# Pender, North Carolina — #1,224 of 3,144 counties

> Liberty Moving composite score 6.48 of 10. FIPS 37141. Population 68,521. v4 — beta, 30 October 2026, sourced values.

About 68,500 people live in Pender, North Carolina. It ranks #1,224 of 3,144 counties for liberty, and #34 of 100 in North Carolina. The combined sales tax is 6.75%, higher than in 48% of counties. Property tax takes about 0.55% of a home's value each year, less than in 72% of counties. Local government employs a smaller share of working residents than in 63% of counties. The homicide rate is higher than in 84% of counties. Life expectancy is about 75.8 years, longer than in 50% of counties. Air quality is better than in 85% of counties (a typical day's air quality index is 34), and flood and hurricane risk is higher than in 95% of counties. On this site's state scores, North Carolina gets 7.59 of 10 for economic freedom, based on the Fraser Institute's ranking, and 10 of 10 for gun rights.

## Scores

| Factor | Level | Score (0–10) | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fraser Institute state ranking | state | 7.59 |  |
| 2A | state | 10.00 |  |
| Air quality | county | 6.65 |  |
| GOP + LP vote for President | county | 6.74 |  |
| Homicide rate | county | 6.01 |  |
| Sales tax | county | 3.86 |  |
| Property tax | county | 7.25 |  |
| Floods / hurricanes | county | 0.28 |  |
| Life expectancy | county | 5.80 |  |
| Government employees | county | 6.25 |  |
| Single-parent households | county | 5.80 |  |

"est" marks a derived or placeholder value with no published county figure.

## Neighbors

- #2536 Bladen, North Carolina — https://libertymoving.org/counties/37017.md
- #2413 Sampson, North Carolina — https://libertymoving.org/counties/37163.md
- #2374 Duplin, North Carolina — https://libertymoving.org/counties/37061.md
- #1182 Onslow, North Carolina — https://libertymoving.org/counties/37133.md
- #1346 Brunswick, North Carolina — https://libertymoving.org/counties/37019.md
- #1368 New Hanover, North Carolina — https://libertymoving.org/counties/37129.md
- #2667 Columbus, North Carolina — https://libertymoving.org/counties/37047.md

## Links

- Page: https://libertymoving.org/counties/37141
- Compare: https://libertymoving.org/compare?a=37141
- Methodology: https://libertymoving.org/methodology
- Sources and terms: https://libertymoving.org/privacy