

North Carolina vs Tennessee
North Carolina comes out ahead of Tennessee on 427 of 790 statistics where one end is better, to 341 with 22 ties. North Carolina leads on Sports, Law and Facts & Trivia and 9 more categories. Tennessee leads on Agriculture, Education and Economics and 1 more category.
790 statistics with a better end, compared
Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 22 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.
- Wins
- 427
- Avg. percentile
- 49
- Categories led
- 12
- Wins
- 341
- Avg. percentile
- 45
- Categories led
- 4
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | North Carolina | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,343,875 9th of 51 | 7,378,861 15th of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $72,388 38th of 51 | $69,595 42nd of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 3.8% tied 20th of 51 | 3.5% tied 15th of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 13.0% 35th of 51 | 13.8% 39th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 94.3 21st of 51 | 91.9 14th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $56,310 33rd of 51 | $58,582 25th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $64,290 29th of 51 | $60,800 40th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $1,228 25th of 51 | $1,189 23rd of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 330.3 30th of 51 | 492.3 46th of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 3,359 10th of 48 | 3,753 14th of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- SportsNorth Carolina · 17 statistics
- LawNorth Carolina · 69 statistics
- AgricultureTennessee · 15 statistics
- Facts & TriviaNorth Carolina · 18 statistics
- GeographyNorth Carolina · 25 statistics
- HealthNorth Carolina · 177 statistics
- PopulationNorth Carolina · 116 statistics
- EducationTennessee · 51 statistics
- Crime & SafetyNorth Carolina · 75 statistics
- CultureNorth Carolina · 78 statistics
- TravelNorth Carolina · 28 statistics
- EconomicsTennessee · 292 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergyNorth Carolina · 36 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentTennessee · 122 statistics
- EnvironmentNorth Carolina · 40 statistics
- Tech & BusinessNorth Carolina · 47 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | North Carolina | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| AnnualBCBA Salary by State | $56,305 48th of 49 | $79,464 2nd of 49 |
| HourlyBCBA Salary by State | $27.07 48th of 49 | $38.20 2nd of 49 |
| MonthlyBCBA Salary by State | $4,692 48th of 49 | $6,622 2nd of 49 |
| WeeklyBCBA Salary by State | $1,082 48th of 49 | $1,528 2nd of 49 |
| Weekly PayIUOE Pay Scale by State | $775 48th of 50 | $1,123 tied 1st of 50 |
| Annual SalaryIUOE Pay Scale by State | $40,310 48th of 50 | $58,416 2nd of 50 |
| Hourly WageIUOE Pay Scale by State | $19.38 48th of 50 | $28.08 2nd of 50 |
| Monthly PayIUOE Pay Scale by State | $3,359 48th of 50 | $4,868 2nd of 50 |
| Annual SalaryFirefighter Salary by State | $34,464 50th of 50 | $48,639 5th of 50 |
| Hourly WageFirefighter Salary by State | $16.57 50th of 50 | $23.38 5th of 50 |
| Monthly PayFirefighter Salary by State | $2,872 50th of 50 | $4,053 5th of 50 |
| Weekly PayFirefighter Salary by State | $662 50th of 50 | $935 5th of 50 |
| % of Prisoners in Private PrisonPrivate Prisons by State | 0.1% tied 1st of 27 | 26.3% 25th of 27 |
| Prisoners in Private Prison Per 10k PopPrivate Prisons by State | 0.3 1st of 27 | 113.3 24th of 27 |
| Car Sales Tax RateCar Sales Tax by State | 3% 3rd of 45 | 7% tied 40th of 45 |
| Prison PopulationPrivate Prisons by State | 29 1st of 26 | 6,828 22nd of 26 |
| SSI Civil Service Management ScoreMost Corrupt States | 53.9 45th of 50 | 69.9 4th of 50 |
| Annual Mean WageOptometrist Salary by State | $156,110 2nd of 47 | $110,830 40th of 47 |
| Hourly Mean WageOptometrist Salary by State | $75.05 2nd of 47 | $53.29 40th of 47 |
| Corporate Tax RankBest State To Incorporate In | 5th 5th of 51 | 45th 46th of 51 |
| Avg. Amount Received in Child SupportChild Support Percentage by State | $9,167 4th of 51 | $4,274 45th of 51 |
| Registration FeeCar Registration Fees by State | $370 44th of 50 | $29.00 4th of 50 |
| Annual SalaryBSN Salary by State | $69,270 50th of 50 | $94,506 11th of 50 |
| Hourly WageBSN Salary by State | $33.30 50th of 50 | $45.44 11th of 50 |
| Fuel Prices (1-10)Best States for Camping | 4.27 3rd of 49 | 9.22 41st of 49 |
| Golf RankingBest State for Golf | 7th 6th of 48 | 45th 43rd of 48 |
| Annual Median WageOptometrist Salary by State | $135,250 tied 8th of 47 | $98,330 44th of 47 |
| Hourly Median WageOptometrist Salary by State | $65.03 tied 8th of 47 | $47.27 44th of 47 |
| Campsite Quality (1-10)Best States for Camping | 8.23 10th of 49 | 2.71 47th of 49 |
| Insured DriversWorst Drivers by State | 92.6 tied 10th of 50 | 76.3 48th of 50 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, North Carolina or Tennessee?
- North Carolina comes out ahead of Tennessee on 427 of 790 statistics where one end is better, to 341 with 22 ties. North Carolina leads on Sports, Law and Facts & Trivia and 9 more categories. Tennessee leads on Agriculture, Education and Economics and 1 more category. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, North Carolina or Tennessee?
- North Carolina has a population of 11,343,875 (9th of 51 US states) and Tennessee has 7,378,861 (15th of 51).
- How do North Carolina and Tennessee compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: North Carolina $72,388 (38th of 51), Tennessee $69,595 (42nd of 51) among US states. North Carolina ranks better.
- How do North Carolina and Tennessee compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): North Carolina 3.8% (tied 20th of 51), Tennessee 3.5% (tied 15th of 51) among US states. Tennessee ranks better.
- Where does North Carolina beat Tennessee most clearly?
- North Carolina ranks far ahead on % of Prisoners in Private Prison (Private Prisons by State): 0.1% vs 26.3%; Prisoners in Private Prison Per 10k Pop (Private Prisons by State): 0.3 vs 113.3; Car Sales Tax Rate (Car Sales Tax by State): 3% vs 7%.
- Where does Tennessee beat North Carolina most clearly?
- Tennessee ranks far ahead on Annual (BCBA Salary by State): $79,464 vs $56,305; Hourly (BCBA Salary by State): $38.20 vs $27.07; Monthly (BCBA Salary by State): $6,622 vs $4,692.
More matchups
Other comparisons with North Carolina or Tennessee.
- Alabama vs North Carolina
- Alaska vs North Carolina
- Arizona vs North Carolina
- Arkansas vs North Carolina
- California vs North Carolina
- Colorado vs North Carolina
- Connecticut vs North Carolina
- Delaware vs North Carolina
- Alabama vs Tennessee
- Alaska vs Tennessee
- Arizona vs Tennessee
- Arkansas vs Tennessee
- California vs Tennessee
- Colorado vs Tennessee
- Connecticut vs Tennessee
- Delaware vs Tennessee