Duplin County tier designation remains unchanged for 2024

Duplin County will remain as a tier one designation for 2024, according to a North Carolina Department of Commerce press release.

A tier one designation is given to the most economically distressed counties in North Carolina. Each county is ranked based on factors such as average unemployment rate for the last 12 months, median household income, population growth and assessed property value per capita.

And through that process they are designated tier one for most distressed, tier two, or tier three for least distressed.

According to the NC Department of Commerce, Duplin’s average unemployment rate from October 2022 through September 2023 is 3.42%, ranking 57. The median household income according to  2021 data is $45,149, ranking 23. Duplin County’s population growth decreased 1.57% based on data from July 2019 – July 2022, ranking 23. The adjusted property tax base per capita for FY 2023-2024 is $103,023, ranking 39. Duplin County’s rank sum is 142, which makes its economic distress rank #29 out of 40 counties in tier one.

Tier designations play a key role in several programs that assist counties determining eligibility and guidelines for several grant programs administered by N.C. Commerce including the One North Carolina Fund, building reuse, and water and sewer infrastructure grants. Tier designations also play a role in the state’s performance-based Job Development Investment Grant program, serving as a mechanism to channel funds into the Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account for infrastructure improvements into economically distressed areas of the state.