CallataGuides

Business phone system for insurance agencies and brokerages in North Carolina

3,914 insurance agencies and brokerages operated in North Carolina in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.

Establishments
3,914CBP 2023
Employees
26,949mid-March 2023
Per 100k residents
35.4U.S. 39.3
State rank
9th of 51by count

The insurance agency industry in North Carolina

North Carolina had 3,914 insurance agencies and brokerages in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns (NAICS 524210, Insurance Agencies and Brokerages). They employed 26,949 people in mid-March and reported $2.5 billion in annual payroll. That is the 9th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Insurance agencies and brokerages make up 1.5% of the 258,169 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) North Carolina has 35.4 insurance agencies and brokerages, 9.9% below the national rate of 39.3. The average establishment has 6.9 employees against 6.1 nationally. Payroll per employee is $93,028, 2.4% above the U.S. figure of $90,831.

Insurance agencies and brokerages: North Carolina compared with the U.S., 2023
MeasureNorth CarolinaUnited States
Establishments3,914133,728
Mid-March employees26,949818,561
Annual payroll$2,507,021,000$74,350,546,000
Employees per establishment6.96.1
Payroll per employee$93,028$90,831
Establishments per 100,000 residents35.439.3

Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Where insurance agencies and brokerages in North Carolina are concentrated

Census published insurance agency counts for 39 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of North Carolina. The largest is Charlotte, NC-SC, with 1,129 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 69% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Insurance agencies and brokerages by metro or micropolitan area, North Carolina, 2023
AreaEstablishmentsEmployeesPer 100k residents
Charlotte, NC-SC1,1298,16839.2
Raleigh, NC5632,52836.0
Virginia Beach, VA-NC5392,47830.0
Greensboro, NC3301,68741.2
Winston, NC26697337.7
Wilmington, NC1801,27637.5
Durham, NC156—25.1
Hickory, NC14654139.1
Asheville, NC13456431.7
Fayetteville, NC8331721.1
Greenville, NC7829543.1
Burlington, NC6370834.4
Jacksonville, NC4722722.1
Goldsboro, NC4417536.6
New Bern, NC4121432.5
Anderson Creek, NC3913526.7
Rocky Mount, NC3814725.8
Wilson, NC3811747.5
Mount Airy, NC37—51.7
Lumberton, NC3311927.8
Pinehurst, NC3315530.4
Washington, NC3314574.0
Waynesville, NC309347.6
Sanford, NC27—39.4
Albemarle, NC238734.2

Top 25 of 39 areas by establishments. Source: Census CBP 2023.

Team sizes at insurance agencies and brokerages in North Carolina

72.5% of North Carolina's insurance agencies and brokerages with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 72.3% nationally. 90.2% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.

Insurance agencies and brokerages in North Carolina by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees2,83472.5%72.3%
5–9 employees69417.7%17.6%
10–19 employees2476.3%6.0%
20–49 employees982.5%2.7%
50 or more employees381.0%1.4%

Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

Why the phone matters for insurance agencies and brokerages in North Carolina

Insurance agencies take quote requests, policy changes and claims questions, and a caller shopping for a quote may only call one or two agencies. Recording calls and summarizing them also helps agencies document what a client asked for.

A few of the calls that come in to insurance agencies and brokerages in North Carolina:

After-hours calls

After-hours calls after an accident or loss need clear instructions on how to reach the carrier's claims line.

Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.

Callata vs. per-seat pricing for insurance agencies and brokerages in North Carolina

Insurance agencies and brokerages in North Carolina average 6.9 employees, so the comparison uses a 7-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $174.65 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $210.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). On Callata the same 7 people cost $139.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.

The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $852. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.

Monthly list price for a 7-person insurance agency
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$139.00$1,668.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$133.00$1,596.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$161.00$1,932.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$174.65$2,095.80
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$189.00$2,268.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$210.00$2,520.00

Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.

Area codes in North Carolina

North Carolina has 10 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your policyholders know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.

Area codes in North Carolina by assigned exchanges
Area codeExchangesTime zoneIn service sinceOverlay with
910785Eastern1993472
336783Eastern1997743
704782Eastern1947980
919781Eastern1954984
828724Eastern1998none
252695Eastern1998none
980463Eastern2001704
984295Eastern2012919
743160Eastern2016336
472106Eastern2022910

Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.

How Callata works for insurance agencies and brokerages in North Carolina

For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.

If you already have a number in North Carolina, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.

Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.

Outbound sales calls and texts are subject to telemarketing and consent rules; get consent before marketing by phone or text.

Frequently asked questions

How many insurance agencies and brokerages are in North Carolina?

3,914 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 26,949 people in mid-March.

Which North Carolina metro area has the most insurance agencies and brokerages?

Charlotte, NC-SC, with 1,129 establishments in 2023.

What does a phone system cost a 7-person insurance agency?

$210.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $174.65 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $139.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).

Do I need to register to text customers from a North Carolina number?

Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.