How many public pension plans does North Carolina have?

North Carolina has 3 public pension plans tracked by the Public Plans Database, covering 1,164,852 total members (#6 of 51 by membership book). Types on this roster include teachers, police and fire, municipal, and general state systems where present.

Is North Carolina's pension system in crisis?

North Carolina's public pension plans have an average funded ratio of 75.1% and a total unfunded liability of $37.54B. An average funded ratio in the 60-80% range indicates moderate underfunding that requires attention but is not yet at crisis levels. Data is sourced from the Boston College Center for Retirement Research.

What is the average funded ratio in North Carolina?

The average funded ratio across all 3 public pension plans in North Carolina is 75.1% (#27 of 51 among states), based on the most recent Public Plans Database data. A funded ratio of 100% means a plan has sufficient assets to meet all projected obligations. The national average for public pensions is approximately 75.5%. Individual plan ratios in North Carolina vary; browse the table above to compare specific plans.

Public Plans Database

North Carolina Public Pension Plans

Name: North Carolina Public Pension Plans
Creator: Boston College Center for Retirement Research
License: https://www.usa.gov/government-copyright

3 plans · top-third membership book (#6 of 51)

Larger membership book. North Carolina ranks #6 of 51 by tracked members (1,164,852), top-third membership book among states.

Avg funded ratio: 75.1%
Total unfunded: $37.54B
Total members: 1,164,852
Plans tracked: 3

According to the Public Plans Database, compiled by the Boston College Center for Retirement Research, North Carolina’s 3 tracked plans carry a combined unfunded liability of $37.54B at an average funded ratio of 75.1%. Plan cards report FY2023 valuations; this site’s database copy was last loaded in July 2026. See our methodology for the full source and update cadence.

PPD actuarial excerpt

State roster NC North Carolina

North Carolina: avg 75.1% funded (0.4 points below the national average) · 1 D/F grades · unfunded $37.54B

AVG 75.1%
UNF $37.54B
MEM 1,164,852
N 3
DF 1
VS -0.4pt
BEST 96.1%
LOW 54.0%

Funded-ratio peers

Nearest funded-ratio peer: Pennsylvania (74.9%)

Average funded ratio neighbourhood vs North Carolina (FY2023 plan cards)

1 of 3 published-ratio plans sit under 60% actuarial assets; 1 of 3 carry a D or F health grade. How this roster is sourced →

North Carolina grade mix on a larger membership book

Health grades across 3 plans (1,164,852 members, #6 of 51) use the same FY2023 plan-card snapshot as the hero KPIs and the table below.

Health-grade counts from the same state plan rows as the roster table

Source: Public Plans Database (Boston College CRR / NASRA) As of FY2023 plan cards; history through FY2024

Average actuarial funded ratio across 3 North Carolina plans (FY2023 plan cards)

Plan types in North Carolina

Aggregates from the same FY2023 plan-card rows as the roster below. Averages include only plans that report a funded ratio.

Type	Plans	Avg funded	Members	Assets	Unfunded
Police & Fire	2	75.0%	1,951	$604M	$25M
General State	1	75.2%	1,162,901	$113.88B	$37.52B

Every tracked plan in North Carolina

FY2023 plan-card snapshot from the Public Plans Database. ARC is the actuarially required contribution as a share of payroll where reported.

Plan	Type	Funded	Grade	Assets	Unfunded	Members	ARC	1yr return
Charlotte Firefighters' Retirement System	Police & Fire	96.1%	B	$604M	$25M	1,951	62.3%	0.7%
North Carolina Retirement Systems	General State	75.2%	C	$113.88B	$37.52B	1,162,901	100.6%	9.3%
Charlotte (NC) Law Enforcement	Police & Fire	54.0%	D	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	5.5%

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Compare inside North Carolina’s larger membership roster

Data sourced from official Public Plans Database and actuarial valuations from federal and state pension systems. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPension · North Carolina roster FY2023

Compiled by PlainPension, Pension Fund Health Editorial Process · July 23, 2026