NEW COUNTY TIER DESIGNATIONS SHOW CHANCES.

• Author: Campbell, Colin

The N.C. Department of Commerce released its new "tier" ratings used to assess each county's level of "economic distress" for economic development programs.

The report serves as a good indication of how each of the 100 counties is faring economically. The rankings factor in the unemployment rate, median household income, population growth and assessed property value per capita.

A total of 90 counties are staying in their current tier, with Tier 1 as the most "economically distressed" and Tier 3 as the most prosperous. Here are the 10 counties that are changing.

IMPROVING TIERS

* Mountainous Avery and Swain counties are moving from Tier Two to Tier Three because of their improving population growth rate.

* Caldwell County is moving from Tier One to Tier Two thanks to a better unemployment rate.

* Cleveland County is moving from...