RANKING · 2020 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Fastest growing, North Carolina counties · 2020

North Carolina counties ranked by population growth from the 2010 census to 2020. 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

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

YEAR2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION GROWTHVS 2000

01Johnston County, NCNC256,448+27.9%−44%

02Brunswick County, NCNC174,702+27.2%−37%

03Cabarrus County, NCNC249,725+26.8%−17%

04Wake County, NCNC1,257,235+25.4%−48%

05Durham County, NCNC347,240+21.4%−6%

06Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,383+21.3%−41%

07Chatham County, NCNC85,111+20.1%−26%

08Currituck County, NCNC33,158+19.3%−40%

09Union County, NCNC267,674+18.4%−61%

10Iredell County, NCNC211,798+17.1%−47%

11Harnett County, NCNC150,137+16.5%−52%

12Pender County, NCNC72,111+15.3%−64%

13Onslow County, NCNC217,175+15.1%+4270%

14Alamance County, NCNC186,177+13.4%−36%

15Franklin County, NCNC82,037+13.1%−56%

16Buncombe County, NCNC277,417+13.1%−28%

17Moore County, NCNC110,619+13.0%−51%

18New Hanover County, NCNC245,959+11.4%−66%

19Orange County, NCNC152,498+11.1%−57%

20Hoke County, NCNC56,939+10.9%−77%

21Lincoln County, NCNC98,654+10.9%−59%

22Guilford County, NCNC562,234+10.8%−49%

23Gaston County, NCNC246,558+10.6%+22%

24Lee County, NCNC70,258+9.4%−49%

25Macon County, NCNC39,232+9.1%−66%

26Forsyth County, NCNC401,718+9.1%−40%

27Henderson County, NCNC122,375+8.9%−69%

28Dare County, NCNC38,245+8.8%−72%

29Jackson County, NCNC45,039+7.0%−70%

30Rowan County, NCNC155,096+6.1%−66%

31Watauga County, NCNC54,786+5.9%−62%

32Haywood County, NCNC63,369+5.2%−66%

33Cherokee County, NCNC30,830+4.8%−76%

34Cumberland County, NCNC338,473+4.8%−54%

35Clay County, NCNC12,239+4.7%−79%

36Catawba County, NCNC170,172+4.1%−79%

37Camden County, NCNC11,315+3.8%−77%

38Davidson County, NCNC180,182+3.7%−77%

39Yancey County, NCNC19,084+3.7%−76%

40Davie County, NCNC45,855+3.6%−86%

41Stanly County, NCNC68,830+3.2%−74%

42Madison County, NCNC22,553+2.1%−87%

43Carteret County, NCNC70,469+1.8%−86%

44Granville County, NCNC61,421+1.8%−93%

45Randolph County, NCNC149,516+1.7%−92%

46Cleveland County, NCNC103,325+1.5%−89%

47Pitt County, NCNC182,936+1.2%−95%

48Swain County, NCNC14,024+1.0%−94%

49Avery County, NCNC18,110+0.1%−100%

50Pasquotank County, NCNC42,201-0.2%−102%

51Transylvania County, NCNC34,211-0.3%−102%

52Nash County, NCNC99,365-0.9%−106%

53McDowell County, NCNC45,198-0.9%−105%

54Person County, NCNC40,636-0.9%−105%

55Alexander County, NCNC36,958-2.0%−109%

56Alleghany County, NCNC11,479-2.4%−121%

57Ashe County, NCNC27,514-2.6%−126%

58Craven County, NCNC105,025-2.7%−122%

59Rockingham County, NCNC94,195-2.7%−140%

60Caldwell County, NCNC81,105-2.9%−130%

61Wilson County, NCNC81,150-3.0%−126%

62Yadkin County, NCNC38,325-3.1%−116%

63Surry County, NCNC72,287-3.1%−120%

64Perquimans County, NCNC13,490-3.3%−138%

65Burke County, NCNC88,655-3.7%−121%

66Caswell County, NCNC22,563-4.1%−131%

67Greene County, NCNC20,700-4.3%−118%

68Wayne County, NCNC122,278-4.3%−152%

69Mitchell County, NCNC15,062-4.3%−150%

70Wilkes County, NCNC66,233-4.9%−146%

71Rutherford County, NCNC65,745-5.0%−147%

72Scotland County, NCNC33,322-5.5%−182%

73Polk County, NCNC20,533-5.8%−121%

74Stokes County, NCNC46,126-6.1%−130%

75Vance County, NCNC42,638-6.3%−160%

76Beaufort County, NCNC44,670-6.5%−203%

77Pamlico County, NCNC12,758-6.6%−148%

78Sampson County, NCNC61,504-6.9%−125%

79Chowan County, NCNC14,082-7.3%−197%

80Lenoir County, NCNC55,837-7.4%−277%

81Montgomery County, NCNC26,403-7.4%−149%

82Richmond County, NCNC42,041-7.9%−272%

83Graham County, NCNC8,190-9.4%−185%

84Jones County, NCNC9,575-9.7%−194%

85Martin County, NCNC21,601-10.1%−592%

86Halifax County, NCNC46,534-11.1%−432%

87Warren County, NCNC18,898-11.1%−171%

88Hertford County, NCNC19,015-12.6%−3749%

89Columbus County, NCNC50,487-12.9%−224%

90Robeson County, NCNC119,941-13.1%−176%

91Edgecombe County, NCNC49,121-13.5%+704%

92Gates County, NCNC10,234-14.1%−208%

93Bertie County, NCNC17,086-15.7%+422%

94Bladen County, NCNC30,007-15.9%−226%

95Duplin County, NCNC51,571-16.7%−174%

96Washington County, NCNC10,638-16.8%+759%

97Anson County, NCNC21,758-18.2%−337%

98Northampton County, NCNC16,491-20.9%−438%

99Hyde County, NCNC4,554-21.0%−374%

100Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537-26.4%−447%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-07-15 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU DECENNIAL CENSUS