RANKING · 2025 ESTIMATES · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most population lost, North Carolina counties

North Carolina counties that lost 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: Swain County, NC, up 40 places to #13.

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North CarolinaAll states All rankings

SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

YEAR2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION CHANGEVS 2000

01▲16Hertford County, NCNC19,015-2,537−3353%

02▲3Halifax County, NCNC46,534-2,088−213%

03▲6Northampton County, NCNC16,491-980−176%

04▲8Richmond County, NCNC42,041-905−144%

05▲25Scotland County, NCNC33,322-852−138%

06▲9Bertie County, NCNC17,086-848+38%

07▲16Martin County, NCNC21,601-430−183%

08▲20Washington County, NCNC10,638-365+33%

09▼1Anson County, NCNC21,758-297−116%

10▲21Gates County, NCNC10,234-244−120%

11▲26Caswell County, NCNC22,563-173−106%

12▼8Columbus County, NCNC50,487-136−103%

13▲40Swain County, NCNC14,024-93−105%

14▲18Hyde County, NCNC4,554-35−108%

15▲3Beaufort County, NCNC44,670+18−99%

16▲4Vance County, NCNC42,638+60−99%

17▲28Mitchell County, NCNC15,062+159−87%

18▲24Graham County, NCNC8,190+160−80%

19▼16Edgecombe County, NCNC49,121+221−123%

20▲19Greene County, NCNC20,700+249−93%

21▲5Warren County, NCNC18,898+256−91%

22▼9Wilkes County, NCNC66,233+264−96%

23▲12Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537+2920%

24▲28Avery County, NCNC18,110+304−87%

25▲11Chowan County, NCNC14,082+374−63%

26▼20Bladen County, NCNC30,007+401−89%

27▲11Jones County, NCNC9,575+403−58%

28▲30Granville County, NCNC61,421+429−96%

29▼4Caldwell County, NCNC81,105+453−93%

30▲11Pamlico County, NCNC12,758+482−69%

31▲15Perquimans County, NCNC13,490+485−47%

32▲11Alexander County, NCNC36,958+514−92%

33▲16Alleghany County, NCNC11,479+591−46%

34▲23Yancey County, NCNC19,084+614−74%

35▲12McDowell County, NCNC45,198+620−90%

36▼7Montgomery County, NCNC26,403+652−81%

37▲31Watauga County, NCNC54,786+700−88%

38▼27Lenoir County, NCNC55,837+715−70%

39▼12Surry County, NCNC72,287+928−90%

40▲4Ashe County, NCNC27,514+937−57%

41▲13Camden County, NCNC11,315+960−2%

42▼26Burke County, NCNC88,655+1,085−92%

43▼10Yadkin County, NCNC38,325+1,111−81%

44▲12Clay County, NCNC12,239+1,150−29%

45▼11Polk County, NCNC20,533+1,205−69%

46▲4Transylvania County, NCNC34,211+1,225−68%

47▲22Haywood County, NCNC63,369+1,280−82%

48▼34Rutherford County, NCNC65,745+1,301−78%

49▲18Dare County, NCNC38,245+1,330−82%

50▲5Madison County, NCNC22,553+1,360−49%

51▼3Person County, NCNC40,636+1,539−72%

52▼33Stokes County, NCNC46,126+1,606−79%

53▼2Pasquotank County, NCNC42,201+1,633−55%

54▲12Jackson County, NCNC45,039+1,930−69%

55▲5Cherokee County, NCNC30,830+2,056−50%

56▲14Macon County, NCNC39,232+2,218−65%

57▼33Wilson County, NCNC81,150+2,366−69%

58▼48Sampson County, NCNC61,504+2,468−81%

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

60▼58Duplin County, NCNC51,571+2,856−69%

61▼39Rockingham County, NCNC94,195+3,099−47%

62Davie County, NCNC45,855+3,143−55%

63▼62Robeson County, NCNC119,941+3,411−81%

64▲20Cumberland County, NCNC338,473+3,745−87%

65▲18Orange County, NCNC152,498+3,802−84%

66▼5Cleveland County, NCNC103,325+3,806−67%

67▼46Craven County, NCNC105,025+4,305−56%

68▼28Nash County, NCNC99,365+4,395−59%

69▲3Hoke County, NCNC56,939+4,857−55%

70▼63Wayne County, NCNC122,278+4,945−43%

71Currituck County, NCNC33,158+5,058+14%

72▼7Randolph County, NCNC149,516+5,345−78%

73▲7Henderson County, NCNC122,375+6,094−69%

74▼11Stanly County, NCNC68,830+6,3260%

75▼2Lee County, NCNC70,258+6,973−9%

76▲16Buncombe County, NCNC277,417+7,965−75%

77▲1Rowan County, NCNC155,096+8,221−58%

78▲4Chatham County, NCNC85,111+8,826−16%

79▼4Catawba County, NCNC170,172+9,562−59%

80▲1Moore County, NCNC110,619+10,892−31%

81▼7Davidson County, NCNC180,182+11,252−45%

82▼3Lincoln County, NCNC98,654+11,844−12%

83▼6Pender County, NCNC72,111+11,908−3%

84▲5Onslow County, NCNC217,175+12,599+2337%

85▼21Pitt County, NCNC182,936+12,693−51%

86▼10Franklin County, NCNC82,037+13,464+24%

87▼1Alamance County, NCNC186,177+14,762−35%

88▼3Harnett County, NCNC150,137+16,569−29%

89▼2Gaston County, NCNC246,558+18,615+22%

90▲3Forsyth County, NCNC401,718+19,128−52%

91▼3New Hanover County, NCNC245,959+20,257−49%

92▲5Guilford County, NCNC562,234+20,935−72%

93▲5Durham County, NCNC347,240+22,407−46%

94▲2Cabarrus County, NCNC249,725+23,921−26%

95▼5Iredell County, NCNC211,798+25,105−16%

96▼2Union County, NCNC267,674+29,407−25%

97▼6Brunswick County, NCNC174,702+38,009+72%

98▼3Johnston County, NCNC256,448+40,449−1%

99Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,383+117,901−36%

100Wake County, NCNC1,257,235+127,825−37%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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