North Carolina earthquake risk
100 counties scored 0 rated Very High
Mecklenburg County has the highest earthquake risk in North Carolina, scoring 93.2 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mecklenburg County | 93.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 2 | Robeson County | 90.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 3 | Forsyth County | 88.1 | Relatively Low |
| 4 | Guilford County | 87.8 | Relatively Low |
| 5 | Wake County | 87.8 | Relatively Low |
| 6 | Cumberland County | 87.5 | Relatively Low |
| 7 | Catawba County | 85.9 | Relatively Low |
| 8 | Gaston County | 85.8 | Relatively Low |
| 9 | Buncombe County | 85.4 | Relatively Low |
| 10 | Union County | 85 | Relatively Low |
| 11 | Henderson County | 84.6 | Relatively Low |
| 12 | Rowan County | 83 | Relatively Low |
| 13 | Brunswick County | 82.7 | Relatively Low |
| 14 | Columbus County | 82.4 | Relatively Low |
| 15 | Durham County | 81.9 | Relatively Low |
| 16 | Cleveland County | 81.8 | Relatively Low |
| 17 | Scotland County | 81.5 | Relatively Low |
| 18 | New Hanover County | 81 | Relatively Low |
| 19 | Iredell County | 79.8 | Relatively Low |
| 20 | Rutherford County | 78.6 | Relatively Low |
| 21 | Randolph County | 78 | Relatively Low |
| 22 | Cabarrus County | 77.6 | Relatively Low |
| 23 | Caldwell County | 77.6 | Relatively Low |
| 24 | Lincoln County | 77.5 | Relatively Low |
| 25 | Davidson County | 76.7 | Relatively Low |
| 26 | Moore County | 75.7 | Relatively Low |
| 27 | Jackson County | 74.4 | Relatively Low |
| 28 | Wilkes County | 73.9 | Relatively Low |
| 29 | Wayne County | 73.8 | Relatively Low |
| 30 | Cherokee County | 73.7 | Relatively Low |
| 31 | Lenoir County | 73.5 | Relatively Low |
| 32 | Sampson County | 73.4 | Relatively Low |
| 33 | Alamance County | 72.9 | Relatively Low |
| 34 | Nash County | 72.4 | Relatively Low |
| 35 | Burke County | 72.3 | Relatively Low |
| 36 | Richmond County | 72.2 | Relatively Low |
| 37 | Haywood County | 71.8 | Relatively Low |
| 38 | Pitt County | 71.6 | Relatively Low |
| 39 | Lee County | 70.2 | Relatively Low |
| 40 | Bladen County | 70.1 | Relatively Low |
| 41 | Halifax County | 69.8 | Relatively Low |
| 42 | Surry County | 69.7 | Relatively Low |
| 43 | Macon County | 69.6 | Relatively Low |
| 44 | Johnston County | 69.4 | Relatively Low |
| 45 | Watauga County | 68.9 | Relatively Low |
| 46 | Duplin County | 68.6 | Relatively Low |
| 47 | Rockingham County | 67.9 | Relatively Low |
| 48 | Wilson County | 67.7 | Relatively Low |
| 49 | Onslow County | 66.7 | Relatively Low |
| 50 | Harnett County | 65.6 | Relatively Low |
| 51 | Hoke County | 64.9 | Relatively Low |
| 52 | Orange County | 64.9 | Relatively Low |
| 53 | Anson County | 64.8 | Relatively Low |
| 54 | Stanly County | 63.7 | Relatively Low |
| 55 | Swain County | 63.4 | Relatively Low |
| 56 | Granville County | 62.1 | Relatively Low |
| 57 | McDowell County | 61.8 | Relatively Low |
| 58 | Transylvania County | 61.6 | Relatively Low |
| 59 | Chatham County | 61.3 | Relatively Low |
| 60 | Alexander County | 59.1 | Very Low |
| 61 | Person County | 58.8 | Very Low |
| 62 | Craven County | 58.1 | Very Low |
| 63 | Edgecombe County | 57.3 | Very Low |
| 64 | Vance County | 56.9 | Very Low |
| 65 | Pender County | 55.6 | Very Low |
| 66 | Warren County | 55.4 | Very Low |
| 67 | Davie County | 55.2 | Very Low |
| 68 | Yadkin County | 54.8 | Very Low |
| 69 | Montgomery County | 54.6 | Very Low |
| 70 | Franklin County | 54.2 | Very Low |
| 71 | Hertford County | 53.9 | Very Low |
| 72 | Stokes County | 53.2 | Very Low |
| 73 | Ashe County | 52.8 | Very Low |
| 74 | Yancey County | 52 | Very Low |
| 75 | Polk County | 51.7 | Very Low |
| 76 | Avery County | 51.5 | Very Low |
| 77 | Graham County | 51.2 | Very Low |
| 78 | Northampton County | 49.3 | Very Low |
| 79 | Beaufort County | 48.1 | Very Low |
| 80 | Clay County | 47.9 | Very Low |
| 81 | Madison County | 47.6 | Very Low |
| 82 | Greene County | 47.2 | Very Low |
| 83 | Bertie County | 46.3 | Very Low |
| 84 | Alleghany County | 43.8 | Very Low |
| 85 | Carteret County | 42.4 | Very Low |
| 86 | Mitchell County | 42.2 | Very Low |
| 87 | Pasquotank County | 41.5 | Very Low |
| 88 | Martin County | 40.2 | Very Low |
| 89 | Caswell County | 38.8 | Very Low |
| 90 | Washington County | 36.7 | Very Low |
| 91 | Pamlico County | 32.3 | Very Low |
| 92 | Chowan County | 32 | Very Low |
| 93 | Jones County | 32 | Very Low |
| 94 | Gates County | 28.1 | Very Low |
| 95 | Dare County | 24.8 | Very Low |
| 96 | Perquimans County | 22.5 | Very Low |
| 97 | Currituck County | 22 | Very Low |
| 98 | Hyde County | 19 | Very Low |
| 99 | Tyrrell County | 19 | Very Low |
| 100 | Camden County | 12.4 | Very Low |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Earthquake risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in North Carolina:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest earthquake risk county in North Carolina?
Mecklenburg County, NC has the highest earthquake risk in North Carolina, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 93.2 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Moderate").
What causes earthquake risk in North Carolina?
Earthquake risk reflects expected annual losses from ground shaking. High scores concentrate in California, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and the New Madrid Seismic Zone (spanning Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and neighboring states). NOAA's Storm Events Database does not track earthquakes, so recorded event counts are not shown.