

North Carolina vs Virginia
Virginia comes out ahead of North Carolina on 466 of 818 statistics where one end is better, to 333 with 19 ties. North Carolina leads on Sports, Travel and Law. Virginia leads on Education, Health and Tech & Business and 10 more categories.
818 statistics with a better end, compared
Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 19 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.
- Wins
- 333
- Avg. percentile
- 49
- Categories led
- 3
- Wins
- 466
- Avg. percentile
- 57
- Categories led
- 13
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | North Carolina | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,343,875 9th of 51 | 8,940,572 12th of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $72,388 38th of 51 | $93,170 12th of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 3.8% tied 20th of 51 | 3.4% tied 10th of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 13.0% 35th of 51 | 9.89% 7th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 94.3 21st of 51 | 101.1 36th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $56,310 33rd of 51 | $61,914 15th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $64,290 29th of 51 | $74,040 11th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $1,228 25th of 51 | $1,579 40th of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 330.3 30th of 51 | 205.9 8th of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 3,359 10th of 48 | 4,258 15th of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- EducationVirginia · 51 statistics
- HealthVirginia · 189 statistics
- SportsNorth Carolina · 17 statistics
- Tech & BusinessVirginia · 48 statistics
- EconomicsVirginia · 296 statistics
- TravelNorth Carolina · 28 statistics
- PopulationVirginia · 126 statistics
- Crime & SafetyVirginia · 75 statistics
- CultureVirginia · 79 statistics
- Facts & TriviaVirginia · 18 statistics
- EnvironmentVirginia · 40 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentVirginia · 126 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergyVirginia · 36 statistics
- LawNorth Carolina · 72 statistics
- AgricultureVirginia · 17 statistics
- GeographyVirginia · 25 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | North Carolina | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile WageTeacher Pay by State | $62,000 50th of 51 | $131,920 1st of 51 |
| SSI Civil Service Management ScoreMost Corrupt States | 53.9 45th of 50 | 70.4 3rd of 50 |
| Millwright Avg Annual SalaryUnion Millwright Pay Scale by State | $48,142 45th of 50 | $63,280 4th of 50 |
| SSI Political Financing ScoreMost Corrupt States | 75.3 5th of 50 | 39.3 46th of 50 |
| Burglary Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 303.9 46th of 51 | 87.1 5th of 51 |
| Annual SalarySchool Counselor Salary by State | $45,985 43rd of 50 | $60,464 4th of 50 |
| Hourly WageSchool Counselor Salary by State | $22.11 43rd of 50 | $29.07 4th of 50 |
| Monthly PaySchool Counselor Salary by State | $3,832 43rd of 50 | $5,038 4th of 50 |
| Weekly PaySchool Counselor Salary by State | $884 43rd of 50 | $1,162 4th of 50 |
| Registration FeeCar Registration Fees by State | $370 44th of 50 | $36.00 6th of 50 |
| 75th Percentile WageTeacher Pay by State | $59,250 48th of 51 | $84,460 10th of 51 |
| Cancer Rate New Cases 2018 to 2022Cancer Rates by State | 479.0 per 100k Pop. 45th of 51 | 414.6 per 100k Pop. 8th of 51 |
| Economic RankDisability Benefits by State | 43rd 43rd of 51 | 6th 6th of 51 |
| Median Gross IncomePercentage of Households Making Over $100,000 | $69,000 43rd of 51 | $96,964 7th of 51 |
| Minimum CostBreast Augmentation Cost by State | $3,500 tied 2nd of 50 | $5,000 tied 33rd of 50 |
| Annual Mean WageSpeech Pathologist Salary by State | $77,130 42nd of 51 | $97,940 7th of 51 |
| Hourly Mean WageSpeech Pathologist Salary by State | $37.08 42nd of 51 | $47.09 7th of 51 |
| % Change in Prison Pop. 2021-2022Prison Population by State | 632.0% 36th of 50 | -3,195.0% 2nd of 50 |
| 1996-2022 Change Adjusted For InflationTANF Benefits by State | -45.0% tied 4th of 48 | -9% 42nd of 48 |
| Annual Median WageSpeech Pathologist Salary by State | $75,530 42nd of 51 | $97,470 9th of 51 |
| Hourly Median WageSpeech Pathologist Salary by State | $36.31 42nd of 51 | $46.86 9th of 51 |
| Speeding IncidentsWorst Drivers by State | 2.2 per 1k drivers 15th of 51 | 5.9 per 1k drivers 48th of 51 |
| Annual Conviction RateMost Corrupt States | 0.2 per 10k Government Employees tied 13th of 50 | 0.57 per 10k Government Employees 45th of 50 |
| Lowest- Cost Bronze Premium (Avg)Obamacare Prices by State | $489 36th of 51 | $351 4th of 51 |
| Shelters and Housing Support RankBest States to Be Homeless | 39th 39th of 50 | 8th 8th of 50 |
| % of Pop. with Associates DegreeMost Educated U.S. States | 10.2% tied 10th of 51 | 7.8% tied 43rd of 51 |
| Opioid Use Rate (Per 100k)Opioid Epidemic by State | 2,510.95 41st of 51 | 1,762.94 10th of 51 |
| Avg Income of Bottom 90% FamiliesIncome Inequality by State | $31,268 38th of 51 | $47,318 7th of 51 |
| Cancer CasesHealthiest States | 7.5 tied 6th of 50 | 9.3 37th of 50 |
| Attractive People RankMost Attractive States | 10th 10th of 49 | 40th 39th of 49 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, North Carolina or Virginia?
- Virginia comes out ahead of North Carolina on 466 of 818 statistics where one end is better, to 333 with 19 ties. North Carolina leads on Sports, Travel and Law. Virginia leads on Education, Health and Tech & Business and 10 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, North Carolina or Virginia?
- North Carolina has a population of 11,343,875 (9th of 51 US states) and Virginia has 8,940,572 (12th of 51).
- How do North Carolina and Virginia compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: North Carolina $72,388 (38th of 51), Virginia $93,170 (12th of 51) among US states. Virginia ranks better.
- How do North Carolina and Virginia compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): North Carolina 3.8% (tied 20th of 51), Virginia 3.4% (tied 10th of 51) among US states. Virginia ranks better.
- Where does North Carolina beat Virginia most clearly?
- North Carolina ranks far ahead on SSI Political Financing Score (Most Corrupt States): 75.3 vs 39.3; Minimum Cost (Breast Augmentation Cost by State): $3,500 vs $5,000; 1996-2022 Change Adjusted For Inflation (TANF Benefits by State): -45.0% vs -9%.
- Where does Virginia beat North Carolina most clearly?
- Virginia ranks far ahead on 90th Percentile Wage (Teacher Pay by State): $131,920 vs $62,000; SSI Civil Service Management Score (Most Corrupt States): 70.4 vs 53.9; Millwright Avg Annual Salary (Union Millwright Pay Scale by State): $63,280 vs $48,142.
More matchups
Other comparisons with North Carolina or Virginia.
- 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 Virginia
- Alaska vs Virginia
- Arizona vs Virginia
- Arkansas vs Virginia
- California vs Virginia
- Colorado vs Virginia
- Connecticut vs Virginia
- Delaware vs Virginia