RANKING · 2020 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most population gained, North Carolina counties · 2020

North Carolina counties that added the most residents from the 2010 census to 2020, by raw count of people rather than percentage. 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

YEAR2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION CHANGEVS 2000

01Wake County, NCNC1,257,235+228,417+12%

02Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,383+195,854+6%

03Durham County, NCNC347,240+57,246+38%

04Guilford County, NCNC562,234+52,893−28%

05Cabarrus County, NCNC249,725+47,793+49%

06Johnston County, NCNC256,448+47,121+16%

07Union County, NCNC267,674+36,975−6%

08Forsyth County, NCNC401,718+31,920−21%

09Buncombe County, NCNC277,417+31,134−1%

10Brunswick County, NCNC174,702+29,262+32%

11Iredell County, NCNC211,798+27,256−8%

12Onslow County, NCNC217,175+26,804+5085%

13New Hanover County, NCNC245,959+23,035−42%

14Gaston County, NCNC246,558+21,857+43%

15Alamance County, NCNC186,177+20,284−10%

16Harnett County, NCNC150,137+18,890−19%

17Cumberland County, NCNC338,473+15,297−46%

18Orange County, NCNC152,498+14,895−39%

19Chatham County, NCNC85,111+12,780+21%

20Moore County, NCNC110,619+11,480−27%

21Henderson County, NCNC122,375+9,541−52%

22Lincoln County, NCNC98,654+8,545−37%

23Rowan County, NCNC155,096+8,447−57%

24Pender County, NCNC72,111+7,986−35%

25Franklin County, NCNC82,037+7,954−27%

26Catawba County, NCNC170,172+6,252−73%

27Davidson County, NCNC180,182+6,052−71%

28Lee County, NCNC70,258+5,419−29%

29Hoke County, NCNC56,939+5,130−52%

30Currituck County, NCNC33,158+4,553+2%

31Macon County, NCNC39,232+3,092−51%

32Haywood County, NCNC63,369+3,053−57%

33Watauga County, NCNC54,786+3,007−48%

34Dare County, NCNC38,245+2,995−59%

35Jackson County, NCNC45,039+2,838−55%

36Randolph County, NCNC149,516+2,419−90%

37Pitt County, NCNC182,936+2,095−92%

38Stanly County, NCNC68,830+1,919−70%

39Davie County, NCNC45,855+1,472−79%

40Cleveland County, NCNC103,325+1,441−88%

41Cherokee County, NCNC30,830+1,330−68%

42Carteret County, NCNC70,469+1,217−82%

43Granville County, NCNC61,421+1,076−89%

44Yancey County, NCNC19,084+652−72%

45Clay County, NCNC12,239+502−69%

46Madison County, NCNC22,553+429−84%

47Camden County, NCNC11,315+375−62%

48Swain County, NCNC14,024+136−92%

49Avery County, NCNC18,110+9−100%

50Pasquotank County, NCNC42,201-93−103%

51Transylvania County, NCNC34,211-104−103%

52Alleghany County, NCNC11,479-267−125%

53Person County, NCNC40,636-367−107%

54McDowell County, NCNC45,198-418−106%

55Perquimans County, NCNC13,490-448−149%

56Mitchell County, NCNC15,062-676−154%

57Ashe County, NCNC27,514-704−132%

58Alexander County, NCNC36,958-754−112%

59Graham County, NCNC8,190-831−204%

60Pamlico County, NCNC12,758-868−156%

61Nash County, NCNC99,365-870−108%

62Greene County, NCNC20,700-911−125%

63Jones County, NCNC9,575-981−201%

64Caswell County, NCNC22,563-983−135%

65Chowan County, NCNC14,082-1,085−206%

66Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537-1,162−497%

67Polk County, NCNC20,533-1,182−130%

68Yadkin County, NCNC38,325-1,192−120%

69Hyde County, NCNC4,554-1,221−394%

70Gates County, NCNC10,234-1,719−242%

71Scotland County, NCNC33,322-1,983−188%

72Montgomery County, NCNC26,403-2,047−159%

73Washington County, NCNC10,638-2,225+712%

74Surry County, NCNC72,287-2,314−124%

75Warren County, NCNC18,898-2,330−186%

76Caldwell County, NCNC81,105-2,377−135%

77Wilson County, NCNC81,150-2,450−132%

78Martin County, NCNC21,601-2,474−580%

79Rockingham County, NCNC94,195-2,547−143%

80Craven County, NCNC105,025-2,785−128%

81Vance County, NCNC42,638-2,844−170%

82Stokes County, NCNC46,126-2,881−138%

83Beaufort County, NCNC44,670-3,107−216%

84Hertford County, NCNC19,015-3,117−4096%

85Burke County, NCNC88,655-3,342−125%

86Bertie County, NCNC17,086-3,348+444%

87Rutherford County, NCNC65,745-3,366−156%

88Wilkes County, NCNC66,233-3,371−154%

89Richmond County, NCNC42,041-3,693−280%

90Lenoir County, NCNC55,837-4,373−284%

91Sampson County, NCNC61,504-4,395−134%

92Northampton County, NCNC16,491-4,628−459%

93Anson County, NCNC21,758-4,893−372%

94Wayne County, NCNC122,278-5,290−161%

95Bladen County, NCNC30,007-5,584−254%

96Halifax County, NCNC46,534-6,069−427%

97Columbus County, NCNC50,487-7,475−245%

98Edgecombe County, NCNC49,121-7,652+704%

99Duplin County, NCNC51,571-9,790−208%

100Robeson County, NCNC119,941-17,638−197%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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