North Carolina vs West Virginia
North Carolina comes out ahead of West Virginia on 482 of 804 statistics where one end is better, to 309 with 13 ties. North Carolina leads on Sports, Facts & Trivia and Health and 12 more categories. West Virginia leads on Politics & Government.
804 statistics with a better end, compared
Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 13 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.
- Wins
- 482
- Avg. percentile
- 49
- Categories led
- 15
- Wins
- 309
- Avg. percentile
- 39
- Categories led
- 1
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | North Carolina | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,343,875 9th of 51 | 1,764,892 39th of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $72,388 38th of 51 | $59,608 50th of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 3.8% tied 20th of 51 | 4.2% tied 30th of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 13.0% 35th of 51 | 16.7% 48th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 94.3 21st of 51 | 89.5 9th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $56,310 33rd of 51 | $50,051 50th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $64,290 29th of 51 | $56,470 49th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $1,228 25th of 51 | $872 1st of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 330.3 30th of 51 | 241.7 20th of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 3,359 10th of 48 | 5,067 22nd of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- SportsNorth Carolina · 17 statistics
- Facts & TriviaNorth Carolina · 18 statistics
- HealthNorth Carolina · 191 statistics
- GeographyNorth Carolina · 25 statistics
- PopulationNorth Carolina · 124 statistics
- CultureNorth Carolina · 79 statistics
- EducationNorth Carolina · 51 statistics
- TravelNorth Carolina · 28 statistics
- LawNorth Carolina · 67 statistics
- EnvironmentNorth Carolina · 39 statistics
- AgricultureNorth Carolina · 17 statistics
- Tech & BusinessNorth Carolina · 48 statistics
- Crime & SafetyNorth Carolina · 71 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergyNorth Carolina · 36 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentWest Virginia · 126 statistics
- EconomicsNorth Carolina · 300 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | North Carolina | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Anxiety Rate Ages 0-14Mental Health Statistics by State | 2,533 per 100k 3rd of 51 | 2,806 per 100k 47th of 51 |
| Workplace Safety Rank WalletHubSafest States in the US | 2nd 2nd of 50 | 45th 45th of 50 |
| Annual Mean WageDentist Salary by State | $202,550 3rd of 39 | $145,300 36th of 39 |
| Hourly Mean WageDentist Salary by State | $97.38 3rd of 39 | $69.86 36th of 39 |
| GDP Growth by State | 2.7% 6th of 50 | 0.5% tied 48th of 50 |
| Rural Pavement RoughnessRoad Quality by State | 1% tied 1st of 50 | 7% tied 45th of 50 |
| Youth Custody Rate per 100k YouthsIncarceration Rates by State | 38 8th of 49 | 202 48th of 49 |
| Meth Use Past MonthDrug Use by State | 0.7% tied 9th of 51 | 2.69% 51st of 51 |
| Combined 7 SeriesVaccination Rates by State | 76.5% 8th of 51 | 64.8% 49th of 51 |
| Hospital Health Care Cost per CapitaHealth Care Costs by State | $3,325 9th of 51 | $5,724 50th of 51 |
| Annual SalaryFirefighter Salary by State | $34,464 50th of 50 | $47,887 10th of 50 |
| Economy RankWorst States to Live in | 44th 7th best of 50 | 4th 4th worst of 50 |
| Hourly WageFirefighter Salary by State | $16.57 50th of 50 | $23.02 10th of 50 |
| Monthly PayFirefighter Salary by State | $2,872 50th of 50 | $3,990 10th of 50 |
| Weekly PayFirefighter Salary by State | $662 50th of 50 | $920 tied 10th of 50 |
| Annual Mean WageOptometrist Salary by State | $156,110 2nd of 47 | $111,560 39th of 47 |
| Hourly Mean WageOptometrist Salary by State | $75.05 2nd of 47 | $53.64 39th of 47 |
| 5G Max Download SpeedStates that have Banned 5G | 197.0 10th of 50 | 89.7 49th of 50 |
| Entertainment Rank (WH)Most Boring States | 11th 11th of 50 | 50th 50th of 50 |
| Renewable Energy IncentivesOff-Grid Living Legal States | 71 11th of 50 | 8 50th of 50 |
| EducationBest States to Live In | 10th 9th of 49 | 48th 47th of 49 |
| Anxiety RateMental Health Statistics by State | 6,606 per 100k 1st of 51 | 7,669 per 100k 40th of 51 |
| K-12 Spending as % of Taxpayer IncomePer Pupil Spending by State | 2.51% 47th of 51 | 3.93% 8th of 51 |
| Socioeconomic DiversityLeast Diverse States in the US | 12th 12th of 50 | 50th 50th of 50 |
| Attractive People RankMost Attractive States | 10th 10th of 49 | 48th 47th of 49 |
| Prisoners, American Indian/Alaskan NativePrison Population by State | 584 39th of 49 | 2 2nd of 49 |
| Accident RateWorst Drivers by State | 22.1 per 1k drivers 44th of 51 | 13.5 per 1k drivers 6th of 51 |
| Student Loan Average Borrower DebtStudent Loan Debt by State | $37,721 44th of 51 | $31,690 6th of 51 |
| 1996-2022 Change Adjusted For InflationTANF Benefits by State | -45.0% tied 4th of 48 | 18.0% 45th of 48 |
| Registration & Documentation FeesCar Registration Fees by State | $1,069 45th of 50 | $302 8th of 50 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, North Carolina or West Virginia?
- North Carolina comes out ahead of West Virginia on 482 of 804 statistics where one end is better, to 309 with 13 ties. North Carolina leads on Sports, Facts & Trivia and Health and 12 more categories. West Virginia leads on Politics & Government. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, North Carolina or West Virginia?
- North Carolina has a population of 11,343,875 (9th of 51 US states) and West Virginia has 1,764,892 (39th of 51).
- How do North Carolina and West Virginia compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: North Carolina $72,388 (38th of 51), West Virginia $59,608 (50th of 51) among US states. North Carolina ranks better.
- How do North Carolina and West Virginia compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): North Carolina 3.8% (tied 20th of 51), West Virginia 4.2% (tied 30th of 51) among US states. North Carolina ranks better.
- Where does North Carolina beat West Virginia most clearly?
- North Carolina ranks far ahead on Anxiety Rate Ages 0-14 (Mental Health Statistics by State): 2,533 per 100k vs 2,806 per 100k; Workplace Safety Rank WalletHub (Safest States in the US): 2nd vs 45th; Annual Mean Wage (Dentist Salary by State): $202,550 vs $145,300.
- Where does West Virginia beat North Carolina most clearly?
- West Virginia ranks far ahead on Annual Salary (Firefighter Salary by State): $47,887 vs $34,464; Hourly Wage (Firefighter Salary by State): $23.02 vs $16.57; Monthly Pay (Firefighter Salary by State): $3,990 vs $2,872.
More matchups
Other comparisons with North Carolina or West Virginia.
- Alabama vs North Carolina
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- Delaware vs North Carolina
- Alabama vs West Virginia
- Alaska vs West Virginia
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- California vs West Virginia
- Colorado vs West Virginia
- Connecticut vs West Virginia
- Delaware vs West Virginia