The 2017 Office of Management & Budget's
bulletin gives "Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" and serves to create the classifications of urban, suburban, and rural counties, with the "central city" for both urban and suburban counties, in North Carolina used for analysis:
| Region |
County |
Central City |
| Urban |
ALAMANCE |
Burlington |
| Urban |
BUNCOMBE |
Asheville |
| Urban |
BURKE |
Hickory-Lenior-Morganton |
| Urban |
CALDWELL |
Hickory-Lenior-Morganton |
| Urban |
CATAWBA |
Hickory-Lenior-Morganton |
| Urban |
CRAVEN |
New Bern |
| Urban |
CUMBERLAND |
Fayetteville |
| Urban |
DURHAM |
Durham |
| Urban |
EDGECOMBE |
Rocky Mount |
| Urban |
FORSYTH |
Winston-Salem |
| Urban |
GUILFORD |
Greensboro |
| Urban |
MECKLENBURG |
Charlotte |
| Urban |
NASH |
Rocky Mount |
| Urban |
NEW HANOVER |
Wilmington |
| Urban |
ONSLOW |
Jacksonville |
| Urban |
ORANGE |
Chapel Hill |
| Urban |
PITT |
Greenville |
| Urban |
WAKE |
Raleigh |
| Urban |
WAYNE |
Goldsboro |
| Region |
County |
Central City |
| Suburban |
ALEXANDER |
Hickory-Lenior-Morganton |
| Suburban |
BRUNSWICK |
Myrtle Beach SC |
| Suburban |
CABARRUS |
Charlotte |
| Suburban |
CHATHAM |
Durham |
| Suburban |
CURRITUCK |
Virginia Beach VA |
| Suburban |
DAVIDSON |
Winston-Salem |
| Suburban |
DAVIE |
Winston-Salem |
| Suburban |
FRANKLIN |
Raleigh |
| Suburban |
GASTON |
Charlotte |
| Suburban |
GATES |
Virginia Beach VA |
| Suburban |
HAYWOOD |
Asheville |
| Suburban |
HENDERSON |
Asheville |
| Suburban |
HOKE |
Fayetteville |
| Suburban |
IREDELL |
Charlotte |
| Suburban |
JOHNSTON |
Raleigh |
| Suburban |
JONES |
New Bern |
| Suburban |
LINCOLN |
Charlotte |
| Suburban |
MADISON |
Asheville |
| Suburban |
PAMLICO |
New Bern |
| Suburban |
PENDER |
Wilmington |
| Suburban |
PERSON |
Durham |
| Suburban |
RANDOLPH |
Greensboro |
| Suburban |
ROCKINGHAM |
Greensboro |
| Suburban |
ROWAN |
Charlotte |
| Suburban |
STOKES |
Winston-Salem |
| Suburban |
UNION |
Charlotte |
| Suburban |
YADKIN |
Winston-Salem |
| Region |
County |
| Rural |
ALLEGHANY |
| Rural |
ANSON |
| Rural |
ASHE |
| Rural |
AVERY |
| Rural |
BEAUFORT |
| Rural |
BERTIE |
| Rural |
BLADEN |
| Rural |
CAMDEN |
| Rural |
CARTERET |
| Rural |
CASWELL |
| Rural |
CHEROKEE |
| Rural |
CHOWAN |
| Rural |
CLAY |
| Rural |
CLEVELAND |
| Rural |
COLUMBUS |
| Rural |
DARE |
| Rural |
DUPLIN |
| Rural |
GRAHAM |
| Rural |
GRANVILLE |
| Rural |
GREENE |
| Rural |
HALIFAX |
| Rural |
HARNETT |
| Rural |
HERTFORD |
| Rural |
HYDE |
| Rural |
JACKSON |
| Rural |
LEE |
| Rural |
LENOIR |
| Rural |
MACON |
| Rural |
MARTIN |
| Rural |
MCDOWELL |
| Rural |
MITCHELL |
| Rural |
MONTGOMERY |
| Rural |
MOORE |
| Rural |
NORTHAMPTON |
| Rural |
PASQUOTANK |
| Rural |
PERQUIMANS |
| Rural |
POLK |
| Rural |
RICHMOND |
| Rural |
ROBESON |
| Rural |
RUTHERFORD |
| Rural |
SAMPSON |
| Rural |
SCOTLAND |
| Rural |
STANLY |
| Rural |
SURRY |
| Rural |
SWAIN |
| Rural |
TRANSYLVANIA |
| Rural |
TYRRELL |
| Rural |
VANCE |
| Rural |
WARREN |
| Rural |
WASHINGTON |
| Rural |
WATAUGA |
| Rural |
WILKES |
| Rural |
WILSON |
| Rural |
YANCEY |
