RANKING · 2020 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most densely populated, North Carolina counties · 2020

North Carolina counties ranked by residents per square mile (2020). This list covers the 100 counties in North Carolina that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 100 is 112.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,3832,130+60%

02Wake County, NCNC1,257,2351,353+80%

03New Hanover County, NCNC245,9591,174+41%

04Durham County, NCNC347,2401,130+45%

05Forsyth County, NCNC401,718938+25%

06Guilford County, NCNC562,234838+29%

07Gaston County, NCNC246,558641+20%

08Cabarrus County, NCNC249,725625+72%

09Cumberland County, NCNC338,473513+10%

10Buncombe County, NCNC277,417410+31%

11Alamance County, NCNC186,177405+31%

12Catawba County, NCNC170,172400+13%

13Union County, NCNC267,674377+93%

14Orange County, NCNC152,498374+26%

15Iredell County, NCNC211,798325+52%

16Henderson County, NCNC122,375312+30%

17Davidson County, NCNC180,182305+15%

18Lincoln County, NCNC98,654293+36%

19Rowan County, NCNC155,096287+13%

20Johnston County, NCNC256,448273+77%

21Onslow County, NCNC217,175268+36%

22Pitt County, NCNC182,936261+27%

23Lee County, NCNC70,258248+29%

24Harnett County, NCNC150,137224+47%

25Cleveland County, NCNC103,325214+3%

26Wilson County, NCNC81,150214+7%

27Wayne County, NCNC122,278212+4%

28Randolph County, NCNC149,516184+11%

29Pasquotank County, NCNC42,201179+16%

30Nash County, NCNC99,365176+9%

31Watauga County, NCNC54,786173+27%

32Burke County, NCNC88,655173−2%

33Caldwell County, NCNC81,105171+4%

34Vance County, NCNC42,638169−1%

35Davie County, NCNC45,855162+23%

36Rockingham County, NCNC94,195161−1%

37Brunswick County, NCNC174,702161+87%

38Stanly County, NCNC68,830158+8%

39Moore County, NCNC110,619143+33%

40Craven County, NCNC105,025143+10%

41Alexander County, NCNC36,958140+8%

42Franklin County, NCNC82,037139+45%

43Lenoir County, NCNC55,837138−8%

44Surry County, NCNC72,2871340%

45Hoke County, NCNC56,939133+55%

46Carteret County, NCNC70,469133+14%

47Robeson County, NCNC119,941123−6%

48Granville County, NCNC61,421115+26%

49Rutherford County, NCNC65,745114+2%

50Haywood County, NCNC63,369112+15%

51Chatham County, NCNC85,111112+55%

52Yadkin County, NCNC38,325111+2%

53Currituck County, NCNC33,158107+54%

54Scotland County, NCNC33,322107−5%

55McDowell County, NCNC45,198101+6%

56Person County, NCNC40,636100+10%

57Stokes County, NCNC46,126990%

58Edgecombe County, NCNC49,12197−12%

59Dare County, NCNC38,24596+23%

60Richmond County, NCNC42,04191−8%

61Jackson County, NCNC45,03988+30%

62Wilkes County, NCNC66,23388+1%

63Transylvania County, NCNC34,21187+12%

64Polk County, NCNC20,53381+5%

65Chowan County, NCNC14,08279−6%

66Greene County, NCNC20,70077+8%

67Avery County, NCNC18,11072+4%

68Macon County, NCNC39,23272+24%

69Pender County, NCNC72,11169+47%

70Mitchell County, NCNC15,06267−5%

71Halifax County, NCNC46,53467−15%

72Cherokee County, NCNC30,83063+18%

73Sampson County, NCNC61,50462−2%

74Ashe County, NCNC27,51462+9%

75Hertford County, NCNC19,01561−5%

76Duplin County, NCNC51,57160−1%

77Yancey County, NCNC19,08459+4%

78Columbus County, NCNC50,48754−8%

79Beaufort County, NCNC44,67054−1%

80Caswell County, NCNC22,56353−3%

81Perquimans County, NCNC13,49053+14%

82Montgomery County, NCNC26,40352−4%

83Clay County, NCNC12,23952+26%

84Martin County, NCNC21,60148−14%

85Madison County, NCNC22,55347+8%

86Alleghany County, NCNC11,47946+2%

87Warren County, NCNC18,89843−7%

88Camden County, NCNC11,31543+50%

89Anson County, NCNC21,75841−13%

90Pamlico County, NCNC12,75836−5%

91Bladen County, NCNC30,00734−8%

92Northampton County, NCNC16,49133−21%

93Washington County, NCNC10,63832−20%

94Gates County, NCNC10,234310%

95Graham County, NCNC8,190280%

96Swain County, NCNC14,02427+9%

97Bertie County, NCNC17,08626−9%

98Jones County, NCNC9,57519−12%

99Tyrrell County, NCNC3,5378−22%

100Hyde County, NCNC4,5547−21%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU DECENNIAL CENSUS