Since 2015, the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s LEAD Feed blog has used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Longitudinal Employer Household Dynamics (LEHD) to analyze how many workers in each county hold their highest-earning private sector job within their own county. This measure, called the within-county share, tracks the proportion of residents working where they live.
The latest analysis using 2023 data shows a continued decline in counties with at least half of residents working locally. Only eight counties—Buncombe, Dare, Forsyth, Guilford, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Wake, and Watauga—had a within-county share of 50% or more.
Maps created from this data indicate that most jobs across North Carolina are held by people commuting from outside their home county. About one third of counties have an outbound commuting rate above 75%. The same eight counties listed above stand out as exceptions to this trend.
Another finding is that most counties have a high share of jobs filled by inbound commuters from other parts of the state. Counties with less than half their jobs held by such commuters are mainly located in southeastern and western regions.
The data has practical implications for local officials and economic developers. According to recent coverage by Triangle Business Journal, Johnston County is seeking to attract more employers because about 80% of its workforce commutes elsewhere for work. In contrast, Chatham County is considering affordable housing options since 72% of its jobs are filled by inbound commuters who do not live locally.
Counties like Catawba, Cherokee, Macon, and Pitt were not included among those with a majority within-county share this year; Cherokee stands at 41%, while the others are at 49%.
“Recent reporting from the Triangle Business Journal highlights the utility of the data for economic developers and local officials for counties on both extremes of the commuting flow spectrum. Johnston County, which features roughly 80% of its residents commuting to other counties for work, is trying to recruit employers to create high-paying jobs to attract workers back. On the other hand, Chatham County, which has 72% of its jobs held by inbound workers from other counties, is looking into affordable housing to create opportunities for its commuters to be a part of its local communities.”
For those interested in exploring detailed commuting patterns for specific areas—including major origin and destination counties—a Commuting Patterns tool is available through the North Carolina Department of Commerce website.
