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.

Flip the list · Fastest shrinking, US counties →

North CarolinaAll states All rankings

SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

RELATEDLargest by population Fastest shrinking Most population gained Most population lost Most densely populated Most sparsely populated

YEAR2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION GROWTHVS 2000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

90Hyde County, NCNC4,554-0.8%−8.4 pts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

Download CSV (full list, 100 rows)

UPDATED 2026-08-08 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU POPULATION ESTIMATES