When choosing a place to live there are a lot of factors that play into that decision. You want a good education for your children, but additionally living in a highly educated area has other benefits. More education means higher salaries, which in turn means economic growth and higher tax revenues. The good news is two North Carolina cities made the top 10 for the most educated. The bad news? 4 North Carolina cities were ranked in the bottom 50 of the least educated. This is according to WalletHub’s latest list. The list is 2022’s Most & Least Educated Cities in America.
How do you determine the most educated cities? WalletHub compared the 150 largest metropolitan statistical areas across 11 key metrics. They measured the share of adults aged 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Then looked at this number against the quality of the public-school system to the gender education gap.
Another major city, missing from this list was sitting at 53. Which out of 150 is still the top half at least. What does this mean? There is a wide variety in the education levels throughout the state of North Carolina. So when choosing where to live in the state, it is important to do your research.
Four North Carolina Cities Rank In The Bottom 50 Educated Cities In The Country
100. Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
Pennsylvania Welcomes You road sign at the state border
Total Score: 48.57
Educational Attainment: 97
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 94
101. Greensboro-High Point, NC
Greensboro, North Carolina skyline from the west. (Photo: Raynor Garey/Getty Images)
Total Score: 48.41
Educational Attainment: 105
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 37
102. Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
Florida directional sign
Total Score: 48.16
Educational Attainment: 98
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 103
103. Toledo, OH
WELCOME TO OHIO – traffic sign message
Total Score: 47.29
Educational Attainment: 104
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 92
104. Memphis, TN
Beale St, Memphis
Total Score: 46.59
Educational Attainment: 103
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 114
106. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
Florida directional sign
Total Score: 46.40
Educational Attainment: 107
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 93
107. Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC
Total Score: 46.36
Educational Attainment: 111
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 36
108. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
Iowa state of United States flag on flagpole textile cloth fabric waving on the top sunrise mist fog
Total Score:46.32
Educational Attainment: 102
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 141
109. Fort Wayne, IN
Aerial view over the downtown city skyline of Fort Wayne Indiana USA
Total Score: 46.08
Educational Attainment: 108
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 86
110. Tulsa, OK
Total Score: 45.36
Educational Attainment: 110
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 102
111. Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem North Carolina NC Downtown Skyline Aerial at Sunset.
Total Score: 45.20
Educational Attainment: 120
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 19
112. Chattanooga, TN-GA
Tennessee welcomes you sign at he state border
Total Score: 44.92
Educational Attainment: 112
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 77
113. Baton Rouge, LA
Louisiana stateline sign
Total Score: 44.91
Educational Attainment: 114
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 65
114. Fayetteville, NC
The turnabout on Hay Street passes by a historic location in Fayetteville NC
Total Score: 44.88
Educational Attainment: 116
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 51
115. Salisbury, MD-DE
Total Score: 44.16
Educational Attainment: 106
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 143
116. Salem, OR
Travelers will be welcomed to Oregon by this sign on I-5
Total Score: 43.45
Educational Attainment: 121
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 45
117. Port St. Lucie, FL
Florida directional sign
Total Score: 42.87
Educational Attainment: 119
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 99
118. Killeen-Temple, TX
State flag of Texas waving in the wind. Dramatic sky background. 3d illustration.
Total Score: 42.83
Educational Attainment: 113
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 125
119. Augusta-Richmond Country, CA-SC
Total Score: 42.12
Educational Attainment: 117
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 129
120. Vallejo, CA
California state – road sign map
Total Score: 41.93
Educational Attainment: 109
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 148
121. Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 20: Austin Cindric, driver of the #2 Discount Tire Ford, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 20, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Total Score: 41.33
Educational Attainment: 118
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 138
122. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
Aerial view of Las Vegas strip in Nevada as seen at night USA
Total Score: 41.25
Educational Attainment: 126
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 32
123. Gulfport-Biloxi, MS
Mississippi State welcome sign along the US Highway 61 in the USA; Concept for travel in America and Road Trip in America
Total Score: 41.13
Educational Attainment: 122
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 108
124. Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
Pennsylvania Welcomes You road sign at the state border
Total Score: 40.42
Educational Attainment: 123
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 119
125. Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
Total Score: 40.09
Educational Attainment: 125
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 101
126. Lancaster, PA
Pennsylvania Welcomes You road sign at the state border
Total Score: 39.67
Educational Attainment: 128
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 73
127. Flint, MI
Michigan Welcome Sign – summer time.
Total Score: 39.49
Educational Attainment: 124
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 126
128. Canton-Massillon, OH
WELCOME TO OHIO – traffic sign message
Total Score: 39.48
Educational Attainment: 129
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 75
129. York-Hanover, PA
Pennsylvania Welcomes You road sign at the state border
Total Score: 39.10
Educational Attainment: 127
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 98
130. Reading, PA
Pennsylvania Welcomes You road sign at the state border
Total Score: 37.17
Educational Attainment: 131
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 113
131. Rockford, IL
Total Score: 36.92
Educational Attainment: 130
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 131
132. Mobile, AL
Total Score: 36.88
Educational Attainment: 132
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 80
133. Lafayette, LA
Louisiana stateline sign
Total Score: 36.17
Educational Attainment: 137
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 6
134. Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
WELCOME TO OHIO – traffic sign message
Total Score: 35.22
Educational Attainment: 133
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 88
135. Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
West Virginia flag on a flagpole waving in the wind, blue sky background. 3d rendering.
Total Score: 34.97
Educational Attainment: 134
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 64
136. Riverside-San Bernardino- Ontario, CA
Daytime skyline aerial view of downtown Riverside, California, USA.
Total Score: 33.48
Educational Attainment: 136
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 67
137. Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
Florida directional sign
Total Score: 32.21
Educational Attainment: 140
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 61
138. El Paso, TX
State flag of Texas waving in the wind. Dramatic sky background. 3d illustration.
Total Score: 31.90
Educational Attainment: 139
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 81
139. Fresno, CA
California state – road sign map
Total Score:
Educational Attainment:
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap:
140. Salinas, CA
California state – road sign map
Total Score: 29.61
Educational Attainment: 141
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 115
141. Corpus Christi,TX
State flag of Texas waving in the wind. Dramatic sky background. 3d illustration.
Total Score: 29.26
Educational Attainment: 138
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 139
142. Ocala, FL
Florida directional sign
Total Score: 28.74
Educational Attainment: 135
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 149
143. Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
State flag of Texas waving in the wind. Dramatic sky background. 3d illustration.
Total Score: 28.08
Educational Attainment: 143
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 96
144. Stockton, CA
California state – road sign map
Total Score: 25.84
Educational Attainment: 145
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 97
145. Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
Downtown Hickory NC
Total Score: 24.75
Educational Attainment: 144
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 145
146. Modesto, CA
California state – road sign map
Total Score: 20.58
Educational Attainment: 146
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 142
148. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
State flag of Texas waving in the wind. Dramatic sky background. 3d illustration.
Total Score: 14.88
Educational Attainment: 150
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 9
149. Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
State flag of Texas waving in the wind. Dramatic sky background. 3d illustration.
Total Score: 10.34
Educational Attainment: 149
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 121
150. Visalia, CA
California state – road sign map
Total Score: 9.09
Educational Attainment: 148
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap: 147