RANKING · 2025 ESTIMATES · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most population gained, North Carolina counties

North Carolina counties that added the most residents from the 2020 census to 2025, by raw count of people rather than percentage. This list covers the 100 counties in North Carolina that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 100 is +1,539. Biggest climber in the top 100 since 2020: Wayne County, NC, up 63 places to #31.

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North CarolinaAll states All rankings

SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

YEAR2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION CHANGEVS 2000

01Wake County, NCNC1,257,235+127,825−37%

02Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,383+117,901−36%

03▲3Johnston County, NCNC256,448+40,449−1%

04▲6Brunswick County, NCNC174,702+38,009+72%

05▲2Union County, NCNC267,674+29,407−25%

06▲5Iredell County, NCNC211,798+25,105−16%

07▼2Cabarrus County, NCNC249,725+23,921−26%

08▼5Durham County, NCNC347,240+22,407−46%

09▼5Guilford County, NCNC562,234+20,935−72%

10▲3New Hanover County, NCNC245,959+20,257−49%

11▼3Forsyth County, NCNC401,718+19,128−52%

12▲2Gaston County, NCNC246,558+18,615+22%

13▲3Harnett County, NCNC150,137+16,569−29%

14▲1Alamance County, NCNC186,177+14,762−35%

15▲10Franklin County, NCNC82,037+13,464+24%

16▲21Pitt County, NCNC182,936+12,693−51%

17▼5Onslow County, NCNC217,175+12,599+2337%

18▲6Pender County, NCNC72,111+11,908−3%

19▲3Lincoln County, NCNC98,654+11,844−12%

20▲7Davidson County, NCNC180,182+11,252−45%

21▼1Moore County, NCNC110,619+10,892−31%

22▲4Catawba County, NCNC170,172+9,562−59%

23▼4Chatham County, NCNC85,111+8,826−16%

24▼1Rowan County, NCNC155,096+8,221−58%

25▼16Buncombe County, NCNC277,417+7,965−75%

26▲2Lee County, NCNC70,258+6,973−9%

27▲11Stanly County, NCNC68,830+6,3260%

28▼7Henderson County, NCNC122,375+6,094−69%

29▲7Randolph County, NCNC149,516+5,345−78%

30Currituck County, NCNC33,158+5,058+14%

31▲63Wayne County, NCNC122,278+4,945−43%

32▼3Hoke County, NCNC56,939+4,857−55%

33▲28Nash County, NCNC99,365+4,395−59%

34▲46Craven County, NCNC105,025+4,305−56%

35▲5Cleveland County, NCNC103,325+3,806−67%

36▼18Orange County, NCNC152,498+3,802−84%

37▼20Cumberland County, NCNC338,473+3,745−87%

38▲62Robeson County, NCNC119,941+3,411−81%

39Davie County, NCNC45,855+3,143−55%

40▲39Rockingham County, NCNC94,195+3,099−47%

41▲58Duplin County, NCNC51,571+2,856−69%

42Carteret County, NCNC70,469+2,783−59%

43▲48Sampson County, NCNC61,504+2,468−81%

44▲33Wilson County, NCNC81,150+2,366−69%

45▼14Macon County, NCNC39,232+2,218−65%

46▼5Cherokee County, NCNC30,830+2,056−50%

47▼12Jackson County, NCNC45,039+1,930−69%

48▲2Pasquotank County, NCNC42,201+1,633−55%

49▲33Stokes County, NCNC46,126+1,606−79%

50▲3Person County, NCNC40,636+1,539−72%

51▼5Madison County, NCNC22,553+1,360−49%

52▼18Dare County, NCNC38,245+1,330−82%

53▲34Rutherford County, NCNC65,745+1,301−78%

54▼22Haywood County, NCNC63,369+1,280−82%

55▼4Transylvania County, NCNC34,211+1,225−68%

56▲11Polk County, NCNC20,533+1,205−69%

57▼12Clay County, NCNC12,239+1,150−29%

58▲10Yadkin County, NCNC38,325+1,111−81%

59▲26Burke County, NCNC88,655+1,085−92%

60▼13Camden County, NCNC11,315+960−2%

61▼4Ashe County, NCNC27,514+937−57%

62▲12Surry County, NCNC72,287+928−90%

63▲27Lenoir County, NCNC55,837+715−70%

64▼31Watauga County, NCNC54,786+700−88%

65▲7Montgomery County, NCNC26,403+652−81%

66▼12McDowell County, NCNC45,198+620−90%

67▼23Yancey County, NCNC19,084+614−74%

68▼16Alleghany County, NCNC11,479+591−46%

69▼11Alexander County, NCNC36,958+514−92%

70▼15Perquimans County, NCNC13,490+485−47%

71▼11Pamlico County, NCNC12,758+482−69%

72▲4Caldwell County, NCNC81,105+453−93%

73▼30Granville County, NCNC61,421+429−96%

74▼11Jones County, NCNC9,575+403−58%

75▲20Bladen County, NCNC30,007+401−89%

76▼11Chowan County, NCNC14,082+374−63%

77▼28Avery County, NCNC18,110+304−87%

78▼12Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537+2920%

79▲9Wilkes County, NCNC66,233+264−96%

80▼5Warren County, NCNC18,898+256−91%

81▼19Greene County, NCNC20,700+249−93%

82▲16Edgecombe County, NCNC49,121+221−123%

83▼24Graham County, NCNC8,190+160−80%

84▼28Mitchell County, NCNC15,062+159−87%

85▼4Vance County, NCNC42,638+60−99%

86▼3Beaufort County, NCNC44,670+18−99%

87▼18Hyde County, NCNC4,554-35−108%

88▼40Swain County, NCNC14,024-93−105%

89▲8Columbus County, NCNC50,487-136−103%

90▼26Caswell County, NCNC22,563-173−106%

91▼21Gates County, NCNC10,234-244−120%

92▲1Anson County, NCNC21,758-297−116%

93▼20Washington County, NCNC10,638-365+33%

94▼16Martin County, NCNC21,601-430−183%

95▼9Bertie County, NCNC17,086-848+38%

96▼25Scotland County, NCNC33,322-852−138%

97▼8Richmond County, NCNC42,041-905−144%

98▼6Northampton County, NCNC16,491-980−176%

99▼3Halifax County, NCNC46,534-2,088−213%

100▼16Hertford County, NCNC19,015-2,537−3353%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU POPULATION ESTIMATES