RANKING · 2025 ESTIMATES · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Fastest growing, North Carolina counties

North Carolina counties ranked by population growth from the 2020 census to 2025. This list covers the 100 counties in North Carolina that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 100 is +3.8%. Biggest climber in the top 100 since 2020: Tyrrell County, NC, up 80 places to #20.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

YEAR2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION GROWTHVS 2000

01▲1Brunswick County, NCNC174,702+27.8%−15.7 pts

02▲10Pender County, NCNC72,111+19.8%−22.6 pts

03▲12Franklin County, NCNC82,037+19.6%−10.2 pts

04▼3Johnston County, NCNC256,448+18.7%−31.3 pts

05▲3Currituck County, NCNC33,158+18.0%−14.4 pts

06▲15Lincoln County, NCNC98,654+13.6%−13.1 pts

07▲3Iredell County, NCNC211,798+13.4%−18.5 pts

08▲3Harnett County, NCNC150,137+12.4%−21.8 pts

09Union County, NCNC267,674+12.3%−34.5 pts

10▼3Chatham County, NCNC85,111+11.6%−15.7 pts

11▼7Wake County, NCNC1,257,235+11.3%−37.0 pts

12▲12Lee County, NCNC70,258+11.0%−7.5 pts

13▲4Moore County, NCNC110,619+10.9%−15.8 pts

14▼11Cabarrus County, NCNC249,725+10.6%−21.9 pts

15▼9Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,383+10.6%−25.4 pts

16▲19Clay County, NCNC12,239+10.4%−12.3 pts

17▲24Stanly County, NCNC68,830+10.1%−2.1 pts

18▲2Hoke County, NCNC56,939+9.3%−37.9 pts

19▲18Camden County, NCNC11,315+9.3%−7.3 pts

20▲80Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537+9.0%+1.4 pts

21▼3New Hanover County, NCNC245,959+9.0%−24.3 pts

22▼8Alamance County, NCNC186,177+8.6%−12.3 pts

23Gaston County, NCNC246,558+8.2%−0.6 pts

24▲23Pitt County, NCNC182,936+7.5%−16.5 pts

25▲15Davie County, NCNC45,855+7.4%−17.7 pts

26▲7Cherokee County, NCNC30,830+7.1%−13.3 pts

27▼22Durham County, NCNC347,240+6.9%−15.9 pts

28▲10Davidson County, NCNC180,182+6.7%−9.6 pts

29▲13Madison County, NCNC22,553+6.4%−9.4 pts

30▲43Polk County, NCNC20,533+6.2%−20.9 pts

31▼18Onslow County, NCNC217,175+6.2%+5.8 pts

32▼7Macon County, NCNC39,232+6.0%−20.9 pts

33▲3Catawba County, NCNC170,172+6.0%−13.7 pts

34▲61Duplin County, NCNC51,571+5.9%−16.8 pts

35▼5Rowan County, NCNC155,096+5.6%−12.2 pts

36▲20Alleghany County, NCNC11,479+5.4%−5.9 pts

37▼10Henderson County, NCNC122,375+5.2%−23.5 pts

38▼12Forsyth County, NCNC401,718+5.0%−10.1 pts

39▲13Nash County, NCNC99,365+4.6%−9.4 pts

40▼11Jackson County, NCNC45,039+4.5%−18.9 pts

41▲43Jones County, NCNC9,575+4.4%−5.9 pts

42▲16Craven County, NCNC105,025+4.3%−7.8 pts

43▲25Wayne County, NCNC122,278+4.2%−4.1 pts

44▲34Sampson County, NCNC61,504+4.2%−23.0 pts

45▼2Carteret County, NCNC70,469+4.1%−8.9 pts

46▲4Pasquotank County, NCNC42,201+4.0%−7.5 pts

47▲7Person County, NCNC40,636+3.9%−14.1 pts

48▲29Pamlico County, NCNC12,758+3.9%−9.8 pts

49▼27Guilford County, NCNC562,234+3.9%−17.3 pts

50▼4Cleveland County, NCNC103,325+3.8%−9.8 pts

51▲13Perquimans County, NCNC13,490+3.7%−5.1 pts

52▼1Transylvania County, NCNC34,211+3.7%−11.2 pts

53▼8Randolph County, NCNC149,516+3.7%−18.7 pts

54▲20Stokes County, NCNC46,126+3.6%−16.5 pts

55▼27Dare County, NCNC38,245+3.6%−28.1 pts

56▲1Ashe County, NCNC27,514+3.5%−6.3 pts

57▲2Rockingham County, NCNC94,195+3.4%−3.4 pts

58▼19Yancey County, NCNC19,084+3.3%−11.9 pts

59▲2Wilson County, NCNC81,150+3.0%−8.7 pts

60▲2Yadkin County, NCNC38,325+3.0%−16.2 pts

61▼45Buncombe County, NCNC277,417+3.0%−15.1 pts

62▲28Robeson County, NCNC119,941+2.9%−14.3 pts

63▲16Chowan County, NCNC14,082+2.7%−4.8 pts

64▼45Orange County, NCNC152,498+2.6%−23.4 pts

65▲16Montgomery County, NCNC26,403+2.5%−12.4 pts

66▼34Haywood County, NCNC63,369+2.1%−13.0 pts

67▲4Rutherford County, NCNC65,745+2.0%−8.5 pts

68▲15Graham County, NCNC8,190+2.0%−9.1 pts

69▼20Avery County, NCNC18,110+1.7%−13.8 pts

70▼15Alexander County, NCNC36,958+1.4%−20.6 pts

71▼18McDowell County, NCNC45,198+1.4%−16.7 pts

72▲15Warren County, NCNC18,898+1.4%−14.3 pts

73▲21Bladen County, NCNC30,007+1.4%−11.3 pts

74▼11Surry County, NCNC72,287+1.3%−14.1 pts

75▲5Lenoir County, NCNC55,837+1.3%−2.8 pts

76▼45Watauga County, NCNC54,786+1.3%−14.2 pts

77▼12Burke County, NCNC88,655+1.2%−16.5 pts

78▼11Greene County, NCNC20,700+1.2%−22.1 pts

79▼45Cumberland County, NCNC338,473+1.1%−9.2 pts

80▼11Mitchell County, NCNC15,062+1.1%−7.6 pts

81▼37Granville County, NCNC61,421+0.7%−25.8 pts

82▼22Caldwell County, NCNC81,105+0.6%−8.9 pts

83▲8Edgecombe County, NCNC49,121+0.5%+2.1 pts

84▼14Wilkes County, NCNC66,233+0.4%−10.1 pts

85▼10Vance County, NCNC42,638+0.1%−10.3 pts

86▼10Beaufort County, NCNC44,670+0.0%−6.3 pts

87▲2Columbus County, NCNC50,487-0.3%−10.7 pts

88▼40Swain County, NCNC14,024-0.7%−15.7 pts

89▼23Caswell County, NCNC22,563-0.8%−14.3 pts

90▲9Hyde County, NCNC4,554-0.8%−8.4 pts

91▲6Anson County, NCNC21,758-1.3%−9.0 pts

92▼7Martin County, NCNC21,601-2.0%−4.0 pts

93▼11Richmond County, NCNC42,041-2.1%−6.7 pts

94▼2Gates County, NCNC10,234-2.3%−15.3 pts

95▼23Scotland County, NCNC33,322-2.5%−9.1 pts

96Washington County, NCNC10,638-3.3%−1.4 pts

97▼11Halifax County, NCNC46,534-4.3%−7.6 pts

98▼5Bertie County, NCNC17,086-4.7%−1.7 pts

99▼1Northampton County, NCNC16,491-5.6%−11.8 pts

100▼12Hertford County, NCNC19,015-11.8%−12.1 pts

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU POPULATION ESTIMATES