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%−22.1 pts

02Brunswick County, NCNC174,702+27.2%−16.2 pts

03Cabarrus County, NCNC249,725+26.8%−5.6 pts

04Wake County, NCNC1,257,235+25.4%−22.9 pts

05Durham County, NCNC347,240+21.4%−1.4 pts

06Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,383+21.3%−14.7 pts

07Chatham County, NCNC85,111+20.1%−7.1 pts

08Currituck County, NCNC33,158+19.3%−13.1 pts

09Union County, NCNC267,674+18.4%−28.5 pts

10Iredell County, NCNC211,798+17.1%−14.9 pts

11Harnett County, NCNC150,137+16.5%−17.7 pts

12Pender County, NCNC72,111+15.3%−27.1 pts

13Onslow County, NCNC217,175+15.1%+14.7 pts

14Alamance County, NCNC186,177+13.4%−7.5 pts

15Franklin County, NCNC82,037+13.1%−16.7 pts

16Buncombe County, NCNC277,417+13.1%−5.0 pts

17Moore County, NCNC110,619+13.0%−13.7 pts

18New Hanover County, NCNC245,959+11.4%−21.9 pts

19Orange County, NCNC152,498+11.1%−14.8 pts

20Hoke County, NCNC56,939+10.9%−36.3 pts

21Lincoln County, NCNC98,654+10.9%−15.8 pts

22Guilford County, NCNC562,234+10.8%−10.4 pts

23Gaston County, NCNC246,558+10.6%+1.9 pts

24Lee County, NCNC70,258+9.4%−9.2 pts

25Macon County, NCNC39,232+9.1%−17.7 pts

26Forsyth County, NCNC401,718+9.1%−6.0 pts

27Henderson County, NCNC122,375+8.9%−19.8 pts

28Dare County, NCNC38,245+8.8%−22.9 pts

29Jackson County, NCNC45,039+7.0%−16.3 pts

30Rowan County, NCNC155,096+6.1%−11.7 pts

31Watauga County, NCNC54,786+5.9%−9.7 pts

32Haywood County, NCNC63,369+5.2%−9.9 pts

33Cherokee County, NCNC30,830+4.8%−15.6 pts

34Cumberland County, NCNC338,473+4.8%−5.6 pts

35Clay County, NCNC12,239+4.7%−17.9 pts

36Catawba County, NCNC170,172+4.1%−15.6 pts

37Camden County, NCNC11,315+3.8%−12.9 pts

38Davidson County, NCNC180,182+3.7%−12.5 pts

39Yancey County, NCNC19,084+3.7%−11.6 pts

40Davie County, NCNC45,855+3.6%−21.5 pts

41Stanly County, NCNC68,830+3.2%−9.1 pts

42Madison County, NCNC22,553+2.1%−13.8 pts

43Carteret County, NCNC70,469+1.8%−11.2 pts

44Granville County, NCNC61,421+1.8%−24.7 pts

45Randolph County, NCNC149,516+1.7%−20.7 pts

46Cleveland County, NCNC103,325+1.5%−12.2 pts

47Pitt County, NCNC182,936+1.2%−22.7 pts

48Swain County, NCNC14,024+1.0%−14.1 pts

49Avery County, NCNC18,110+0.1%−15.4 pts

50Pasquotank County, NCNC42,201-0.2%−11.7 pts

51Transylvania County, NCNC34,211-0.3%−15.3 pts

52Nash County, NCNC99,365-0.9%−14.9 pts

53McDowell County, NCNC45,198-0.9%−19.1 pts

54Person County, NCNC40,636-0.9%−19.0 pts

55Alexander County, NCNC36,958-2.0%−24.0 pts

56Alleghany County, NCNC11,479-2.4%−13.7 pts

57Ashe County, NCNC27,514-2.6%−12.4 pts

58Craven County, NCNC105,025-2.7%−14.7 pts

59Rockingham County, NCNC94,195-2.7%−9.5 pts

60Caldwell County, NCNC81,105-2.9%−12.3 pts

61Wilson County, NCNC81,150-3.0%−14.8 pts

62Yadkin County, NCNC38,325-3.1%−22.3 pts

63Surry County, NCNC72,287-3.1%−18.6 pts

64Perquimans County, NCNC13,490-3.3%−12.1 pts

65Burke County, NCNC88,655-3.7%−21.4 pts

66Caswell County, NCNC22,563-4.1%−17.7 pts

67Greene County, NCNC20,700-4.3%−27.6 pts

68Wayne County, NCNC122,278-4.3%−12.6 pts

69Mitchell County, NCNC15,062-4.3%−13.0 pts

70Wilkes County, NCNC66,233-4.9%−15.4 pts

71Rutherford County, NCNC65,745-5.0%−15.5 pts

72Scotland County, NCNC33,322-5.5%−12.1 pts

73Polk County, NCNC20,533-5.8%−32.9 pts

74Stokes County, NCNC46,126-6.1%−26.2 pts

75Vance County, NCNC42,638-6.3%−16.7 pts

76Beaufort County, NCNC44,670-6.5%−12.8 pts

77Pamlico County, NCNC12,758-6.6%−20.3 pts

78Sampson County, NCNC61,504-6.9%−34.1 pts

79Chowan County, NCNC14,082-7.3%−14.9 pts

80Lenoir County, NCNC55,837-7.4%−11.5 pts

81Montgomery County, NCNC26,403-7.4%−22.3 pts

82Richmond County, NCNC42,041-7.9%−12.5 pts

83Graham County, NCNC8,190-9.4%−20.5 pts

84Jones County, NCNC9,575-9.7%−19.9 pts

85Martin County, NCNC21,601-10.1%−12.1 pts

86Halifax County, NCNC46,534-11.1%−14.4 pts

87Warren County, NCNC18,898-11.1%−26.8 pts

88Hertford County, NCNC19,015-12.6%−13.0 pts

89Columbus County, NCNC50,487-12.9%−23.3 pts

90Robeson County, NCNC119,941-13.1%−30.4 pts

91Edgecombe County, NCNC49,121-13.5%−11.8 pts

92Gates County, NCNC10,234-14.1%−27.1 pts

93Bertie County, NCNC17,086-15.7%−12.7 pts

94Bladen County, NCNC30,007-15.9%−28.5 pts

95Duplin County, NCNC51,571-16.7%−39.4 pts

96Washington County, NCNC10,638-16.8%−14.9 pts

97Anson County, NCNC21,758-18.2%−25.8 pts

98Northampton County, NCNC16,491-20.9%−27.1 pts

99Hyde County, NCNC4,554-21.0%−28.7 pts

100Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537-26.4%−34.0 pts

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-08-08 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU DECENNIAL CENSUS