
$65,730
25th of 51
Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)
$1,228
25th of 51
$1,209
24th of 51
Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI)
330.3
30th of 51
226.8
14th of 51
Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages)
3,359
10th of 48
5,700
28th of 48

By category

Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.

  • EducationPennsylvania · 51 statistics
  • Tech & BusinessPennsylvania · 48 statistics
  • AgricultureNorth Carolina · 17 statistics
  • GeographyNorth Carolina · 25 statistics
  • TravelNorth Carolina · 28 statistics
  • SportsNorth Carolina · 17 statistics
  • Crime & SafetyNorth Carolina · 74 statistics
  • CulturePennsylvania · 79 statistics
  • Facts & TriviaPennsylvania · 18 statistics
  • EconomicsPennsylvania · 300 statistics
  • Infrastructure & EnergyNorth Carolina · 36 statistics
  • EnvironmentPennsylvania · 40 statistics
  • PopulationPennsylvania · 120 statistics
  • LawNorth Carolina · 70 statistics
  • HealthPennsylvania · 187 statistics
  • Politics & GovernmentPennsylvania · 125 statistics

Biggest differences

The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.

StatisticNorth CarolinaPennsylvania
Maximum Annual SalaryIBEW Pay Scale by State
$67,660
47th of 51
$141,940
3rd of 51
Best States for Living with a Disability - Total ScoreDisability Benefits by State
42.21
49th of 51
56.36
6th of 51
LPC Application FeeLPC Requirements by State
$238
43rd of 49
$45.00
2nd of 49
State Rank State GovtPublic Land by State
46th
45th of 49
5th
4th of 49
MinimumCorporate Tax Rates by State
2.25%
3rd of 44
7.99%
37th of 44
Food and Health Support RankBest States to Be Homeless
44th
44th of 50
6th
6th of 50
SSI Political Financing ScoreMost Corrupt States
75.3
5th of 50
41.1
43rd of 50
Crime Cost per CapitaMost Dangerous Cities by State
$381
6th of 45
$2,240
40th of 45
90th Percentile WageTeacher Pay by State
$62,000
50th of 51
$101,220
12th of 51
Corporate Tax RankBest State To Incorporate In
5th
5th of 51
42nd
43rd of 51
K-12 Spending as % of Taxpayer IncomePer Pupil Spending by State
2.51%
47th of 51
3.88%
9th of 51
Livability RankDisability Benefits by State
39th
39th of 51
1st
1st of 51
10th Percentile WageTeacher Pay by State
$38,650
46th of 51
$48,930
9th of 51
Burglary Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI)
303.9
46th of 51
104.5
9th of 51
Electrician Mean Hourly Wage 2023Electrician Salary by State
$25.78
49th of 51
$35.15
12th of 51
Electrician Mean Yearly Wage 2023Electrician Salary by State
$53,610
49th of 51
$73,100
12th of 51
Median Teacher SalaryTeacher Pay by State
$48,980
48th of 51
$75,940
11th of 51
Registration FeeCar Registration Fees by State
$370
44th of 50
$39.00
8th of 50
25th Percentile WageTeacher Pay by State
$46,440
47th of 51
$60,260
11th of 51
Teacher's Union Rank (1=Strongest)States with Teacher Unions
40th
40th of 51
4th
4th of 51
Annual SalaryFirefighter Salary by State
$34,464
50th of 50
$46,749
15th of 50
Hourly WageFirefighter Salary by State
$16.57
50th of 50
$22.48
15th of 50
Minimum CostBreast Augmentation Cost by State
$3,500
tied 2nd of 50
$5,000
tied 33rd of 50
Monthly PayFirefighter Salary by State
$2,872
50th of 50
$3,895
15th of 50
School Funding and ResourcesPublic School Rankings by State
42nd
42nd of 50
7th
7th of 50
SSI Public Access to Information ScoreMost Corrupt States
35.6
39th of 50
67.8
4th of 50
Weekly PayFirefighter Salary by State
$662
50th of 50
$899
15th of 50
Estiamted Incidents per 100k PopSnake Bite Statistics by State
18.79
48th of 48
0.75
15th of 48
75th Percentile WageTeacher Pay by State
$59,250
48th of 51
$81,520
13th of 51
Overall Homelessness Help ScoreBest States to Be Homeless
35.06
45th of 50
53.82
11th of 50
See every statistic they shareSearch and sort all of them, adjust for cost of living or population, or add up to two more places.

Quick answers

Which is better, North Carolina or Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania comes out ahead of North Carolina on 409 of 805 statistics where one end is better, to 373 with 23 ties. North Carolina leads on Agriculture, Geography and Travel and 4 more categories. Pennsylvania leads on Education, Tech & Business and Culture and 6 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
Which has more people, North Carolina or Pennsylvania?
North Carolina has a population of 11,343,875 (9th of 51 US states) and Pennsylvania has 13,073,016 (5th of 51).
How do North Carolina and Pennsylvania compare on Median Household Income?
Median Household Income: North Carolina $72,388 (38th of 51), Pennsylvania $77,971 (24th of 51) among US states. Pennsylvania ranks better.
How do North Carolina and Pennsylvania compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
Unemployment Rate (%): North Carolina 3.8% (tied 20th of 51), Pennsylvania 4.3% (tied 33rd of 51) among US states. North Carolina ranks better.
Where does North Carolina beat Pennsylvania most clearly?
North Carolina ranks far ahead on Minimum (Corporate Tax Rates by State): 2.25% vs 7.99%; SSI Political Financing Score (Most Corrupt States): 75.3 vs 41.1; Crime Cost per Capita (Most Dangerous Cities by State): $381 vs $2,240.
Where does Pennsylvania beat North Carolina most clearly?
Pennsylvania ranks far ahead on Maximum Annual Salary (IBEW Pay Scale by State): $141,940 vs $67,660; Best States for Living with a Disability - Total Score (Disability Benefits by State): 56.36 vs 42.21; LPC Application Fee (LPC Requirements by State): $45.00 vs $238.

More matchups

Other comparisons with North Carolina or Pennsylvania.