Breastfeeding Initiation Rates by County, 2018–2019*

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map cherokee graham swain clay macon jackson haywood transylvania madison buncombe henderson yancey mitchell mcdowell polk rutherford avery burke cleveland watauga caldwell ashe alleghany wilkes alexander catawba lincoln gaston surry yadkin iredell mecklenburg stokes forsyth davie rowan davidson cabarrus union stanly anson richmond montgomery randolph guilford rockingham caswell alamance orange chatham lee moore scotland robeson hoke columbus brunswick bladen cumberland harnett durham person granville wake johnston sampson vance franklin warren northampton halifax nash wilson edgecombe wayne duplin newhanover pender onslow jones lenoir greene pitt craven carteret pamlico beaufort martin bertie hertford gates chowan perquimans pasquotank camden currituck dare washington tyrrell hyde
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  • Total number of Infants 3,787
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 80.3

  • Alexander county

    Total number of Infants 687
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 77.1

  • Alleghany county

    Total number of Infants 168
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 80.4

  • Anson county

    Total number of Infants 508
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 58.7

  • Ashe county

    Total number of Infants 391
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 79

  • Avery county

    Total number of Infants 289
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 83.4

  • Beaufort county

    Total number of Infants 831
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 68.7

  • Bertie county

    Total number of Infants 327
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 52.9

  • Bladen county

    Total number of Infants 704
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 66.1

  • Brunswick county

    Total number of Infants 1,967
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 80

  • Buncombe county

    Total number of Infants 4,916
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 89.1

  • Burke county

    Total number of Infants 1,733
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 73.5

  • Cabarrus county

    Total number of Infants 5,019
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 86.1

  • Caldwell county

    Total number of Infants 1,622
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 74

  • Camden county

    Total number of Infants 197
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 84.3

  • Carteret county

    Total number of Infants 1,008
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 80.5

  • Caswell county

    Total number of Infants 422
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 78.4

  • Catawba county

    Total number of Infants 3,362
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 77.8

  • Chatham county

    Total number of Infants 1,248
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 92.5

  • Cherokee county

    Total number of Infants 480
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 75

  • Chowan county

    Total number of Infants 256
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 62.5

  • Clay county

    Total number of Infants 165
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 83.6

  • Cleveland county

    Total number of Infants 2,266
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 65.8

  • Columbus county

    Total number of Infants 1,089
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 60.1

  • Craven county

    Total number of Infants 2,609
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 81.7

  • Cumberland county

    Total number of Infants 10,782
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 80.7

  • Currituck county

    Total number of Infants 515
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 83.9

  • Dare county

    Total number of Infants 612
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 89.7

  • Davidson county

    Total number of Infants 3,488
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 74

  • Davie county

    Total number of Infants 796
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 84.5

  • Duplin county

    Total number of Infants 1,407
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 72.6

  • Durham county

    Total number of Infants 8,266
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 89.7

  • Edgecombe county

    Total number of Infants 1,144
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 50.6

  • Forsyth county

    Total number of Infants 8,691
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 87

  • Franklin county

    Total number of Infants 1,451
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 8.5

  • Gaston county

    Total number of Infants 5,076
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 72.8

  • Gates county

    Total number of Infants 187
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 76.5

  • Graham county

    Total number of Infants 173
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 76.9

  • Granville county

    Total number of Infants 1,144
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 76.1

  • Greene county

    Total number of Infants 422
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 71.1

  • Guilford county

    Total number of Infants 12,065
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 86.1

  • Halifax county

    Total number of Infants 1,039
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 54.1

  • Harnett county

    Total number of Infants 3,655
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 80.6

  • Haywood county

    Total number of Infants 1,047
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 80.9

  • Henderson county

    Total number of Infants 2,088
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 88.6

  • Hertford county

    Total number of Infants 415
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 57.3

  • Hoke county

    Total number of Infants 1,694
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 79.5

  • Hyde county

    Total number of Infants 72
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 81.9

  • Iredell county

    Total number of Infants 3,708
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 79.3

  • Jackson county

    Total number of Infants 720
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 77.5

  • Johnston county

    Total number of Infants 4,702
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 66.3

  • Jones county

    Total number of Infants 175
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 76

  • Lee county

    Total number of Infants 1,556
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 83.3

  • Lenoir county

    Total number of Infants 1,217
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 60.9

  • Lincoln county

    Total number of Infants 1,704
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 80.6

  • Mcdowell county

    Total number of Infants 837
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 79.2

  • Macon county

    Total number of Infants 630
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 86

  • Madison county

    Total number of Infants 399
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 83

  • Martin county

    Total number of Infants 454
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 55.7

  • Mecklenburg county

    Total number of Infants 28,903
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 89.2

  • Mitchell county

    Total number of Infants 270
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 83

  • Montgomery county

    Total number of Infants 542
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 70.7

  • Moore county

    Total number of Infants 2,304
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 86.5

  • Nash county

    Total number of Infants 2,114
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 67.8

  • Newhanover county

    Total number of Infants 4,293
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 88.4

  • Northampton county

    Total number of Infants 325
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 52.9

  • Onslow county

    Total number of Infants 7,666
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 86.4

  • Orange county

    Total number of Infants 2,287
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 93.4

  • Pamlico county

    Total number of Infants 159
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 72.3

  • Pasquotank county

    Total number of Infants 901
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 65.6

  • Pender county

    Total number of Infants 1,241
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 85.8

  • Perquimans county

    Total number of Infants 235
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 62.1

  • Person county

    Total number of Infants 831
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 77.1

  • Pitt county

    Total number of Infants 4,136
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 71.1

  • Polk county

    Total number of Infants 312
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 84.6

  • Randolph county

    Total number of Infants 3,018
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 79.4

  • Richmond county

    Total number of Infants 1,113
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 62.7

  • Robeson county

    Total number of Infants 3,374
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 48.4

  • Rockingham county

    Total number of Infants 1,776
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 80.1

  • Rowan county

    Total number of Infants 3,074
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 78.5

  • Rutherford county

    Total number of Infants 1,297
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 68.7

  • Sampson county

    Total number of Infants 1,537
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 81.5

  • Scotland county

    Total number of Infants 864
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 49

  • Stanly county

    Total number of Infants 1,321
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 73.4

  • Stokes county

    Total number of Infants 762
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 79

  • Surry county

    Total number of Infants 1,495
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 72.3

  • Swain county

    Total number of Infants 311
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 72.7

  • Transylvania county

    Total number of Infants 535
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 85.6

  • Tyrrell county

    Total number of Infants 63
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 74.6

  • Union county

    Total number of Infants 4,702
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 86.3

  • Vance county

    Total number of Infants 1,087
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 56

  • Wake county

    Total number of Infants 25,098
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 93.4

  • Warren county

    Total number of Infants 297
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 60.6

  • Washington county

    Total number of Infants 247
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 44.9

  • Watauga county

    Total number of Infants 642
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 94.1

  • Wayne county

    Total number of Infants 3,178
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 75.8

  • Wilkes county

    Total number of Infants 1,321
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 65.4

  • Wilson county

    Total number of Infants 1,913
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 66.4

  • Yadkin county

    Total number of Infants 725
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 81.9

  • Yancey county

    Total number of Infants 353
    Breastfeeding Initiation Rate (%) 85.8

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Percentage of Babies Born in North Carolina Receiving Any and Exclusive Breast Milk During the First 12 Months, Among Children Born in 2019

Graph showing feeding rates

* US birth certificate data from 2018–2019 National Vital Statistics System are used to determine the percentage of live infants who initiated breastfeeding, defined as receiving any breast milk or colostrum during the period between delivery and discharge from the birth facility or completion of the birth certificate for home births. More information is available.
Data are not shown for counties or county equivalents if the total number of infants or the number of infants initiating breastfeeding is less than 10. The exact breastfeeding rate is not displayed if it is ≥90.0% and the total number of infants is less than 50 in a county.

Most breastfeeding duration rates decline due to lack of support at home or work.

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