RANKING · 2000 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Fastest growing, North Carolina counties · 2000

North Carolina counties ranked by population growth since the prior decennial census. This list covers the 100 counties in North Carolina that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

YEAR2000 2010 2020

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION GROWTHVS 2000

01Johnston County, NCNC256,448+50.0%+0%

02Wake County, NCNC1,257,235+48.3%+0%

03Hoke County, NCNC56,939+47.2%+0%

04Union County, NCNC267,674+46.9%+0%

05Brunswick County, NCNC174,702+43.5%+0%

06Pender County, NCNC72,111+42.4%+0%

07Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,383+36.0%+0%

08Harnett County, NCNC150,137+34.2%+0%

09New Hanover County, NCNC245,959+33.3%+0%

10Cabarrus County, NCNC249,725+32.5%+0%

11Currituck County, NCNC33,158+32.4%+0%

12Iredell County, NCNC211,798+32.0%+0%

13Dare County, NCNC38,245+31.7%+0%

14Franklin County, NCNC82,037+29.8%+0%

15Henderson County, NCNC122,375+28.7%+0%

16Chatham County, NCNC85,111+27.3%+0%

17Sampson County, NCNC61,504+27.2%+0%

18Polk County, NCNC20,533+27.1%+0%

19Macon County, NCNC39,232+26.9%+0%

20Lincoln County, NCNC98,654+26.8%+0%

21Moore County, NCNC110,619+26.7%+0%

22Granville County, NCNC61,421+26.5%+0%

23Orange County, NCNC152,498+26.0%+0%

24Davie County, NCNC45,855+25.0%+0%

25Pitt County, NCNC182,936+24.0%+0%

26Jackson County, NCNC45,039+23.4%+0%

27Greene County, NCNC20,700+23.3%+0%

28Durham County, NCNC347,240+22.8%+0%

29Duplin County, NCNC51,571+22.7%+0%

30Clay County, NCNC12,239+22.6%+0%

31Randolph County, NCNC149,516+22.4%+0%

32Alexander County, NCNC36,958+22.0%+0%

33Guilford County, NCNC562,234+21.2%+0%

34Alamance County, NCNC186,177+20.9%+0%

35Cherokee County, NCNC30,830+20.5%+0%

36Stokes County, NCNC46,126+20.1%+0%

37Catawba County, NCNC170,172+19.7%+0%

38Yadkin County, NCNC38,325+19.2%+0%

39Lee County, NCNC70,258+18.5%+0%

40McDowell County, NCNC45,198+18.1%+0%

41Person County, NCNC40,636+18.0%+0%

42Buncombe County, NCNC277,417+18.0%+0%

43Rowan County, NCNC155,096+17.8%+0%

44Burke County, NCNC88,655+17.7%+0%

45Robeson County, NCNC119,941+17.3%+0%

46Camden County, NCNC11,315+16.6%+0%

47Davidson County, NCNC180,182+16.2%+0%

48Madison County, NCNC22,553+15.8%+0%

49Warren County, NCNC18,898+15.7%+0%

50Watauga County, NCNC54,786+15.5%+0%

51Avery County, NCNC18,110+15.5%+0%

52Surry County, NCNC72,287+15.4%+0%

53Yancey County, NCNC19,084+15.3%+0%

54Forsyth County, NCNC401,718+15.1%+0%

55Haywood County, NCNC63,369+15.1%+0%

56Swain County, NCNC14,024+15.1%+0%

57Transylvania County, NCNC34,211+14.9%+0%

58Montgomery County, NCNC26,403+14.9%+0%

59Nash County, NCNC99,365+14.0%+0%

60Pamlico County, NCNC12,758+13.7%+0%

61Cleveland County, NCNC103,325+13.7%+0%

62Caswell County, NCNC22,563+13.6%+0%

63Gates County, NCNC10,234+13.0%+0%

64Carteret County, NCNC70,469+13.0%+0%

65Bladen County, NCNC30,007+12.6%+0%

66Stanly County, NCNC68,830+12.2%+0%

67Craven County, NCNC105,025+12.0%+0%

68Wilson County, NCNC81,150+11.7%+0%

69Pasquotank County, NCNC42,201+11.5%+0%

70Alleghany County, NCNC11,479+11.3%+0%

71Graham County, NCNC8,190+11.1%+0%

72Rutherford County, NCNC65,745+10.5%+0%

73Wilkes County, NCNC66,233+10.5%+0%

74Vance County, NCNC42,638+10.4%+0%

75Columbus County, NCNC50,487+10.4%+0%

76Cumberland County, NCNC338,473+10.3%+0%

77Jones County, NCNC9,575+10.3%+0%

78Ashe County, NCNC27,514+9.8%+0%

79Caldwell County, NCNC81,105+9.5%+0%

80Perquimans County, NCNC13,490+8.8%+0%

81Gaston County, NCNC246,558+8.7%+0%

82Mitchell County, NCNC15,062+8.7%+0%

83Wayne County, NCNC122,278+8.3%+0%

84Anson County, NCNC21,758+7.7%+0%

85Hyde County, NCNC4,554+7.7%+0%

86Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537+7.6%+0%

87Chowan County, NCNC14,082+7.6%+0%

88Rockingham County, NCNC94,195+6.8%+0%

89Scotland County, NCNC33,322+6.6%+0%

90Beaufort County, NCNC44,670+6.3%+0%

91Northampton County, NCNC16,491+6.2%+0%

92Richmond County, NCNC42,041+4.6%+0%

93Lenoir County, NCNC55,837+4.1%+0%

94Halifax County, NCNC46,534+3.3%+0%

95Martin County, NCNC21,601+2.1%+0%

96Hertford County, NCNC19,015+0.3%+0%

97Onslow County, NCNC217,175+0.3%+0%

98Edgecombe County, NCNC49,121-1.7%+0%

99Washington County, NCNC10,638-2.0%+0%

100Bertie County, NCNC17,086-3.0%+0%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-06-02 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES