Cooper was born in Nash County, North Carolina, the son of Beverly Thorne Batchelor, a school teacher, and Roy Asberry Cooper Jr. He was raised in a rural community and worked in tobacco fields during the summer as a teenager.
Cooper föddes i Nash County, North Carolina, sonen till Beverly Thorne Batchelor, en skollärare och Roy Asberry Cooper, Jr. Han uppfostrades i ett landsbygdssamhälle och arbetade i tobaksfält under sommaren som tonåring.