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.

StatisticNorth CarolinaTennessee
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.

StatisticNorth CarolinaTennessee
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
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 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.