North Carolina Internet Coverage & Availability in 2023
North Carolina Internet Facts in 2023
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North Carolina currently ranks 28th among states in BroadbandNow’s annual rankings of internet coverage, speed and availability.
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This means that roughly one in ten North Carolina residents are not able to purchase an internet plan of at least 25Mbps download and 3Mbps upload.
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This means that nearly seven in ten residents are not able to purchase broadband at a price of $60/month or less (excluding promotions and government programs).
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This means that six in ten residents are unable to purchase a fiber internet plan.
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The U.S. has more than 2,901 internet service providers, with most covering very small areas. It is worth searching by zip code to see who is available in your town.
At BroadbandNow, we advocate for a definition of broadband internet to be at least 100Mbps, as opposed to the FCC definition of 25Mbps, which would be considered slow for many internet-intensive activities.
North Carolina ranks 16th among all states with 94.4% of people having access to 100Mbps broadband.
In fact, the five counties with the highest rates of residents with access to broadband speeds of at least 100mbps are in metro areas, including Jefferson (99 percent) and Shelby (97 percent) counties, which are both in the Birmingham metro area. Counties in the Huntsville, Montgomery, and Auburn areas round out the top five. On the other hand, Perry County, the state’s least populous, also has the lowest rate of access to high-speed broadband.
Internet Availability by County
100 Mbps Coverage By County, Highest and Lowest
| Highest | |
|---|---|
| Mecklenburg | 100% |
| Gaston | 99.99% |
| Forsyth | 99.98% |
| New Hanover | 99.93% |
| Pasquotank | 99.92% |
| Carteret | 99.91% |
| Wake | 99.88% |
| Guilford | 99.84% |
| Davidson | 99.62% |
| Cabarrus | 99.59% |
| Lowest | |
|---|---|
| Lenoir | 6.38% |
| Hyde | 6.51% |
| Martin | 9.97% |
| Edgecombe | 16.39% |
| Pitt | 20.24% |
| Greene | 26.97% |
| Nash | 28.25% |
| Beaufort | 34.70% |
| Jones | 42.12% |
| Craven | 43.32% |
North Carolina ranks 45th among all states with 42.8% of people have access to 1G broadband.
Internet Coverage by Demographic in North Carolina
Individuals or households with no internet access by characteristic (includes broadband and non-broadband packages)
Percentage of households with and without any type of internet access
- With: 85%
- Without: 15%
Type of internet connection
- Dialup only: <1%
- Broadband of any type: 85%
- Cellular data only: 11%
- Satellite: 6%
Individuals or households with no internet access by characteristic
- <18: 7%
- 18-64: 7%
- 65+ adults: 8%
- <$20,000: 37%
- $20,000-$74,999: 16%
- $75,000+: 4%
- Black: 9%
- Native American/Alaska Native: 13%
- Asian: 3%
- Mixed race: 5%
- Hispanic or Latino: 11%
- White: 6%
- Employed: 6%
- Unemployed: 8%
- Less than high school: 13%
- Some college or associate degree: 8%
- Bachelor’s degree: 3%
Internet Speed in Top North Carolina Cities
| City | Avg. Download Speed | No. of Providers |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 176.9 MBPS | 33 Providers |
| Raleigh | 223.1 MBPS | 21 Providers |
| Greensboro | 174.4 MBPS | 20 Providers |
| Durham | 225.3 MBPS | 20 Providers |
| Winston Salem | 195.1 MBPS | 19 Providers |
Fastest Major Providers in North Carolina
| Provider | Avg. Download Speed |
|---|---|
| AT&T Internet | 252.9 MBPS |
| Windstream | 172.4 MBPS |
| Spectrum | 166.9 MBPS |
| Carolina West Wireless | 30.2 MBPS |
| Frontier | 8.8 MBPS |
Metro & Rural County Coverage
| County Name | % Broadband Coverage |
|---|---|
| Alamance | 98.8% |
| Alexander | 87.2% |
| Alleghany | 76.9% |
| Anson | 94.5% |
| Ashe | 66.4% |
| Avery | 65.0% |
| Beaufort | 64.9% |
| Bertie | 77.4% |
| Bladen | 78.9% |
| Brunswick | 99.3% |
| Buncombe | 99.1% |
| Burke | 96.8% |
| Cabarrus | 99.8% |
| Caldwell | 97.6% |
| Camden | 96.5% |
| Carteret | 99.9% |
| Caswell | 58.8% |
| Catawba | 99.2% |
| Chatham | 90.9% |
| Cherokee | 84.0% |
| Chowan | 88.2% |
| Clay | 82.9% |
| Cleveland | 95.4% |
| Columbus | 93.3% |
| Craven | 73.2% |
| Cumberland | 99.7% |
| Currituck | 98.8% |
| Dare | 99.5% |
| Davidson | 99.8% |
| Davie | 99.4% |
| Duplin | 68.8% |
| Durham | 99.3% |
| Edgecombe | 57.4% |
| Forsyth | 100.0% |
| Franklin | 90.6% |
| Gaston | 100.0% |
| Gates | 77.0% |
| Graham | 63.3% |
| Granville | 89.6% |
| Greene | 62.2% |
| Guilford | 99.9% |
| Halifax | 84.8% |
| Harnett | 96.9% |
| Haywood | 93.3% |
| Henderson | 94.4% |
| Hertford | 87.1% |
| Hoke | 94.5% |
| Hyde | 29.0% |
| Iredell | 98.5% |
| Jackson | 68.4% |
| Johnston | 96.1% |
| Jones | 67.5% |
| Lee | 99.4% |
| Lenoir | 41.8% |
| Lincoln | 99.2% |
| McDowell | 82.5% |
| Macon | 69.8% |
| Madison | 86.1% |
| Martin | 48.9% |
| Mecklenburg | 100.0% |
| Mitchell | 49.6% |
| Montgomery | 66.9% |
| Moore | 93.2% |
| Nash | 71.3% |
| New Hanover | 99.9% |
| Northampton | 86.9% |
| Onslow | 99.1% |
| Orange | 94.9% |
| Pamlico | 94.0% |
| Pasquotank | 99.9% |
| Pender | 79.9% |
| Perquimans | 87.1% |
| Person | 89.2% |
| Pitt | 61.3% |
| Polk | 88.5% |
| Randolph | 98.0% |
| Richmond | 94.0% |
| Robeson | 84.9% |
| Rockingham | 97.8% |
| Rowan | 98.3% |
| Rutherford | 83.3% |
| Sampson | 79.3% |
| Scotland | 91.1% |
| Stanly | 99.0% |
| Stokes | 97.9% |
| Surry | 99.3% |
| Swain | 69.2% |
| Transylvania | 90.2% |
| Tyrrell | 61.3% |
| Union | 99.3% |
| Vance | 96.4% |
| Wake | 99.9% |
| Warren | 76.7% |
| Washington | 89.2% |
| Watauga | 96.3% |
| Wayne | 95.9% |
| Wilkes | 99.5% |
| Wilson | 98.5% |
| Yadkin | 99.3% |
| Yancey | 51.8% |
Internet Providers By City in North Carolina
| Aberdeen | 98.7% | 10 providers |
| Advance | 100.0% | 10 providers |
| Ahoskie | 94.6% | 10 providers |
| Albemarle | 99.9% | 9 providers |
| Angier | 96.6% | 12 providers |
| Apex | 99.6% | 15 providers |
| Arden | 100.0% | 15 providers |
| Asheboro | 99.9% | 13 providers |
| Asheville | 100.0% | 17 providers |
| Ayden | 51.3% | 9 providers |
| Beaufort | 99.9% | 8 providers |
| Belmont | 100.0% | 13 providers |
| Benson | 91.5% | 10 providers |
| Bessemer City | 100.0% | 10 providers |
| Black Mountain | 94.4% | 13 providers |
| Boone | 99.6% | 14 providers |
| Brevard | 95.5% | 11 providers |
| Browns Summit | 99.6% | 11 providers |
| Burgaw | 69.7% | 12 providers |
| Burlington | 98.0% | 16 providers |
| Burnsville | 53.4% | 13 providers |
| Butner | 100.0% | 9 providers |
| Cameron | 94.3% | 11 providers |
| Camp Lejeune | 95.9% | 9 providers |
| Candler | 99.9% | 12 providers |
| Canton | 96.4% | 13 providers |
| Carrboro | 100.0% | 12 providers |
| Carthage | 87.4% | 11 providers |
| Cary | 100.0% | 22 providers |
| Chapel Hill | 98.5% | 18 providers |
| Charlotte | 100.0% | 33 providers |
| Cherryville | 100.0% | 10 providers |
| China Grove | 99.8% | 11 providers |
| Claremont | 99.4% | 12 providers |
| Clayton | 99.9% | 12 providers |
| Clemmons | 100.0% | 14 providers |
| Clinton | 83.0% | 9 providers |
| Clyde | 80.8% | 11 providers |
| Concord | 99.9% | 14 providers |
| Connellys Springs | 96.2% | 12 providers |
| Conover | 99.8% | 12 providers |
| Cornelius | 100.0% | 15 providers |
| Creedmoor | 95.7% | 13 providers |
| Cullowhee | 85.9% | 11 providers |
| Dallas | 99.9% | 11 providers |
| Davidson | 100.0% | 13 providers |
| Denver | 100.0% | 11 providers |
| Dudley | 100.0% | 10 providers |
| Dunn | 91.1% | 10 providers |
| Durham | 99.9% | 20 providers |
| Eden | 99.7% | 11 providers |
| Edenton | 93.0% | 8 providers |
| Elizabeth City | 99.9% | 13 providers |
| Elizabethtown | 95.1% | 8 providers |
| Elkin | 100.0% | 15 providers |
| Elon | 92.0% | 12 providers |
| Fairmont | 48.0% | 10 providers |
| Fayetteville | 99.7% | 15 providers |
| Fletcher | 99.8% | 13 providers |
| Forest City | 97.0% | 13 providers |
| Fort Bragg | 100.0% | 10 providers |
| Four Oaks | 80.3% | 11 providers |
| Franklin | 74.2% | 12 providers |
| Franklinton | 96.1% | 9 providers |
| Fuquay Varina | 99.2% | 12 providers |
| Garner | 100.0% | 14 providers |
| Gastonia | 100.0% | 14 providers |
| Gibsonville | 98.3% | 11 providers |
| Goldsboro | 99.4% | 15 providers |
| Graham | 99.9% | 14 providers |
| Granite Falls | 99.4% | 12 providers |
| Greensboro | 100.0% | 20 providers |
| Greenville | 61.0% | 14 providers |
| Hamlet | 98.1% | 11 providers |
| Hampstead | 99.2% | 10 providers |
| Harrisburg | 100.0% | 12 providers |
| Havelock | 99.9% | 12 providers |
| Henderson | 96.9% | 13 providers |
| Hendersonville | 93.6% | 14 providers |
| Hertford | 91.3% | 13 providers |
| Hickory | 99.5% | 14 providers |
| High Point | 100.0% | 16 providers |
| Hillsborough | 97.6% | 14 providers |
| Holly Springs | 98.9% | 14 providers |
| Hope Mills | 100.0% | 10 providers |
| Hubert | 100.0% | 9 providers |
| Hudson | 99.9% | 14 providers |
| Huntersville | 100.0% | 15 providers |
| Indian Trail | 100.0% | 13 providers |
| Jacksonville | 100.0% | 12 providers |
| Jamestown | 100.0% | 13 providers |
| Kannapolis | 100.0% | 11 providers |
| Kernersville | 99.9% | 16 providers |
| Kill Devil Hills | 99.9% | 7 providers |
| King | 99.9% | 11 providers |
| Kings Mountain | 99.8% | 11 providers |
| Kinston | 32.7% | 10 providers |
| Knightdale | 99.9% | 12 providers |
| La Grange | 62.7% | 11 providers |
| Laurinburg | 93.9% | 11 providers |
| Leicester | 89.6% | 12 providers |
| Leland | 98.6% | 12 providers |
| Lenoir | 97.0% | 13 providers |
| Lewisville | 100.0% | 12 providers |
| Lexington | 100.0% | 14 providers |
| Liberty | 91.3% | 11 providers |
| Lillington | 93.7% | 11 providers |
| Lincolnton | 99.8% | 11 providers |
| Louisburg | 86.4% | 6 providers |
| Lumberton | 95.0% | 10 providers |
| Madison | 99.0% | 11 providers |
| Maiden | 99.4% | 12 providers |
| Marion | 89.1% | 14 providers |
| Marshall | 88.1% | 13 providers |
| Marshville | 98.4% | 11 providers |
| Matthews | 100.0% | 15 providers |
| Maxton | 65.4% | 11 providers |
| Mebane | 94.4% | 15 providers |
| Mocksville | 99.2% | 8 providers |
| Monroe | 98.8% | 13 providers |
| Mooresville | 100.0% | 15 providers |
| Morehead City | 100.0% | 11 providers |
| Morganton | 97.4% | 13 providers |
| Morrisville | 100.0% | 19 providers |
| Mount Airy | 99.8% | 12 providers |
| Mount Holly | 100.0% | 12 providers |
| Mount Olive | 56.0% | 11 providers |
| Moyock | 97.6% | 10 providers |
| Murphy | 81.1% | 12 providers |
| Nashville | 72.3% | 14 providers |
| New Bern | 67.4% | 13 providers |
| Newport | 100.0% | 8 providers |
| Newton | 99.5% | 13 providers |
| North Wilkesboro | 99.7% | 9 providers |
| Oxford | 82.4% | 9 providers |
| Pembroke | 98.6% | 11 providers |
| Pfafftown | 100.0% | 10 providers |
| Pikeville | 98.6% | 10 providers |
| Pinehurst | 100.0% | 9 providers |
| Pittsboro | 92.7% | 12 providers |
| Raeford | 96.8% | 9 providers |
| Raleigh | 100.0% | 21 providers |
| Randleman | 98.3% | 13 providers |
| Red Springs | 91.2% | 10 providers |
| Reidsville | 91.9% | 12 providers |
| Richlands | 96.1% | 8 providers |
| Roanoke Rapids | 99.3% | 11 providers |
| Rockingham | 97.8% | 11 providers |
| Rockwell | 99.4% | 10 providers |
| Rocky Mount | 54.3% | 12 providers |
| Rocky Point | 89.5% | 9 providers |
| Roxboro | 94.0% | 12 providers |
| Rutherfordton | 81.8% | 15 providers |
| Saint Pauls | 96.3% | 9 providers |
| Salisbury | 100.0% | 15 providers |
| Sanford | 99.2% | 13 providers |
| Selma | 99.1% | 11 providers |
| Shallotte | 100.0% | 9 providers |
| Shelby | 98.2% | 14 providers |
| Siler City | 90.9% | 9 providers |
| Smithfield | 99.4% | 13 providers |
| Snow Hill | 64.3% | 10 providers |
| Southern Pines | 99.3% | 10 providers |
| Southport | 100.0% | 10 providers |
| Spring Lake | 99.9% | 12 providers |
| Spruce Pine | 54.6% | 13 providers |
| Stanley | 100.0% | 11 providers |
| Statesville | 97.3% | 12 providers |
| Summerfield | 100.0% | 12 providers |
| Supply | 100.0% | 9 providers |
| Swannanoa | 99.7% | 13 providers |
| Swansboro | 100.0% | 9 providers |
| Sylva | 72.5% | 12 providers |
| Tabor City | 96.5% | 10 providers |
| Tarboro | 73.6% | 10 providers |
| Taylorsville | 91.0% | 11 providers |
| Thomasville | 99.7% | 11 providers |
| Trinity | 97.4% | 11 providers |
| Vale | 92.9% | 12 providers |
| Wadesboro | 96.7% | 11 providers |
| Wake Forest | 100.0% | 14 providers |
| Wallace | 85.2% | 9 providers |
| Walnut Cove | 100.0% | 9 providers |
| Washington | 57.6% | 10 providers |
| Waxhaw | 99.4% | 13 providers |
| Waynesville | 95.4% | 13 providers |
| Weaverville | 99.6% | 16 providers |
| Wendell | 99.7% | 12 providers |
| Whiteville | 98.3% | 11 providers |
| Wilkesboro | 100.0% | 11 providers |
| Williamston | 53.0% | 10 providers |
| Willow Spring | 99.0% | 11 providers |
| Wilmington | 99.9% | 14 providers |
| Wilson | 99.6% | 15 providers |
| Windsor | 75.5% | 6 providers |
| Winston Salem | 100.0% | 19 providers |
| Winterville | 62.8% | 10 providers |
| Yadkinville | 99.5% | 10 providers |
| Youngsville | 99.7% | 11 providers |
| Zebulon | 98.4% | 11 providers |