RANKING · 2025 ESTIMATES · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Largest by population, North Carolina counties

The most populous North Carolina counties as of the 2025 population estimates. This list covers the 100 counties in North Carolina that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

North CarolinaAll states All rankings

SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros ZIP codes

RELATEDFastest growing Fastest shrinking Most population gained Most population lost Most densely populated Most sparsely populated

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATETOTAL POPULATIONVS 2000

01Wake County, NCNC1,257,235+100%

02Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,383+77%

03Guilford County, NCNC562,234+34%

04Forsyth County, NCNC401,718+31%

05Durham County, NCNC347,240+55%

06Cumberland County, NCNC338,473+12%

07Buncombe County, NCNC277,417+34%

08Union County, NCNC267,674+116%

09Johnston County, NCNC256,448+110%

10Cabarrus County, NCNC249,725+91%

11Gaston County, NCNC246,558+30%

12New Hanover County, NCNC245,959+53%

13Onslow County, NCNC217,175+44%

14Iredell County, NCNC211,798+73%

15Alamance County, NCNC186,177+42%

16Pitt County, NCNC182,936+37%

17Davidson County, NCNC180,182+22%

18Brunswick County, NCNC174,702+139%

19Catawba County, NCNC170,172+20%

20Rowan County, NCNC155,096+19%

21Orange County, NCNC152,498+29%

22Harnett County, NCNC150,137+65%

23Randolph County, NCNC149,516+15%

24Henderson County, NCNC122,375+37%

25Wayne County, NCNC122,278+8%

26Robeson County, NCNC119,941−3%

27Moore County, NCNC110,619+48%

28Craven County, NCNC105,025+15%

29Cleveland County, NCNC103,325+7%

30Nash County, NCNC99,365+14%

31Lincoln County, NCNC98,654+55%

32Rockingham County, NCNC94,195+2%

33Burke County, NCNC88,655−1%

34Chatham County, NCNC85,111+73%

35Franklin County, NCNC82,037+74%

36Wilson County, NCNC81,150+10%

37Caldwell County, NCNC81,105+5%

38Surry County, NCNC72,287+1%

39Pender County, NCNC72,111+76%

40Carteret County, NCNC70,469+19%

41Lee County, NCNC70,258+43%

42Stanly County, NCNC68,830+18%

43Wilkes County, NCNC66,233+1%

44Rutherford County, NCNC65,745+5%

45Haywood County, NCNC63,369+17%

46Sampson County, NCNC61,504+2%

47Granville County, NCNC61,421+27%

48Hoke County, NCNC56,939+69%

49Lenoir County, NCNC55,837−6%

50Watauga County, NCNC54,786+28%

51Duplin County, NCNC51,571+5%

52Columbus County, NCNC50,487−8%

53Edgecombe County, NCNC49,121−12%

54Halifax County, NCNC46,534−19%

55Stokes County, NCNC46,126+3%

56Davie County, NCNC45,855+32%

57McDowell County, NCNC45,198+7%

58Jackson County, NCNC45,039+36%

59Beaufort County, NCNC44,670−1%

60Vance County, NCNC42,638−1%

61Pasquotank County, NCNC42,201+21%

62Richmond County, NCNC42,041−10%

63Person County, NCNC40,636+14%

64Macon County, NCNC39,232+32%

65Yadkin County, NCNC38,325+5%

66Dare County, NCNC38,245+28%

67Alexander County, NCNC36,958+10%

68Transylvania County, NCNC34,211+17%

69Scotland County, NCNC33,322−7%

70Currituck County, NCNC33,158+82%

71Cherokee County, NCNC30,830+27%

72Bladen County, NCNC30,007−7%

73Ashe County, NCNC27,514+13%

74Montgomery County, NCNC26,403−2%

75Caswell County, NCNC22,563−4%

76Madison County, NCNC22,553+15%

77Anson County, NCNC21,758−14%

78Martin County, NCNC21,601−16%

79Greene County, NCNC20,700+9%

80Polk County, NCNC20,533+12%

81Yancey County, NCNC19,084+7%

82Hertford County, NCNC19,015−16%

83Warren County, NCNC18,898−5%

84Avery County, NCNC18,110+5%

85Bertie County, NCNC17,086−14%

86Northampton County, NCNC16,491−25%

87Mitchell County, NCNC15,062−4%

88Chowan County, NCNC14,082−3%

89Swain County, NCNC14,024+8%

90Perquimans County, NCNC13,490+19%

91Pamlico County, NCNC12,758−1%

92Clay County, NCNC12,239+39%

93Alleghany County, NCNC11,479+8%

94Camden County, NCNC11,315+64%

95Washington County, NCNC10,638−22%

96Gates County, NCNC10,234−3%

97Jones County, NCNC9,575−8%

98Graham County, NCNC8,190+2%

99Hyde County, NCNC4,554−22%

100Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537−15%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-07-15 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU POPULATION ESTIMATES