nearly 20 percent of the state's population, they make up only 6 percent of its county commissioners. That number closely tracks the national rate of representation of women of color among all elected officials at 4 percent.

By comparison, white men make up 31 percent of North Carolina's population but hold two-thirds of its county commission seats — a number that also mirrors the national rate. In 24 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, primarily in the western half of the state, white men hold all of the commission seats.

While white women make up 25 percent of elected officials nationwide, they represent only 10 percent of North Carolina's county commissioners, with men of color making up a larger share of the state's non-white-male commissioners.

The state has no Asian American, Hispanicor Native American women commissioners.

In addition, the racial diversity of North Carolina's women commissioners is limited, as the state has no Asian American, Hispanic or Native American women commissioners. Of the 97 women commissioners in the state, 63 percent are white and 35 percent are black. There is one woman commissioner who indicated her race as "other."

Women are better represented on county commissions in urbanized areas of the state. In urban counties, defined by the North Carolina Rural Center as those with an average of 750 people or more per square mile, 33 percent of commissioners are women and 14 percent are women of color. In those counties identified as rural, 14 percent of commissioners are women and just 6 percent are women of color.

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