Market data
Consumer protection in North Carolina: market data
What public records say about the market for consumer protection in North Carolina: how much demand the courts and agencies count, how many law offices serve it, how many people need help in Spanish, and the ad rules that apply. Every number links to the record it comes from.
Demand: what courts and agencies count
Counts of filings, crashes, complaints and enforcement in the records each agency keeps. A count shows where problems were recorded, not how many people will hire a lawyer.
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CFPB credit reporting complaints | 226,756 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | North Carolina state | consumer-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733731 record cfpb-nc-credit-reporting · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| CFPB debt collection complaints | 13,144 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | North Carolina state | consumer-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733731 record cfpb-nc-debt-collection · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| CFPB debt or credit management complaints | 128 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | North Carolina state | consumer-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733731 record cfpb-nc-debt-management · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| FTC fraud and other reports | 144,909 reports, calendar year | 2024 | North Carolina state | consumer-sentinel v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741876 record sentinel-nc-fraud-other · status P · checked 2026-10-27 · linked by the markets layer |
| FTC identity theft reports | 27,466 reports, calendar year | 2024 | North Carolina state | consumer-sentinel v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741876 record sentinel-nc-identity-theft · status P · checked 2026-10-27 · linked by the markets layer |
| FTC imposter scam reports | 20,685 reports, calendar year | 2024 | North Carolina state | consumer-sentinel v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741876 record sentinel-nc-imposter-scams · status P · checked 2026-10-27 · linked by the markets layer |
| Federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: consumer protection | 217 cases filed, fiscal year | FY2025 | North Carolina state | federal-filings-county v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750628 record federal-filings-county:NC · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| FCC unwanted call complaints | 4,606 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | North Carolina state | robocall-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733010 record robocalls-nc-call · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| FCC unwanted text complaints | 589 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | North Carolina state | robocall-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733010 record robocalls-nc-text · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil cases filed: consumer credit and phone-call suits | 149 cases filed, three fiscal years | FY2023-2025 | Eastern District of North Carolina federal district | idb-civil v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969 record idb-nce-consumer · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil cases filed: consumer credit and phone-call suits | 137 cases filed, three fiscal years | FY2023-2025 | Middle District of North Carolina federal district | idb-civil v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969 record idb-ncm-consumer · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil cases filed: consumer credit and phone-call suits | 281 cases filed, three fiscal years | FY2023-2025 | Western District of North Carolina federal district | idb-civil v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969 record idb-ncw-consumer · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
Rising or falling
The change between the last two periods each source publishes. No threshold and no smoothing.
| Measure | Before | Latest | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CFPB credit reporting complaints North Carolina · record cfpb-nc-credit-reporting | 149,215 prior 12 months | 226,756 12 months from 2025-10-01 | rising (+52%) |
| CFPB debt collection complaints North Carolina · record cfpb-nc-debt-collection | 9,446 prior 12 months | 13,144 12 months from 2025-10-01 | rising (+39.1%) |
| CFPB debt or credit management complaints North Carolina · record cfpb-nc-debt-management | 149 prior 12 months | 128 12 months from 2025-10-01 | falling (-14.1%) |
| Federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: consumer protection North Carolina · record federal-filings-county:NC | 186 FY2024 | 217 FY2025 | rising (+16.7%) |
| FCC unwanted call complaints North Carolina · record robocalls-nc-call | 5,496 prior 12 months | 4,606 12 months from 2025-10-01 | falling (-16.2%) |
| FCC unwanted text complaints North Carolina · record robocalls-nc-text | 796 prior 12 months | 589 12 months from 2025-10-01 | falling (-26%) |
Lawyer supply
How many law offices and lawyers the federal statistics count here.
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New lawyers admitted | 1,261 lawyers a year | 2025 | North Carolina state | bar-pipeline v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721443 record nc-bar-pipeline · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties under 1 law office per 10,000 residents | 6 counties | 2026-Q1 | North Carolina state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-37 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties with no law office | 2 counties | 2026-Q1 | North Carolina state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-37 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Residents living in those low-office counties | 1 percent of residents | 2026-Q1 | North Carolina state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-37 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Employer law firms | 3,830 firms | 2022 | North Carolina state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-nc-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Receipts of employer law firms | 6,227,035,000 US dollars | 2022 | North Carolina state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-nc-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Law offices per 10,000 residents | 4.87 per 10,000 residents | 2026-Q1 | North Carolina state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-37 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Self-employed lawyers (nonemployer firms) | 5,478 firms | latest Nonemployer Statistics year | North Carolina state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-37 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Private law offices | 5,451 establishments | 2026-Q1 | North Carolina state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-37 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Lawyers employed (wage-earning, BLS OEWS) | 17,000 jobs | May 2025 | North Carolina state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:NC:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Median annual wage of employed lawyers | 127,710 US dollars a year | May 2025 | North Carolina state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:NC:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Counties with the most demand per law office
Of the 25 counties in North Carolina with the most federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: consumer protection, the ten with the most per private law office. Both counts are shown with their records.
| County | Demand | Law offices | Per office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenoir County, NC | 2 record federal-filings-county:37107 | 11 record law-offices-37107 | 0.18 |
| Cumberland County, NC | 19 record federal-filings-county:37051 | 110 record law-offices-37051 | 0.17 |
| Cabarrus County, NC | 12 record federal-filings-county:37025 | 71 record law-offices-37025 | 0.17 |
| Columbus County, NC | 3 record federal-filings-county:37047 | 20 record law-offices-37047 | 0.15 |
| Richmond County, NC | 2 record federal-filings-county:37153 | 14 record law-offices-37153 | 0.14 |
| Johnston County, NC | 10 record federal-filings-county:37101 | 79 record law-offices-37101 | 0.13 |
| Lincoln County, NC | 3 record federal-filings-county:37109 | 25 record law-offices-37109 | 0.12 |
| Lee County, NC | 2 record federal-filings-county:37105 | 17 record law-offices-37105 | 0.12 |
| Iredell County, NC | 9 record federal-filings-county:37097 | 84 record law-offices-37097 | 0.11 |
| Pasquotank County, NC | 2 record federal-filings-county:37139 | 19 record law-offices-37139 | 0.11 |
Federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: consumer protection (federal-filings-county v1.0.0, FY2025) ÷ Private law offices (law-offices v1.0.0, 2026-Q1). ratio = federal-filings-county.ffc.consumer / law-offices.qcew_estabs, rounded to 2 decimals; ranked highest first, among the 25 units with the most demand. Units with zero supply are listed apart (ratio undefined); units without a published value are listed as missing.
Spanish-language demand
People who speak Spanish and speak English less than very well, and the lawyers who speak Spanish, from the Census Bureau survey (with margins of error).
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers who speak Spanish at home (ACS) | 560 ±210 lawyers | 2020-2024 | North Carolina state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:NC:lawyers-spanish · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English per Spanish-speaking lawyer | 657 ±246 people per lawyer | 2020-2024 | North Carolina state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:NC:lep-per-spanish-lawyer · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English (ACS) | 367,905 ±6,530 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | North Carolina state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:NC:spanish-lep · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English | 367,905 ±6,517 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | North Carolina state | legal-need v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886 record legal-need-nc · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Ad rules that apply
The rules a law firm's ads in North Carolina have to meet, summarized from the official texts. The full rules, with quotes, are on the state page.
| Topic | Status | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Ad filing or review | P primary source | No filing or advance review. The rules let a lawyer communicate information about services through any media (7.2(a)). The State Bar says it need not review a website before launch. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Required content | P primary source | Any communication includes the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content (7.2(d)). Contact information means a website address, telephone number, email address or physical office location (comment [9]). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Waiting periods for contact | P primary source | The rules set no waiting period. Rule 7.3 bars live person-to-person solicitation for pecuniary gain with exceptions (7.3(b)), and bars solicitation of someone who said no or by coercion, duress or harassment (7.3(c)). The solicitation statute, G.S. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Claims and results | P primary source | A lawyer cannot make a false or misleading communication, including a statement likely to create an unjustified expectation about results or an unsubstantiated comparison with other lawyers (7.1). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | A lawyer cannot compensate, give or promise anything of value for recommending the lawyer's services, except to pay reasonable advertising costs, the usual charges of an intermediary organization that complies with Rule 7.4 or a State Bar-regulated prepaid… official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Call recording | P primary source | Intercepting a wire, oral or electronic communication is a felony unless at least one party to the communication consents. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Texting | P primary source | A telephone subscriber who receives a solicitation that violates the Telephone Solicitation article (do-not-call registry, prerecorded-call limits in § 75-104, hours) may sue to enjoin it and recover $500, $1,000 or $5,000 depending on the violation count. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Ad filing or review | P primary source | North Carolina: no filing or review of lawyer ads is required. official source · filing v1.2.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721409 · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | Lawyers in different firms may split a fee in proportion to the work each does, or if each takes joint responsibility for the representation. official source · referral v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23747113 · checked 2026-10-27 |
Prices and pay (national)
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs in legal services (seasonally adjusted) | 1,249 thousand jobs | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:CES6054110001:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| CPI-U: legal services | 230 index | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:CUUR0000SEGC01:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| PPI: offices of lawyers | 338 index | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:PCU541110541110:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
What is missing
Datasets linked to this practice that have no figure here, and values the source withholds. We never fill these in.
- civil-filings (demand): no record for North Carolina at this geography; the state or another geography may have one
- firm-web-census (supply): the dataset has no records for North Carolina (it covers other places)
Download and cite
The rows behind this page, with every dataset, version, DOI, record id and check date.
Cite as: Probative Growth, The new-lawyer pipeline by jurisdiction: bar exam pass rates and new admissions, 2025 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721443); CFPB complaints about debt collection, credit reporting and debt management, by state and month v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733731); FTC Consumer Sentinel reports by state: fraud, identity theft and imposter scams, 2024 Data Book v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741876); Legal deserts: law offices and lawyers per resident in every U.S. county v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430); Federal civil cases filed, by county of the plaintiff's residence, case type and year (Federal Judicial Center) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750628); How long federal civil cases take: outcomes, class actions and pro se share by district, nature of suit and year v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969); Spanish-speaking demand vs Spanish-speaking lawyer supply, by state and metro v1.1.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758); Law firm size, solos and receipts, by state: Census SUSB 2022, Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and Economic Census 2022 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997); Law offices, jobs and pay by county, with solo-practice counts: BLS QCEW, Census CBP and Nonemployer Statistics v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415); Lawyer, paralegal and legal-staff pay by state and metro (BLS OEWS) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840); Legal need by county: who may need a lawyer, from the American Community Survey v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886); Legal-services prices and jobs, monthly (BLS CPI, PPI and CES) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854); Unwanted-call and text-message complaints to the FCC, by state and month v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733010); CC BY 4.0. https://probativegrowth.com/markets/north-carolina/consumer-protection/
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How this page is built
Each figure is copied from one record of the dataset named with it, joined to this state and practice through the open practice and place crosswalk. Nothing is estimated. Methods, inputs and limits.