RANKING · 2010 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Fastest growing, North Carolina counties · 2010

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

01Union County, NCNC267,674+62.8%+34%

02Brunswick County, NCNC174,702+46.9%+8%

03Camden County, NCNC11,315+45.0%+171%

04Wake County, NCNC1,257,235+43.5%−10%

05Hoke County, NCNC56,939+39.5%−16%

06Johnston County, NCNC256,448+38.5%−23%

07Cabarrus County, NCNC249,725+35.8%+10%

08Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,383+32.2%−10%

09Iredell County, NCNC211,798+30.0%−6%

10Currituck County, NCNC33,158+29.5%−9%

11Chatham County, NCNC85,111+28.7%+5%

12Franklin County, NCNC82,037+28.3%−5%

13Pender County, NCNC72,111+27.1%−36%

14New Hanover County, NCNC245,959+26.4%−21%

15Harnett County, NCNC150,137+26.0%−24%

16Pitt County, NCNC182,936+25.7%+7%

17Granville County, NCNC61,421+23.5%−11%

18Lincoln County, NCNC98,654+22.7%−15%

19Jackson County, NCNC45,039+21.6%−8%

20Clay County, NCNC12,239+20.6%−9%

21Durham County, NCNC347,240+19.8%−13%

22Henderson County, NCNC122,375+19.7%−31%

23Watauga County, NCNC54,786+19.6%+26%

24Duplin County, NCNC51,571+19.2%−15%

25Davie County, NCNC45,855+18.4%−27%

26Perquimans County, NCNC13,490+18.3%+108%

27Onslow County, NCNC217,175+18.2%+5185%

28Moore County, NCNC110,619+18.0%−32%

29Lee County, NCNC70,258+18.0%−3%

30Pasquotank County, NCNC42,201+16.5%+44%

31Guilford County, NCNC562,234+16.0%−25%

32Gates County, NCNC10,234+16.0%+23%

33Alamance County, NCNC186,177+15.5%−26%

34Buncombe County, NCNC277,417+15.5%−14%

35Forsyth County, NCNC401,718+14.6%−4%

36Macon County, NCNC39,232+13.8%−49%

37Craven County, NCNC105,025+13.2%+10%

38Dare County, NCNC38,245+13.2%−58%

39Orange County, NCNC152,498+13.2%−49%

40Cherokee County, NCNC30,830+12.9%−37%

41Transylvania County, NCNC34,211+12.8%−14%

42Greene County, NCNC20,700+12.6%−46%

43Carteret County, NCNC70,469+11.9%−8%

44Polk County, NCNC20,533+11.9%−56%

45Ashe County, NCNC27,514+11.9%+21%

46Graham County, NCNC8,190+10.9%−2%

47Person County, NCNC40,636+10.8%−40%

48Alexander County, NCNC36,958+10.7%−51%

49Davidson County, NCNC180,182+10.6%−35%

50Wilson County, NCNC81,150+10.1%−14%

51Nash County, NCNC99,365+9.6%−31%

52Haywood County, NCNC63,369+9.3%−39%

53Hertford County, NCNC19,015+9.2%+2542%

54Bladen County, NCNC30,007+9.0%−28%

55Catawba County, NCNC170,172+8.9%−54%

56Robeson County, NCNC119,941+8.8%−49%

57Randolph County, NCNC149,516+8.7%−61%

58Gaston County, NCNC246,558+8.3%−5%

59Wayne County, NCNC122,278+8.2%−1%

60Swain County, NCNC14,024+7.8%−48%

61Rutherford County, NCNC65,745+7.8%−26%

62Bertie County, NCNC17,086+7.6%−353%

63Caldwell County, NCNC81,105+7.3%−24%

64McDowell County, NCNC45,198+6.7%−63%

65Anson County, NCNC21,758+6.6%−14%

66Beaufort County, NCNC44,670+6.2%−2%

67Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537+6.2%−18%

68Rowan County, NCNC155,096+6.2%−65%

69Columbus County, NCNC50,487+6.1%−41%

70Stokes County, NCNC46,126+6.0%−70%

71Madison County, NCNC22,553+5.7%−64%

72Vance County, NCNC42,638+5.7%−45%

73Yadkin County, NCNC38,325+5.7%−71%

74Wilkes County, NCNC66,233+5.6%−46%

75Cumberland County, NCNC338,473+5.4%−47%

76Sampson County, NCNC61,504+5.4%−80%

77Warren County, NCNC18,898+5.0%−68%

78Alleghany County, NCNC11,479+4.5%−61%

79Stanly County, NCNC68,830+4.3%−65%

80Avery County, NCNC18,110+3.7%−76%

81Montgomery County, NCNC26,403+3.6%−76%

82Surry County, NCNC72,287+3.4%−78%

83Burke County, NCNC88,655+2.0%−89%

84Rockingham County, NCNC94,195+1.9%−73%

85Cleveland County, NCNC103,325+1.9%−86%

86Chowan County, NCNC14,082+1.8%−76%

87Edgecombe County, NCNC49,121+1.7%−201%

88Pamlico County, NCNC12,758+1.6%−88%

89Caswell County, NCNC22,563+0.9%−93%

90Scotland County, NCNC33,322+0.4%−93%

91Yancey County, NCNC19,084+0.2%−98%

92Richmond County, NCNC42,041+0.2%−96%

93Northampton County, NCNC16,491+0.1%−99%

94Lenoir County, NCNC55,837-0.3%−106%

95Hyde County, NCNC4,554-0.3%−104%

96Mitchell County, NCNC15,062-0.7%−108%

97Jones County, NCNC9,575-2.2%−121%

98Washington County, NCNC10,638-3.6%+84%

99Martin County, NCNC21,601-4.3%−307%

100Halifax County, NCNC46,534-4.7%−240%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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