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.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

YEAR2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION CHANGEVS 2000

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

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

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

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

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

06Bertie County, NCNC17,086-848+38%

07Martin County, NCNC21,601-430−183%

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

09Anson County, NCNC21,758-297−116%

10Gates County, NCNC10,234-244−120%

11Caswell County, NCNC22,563-173−106%

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

13Swain County, NCNC14,024-93−105%

14Hyde County, NCNC4,554-35−108%

15Beaufort County, NCNC44,670+18−99%

16Vance County, NCNC42,638+60−99%

17Mitchell County, NCNC15,062+159−87%

18Graham County, NCNC8,190+160−80%

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

20Greene County, NCNC20,700+249−93%

21Warren County, NCNC18,898+256−91%

22Wilkes County, NCNC66,233+264−96%

23Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537+292−0%

24Avery County, NCNC18,110+304−87%

25Chowan County, NCNC14,082+374−63%

26Bladen County, NCNC30,007+401−89%

27Jones County, NCNC9,575+403−58%

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

29Caldwell County, NCNC81,105+453−93%

30Pamlico County, NCNC12,758+482−69%

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

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

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

34Yancey County, NCNC19,084+614−74%

35McDowell County, NCNC45,198+620−90%

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

37Watauga County, NCNC54,786+700−88%

38Lenoir County, NCNC55,837+715−70%

39Surry County, NCNC72,287+928−90%

40Ashe County, NCNC27,514+937−57%

41Camden County, NCNC11,315+960−2%

42Burke County, NCNC88,655+1,085−92%

43Yadkin County, NCNC38,325+1,111−81%

44Clay County, NCNC12,239+1,150−29%

45Polk County, NCNC20,533+1,205−69%

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

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

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

49Dare County, NCNC38,245+1,330−82%

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

51Person County, NCNC40,636+1,539−72%

52Stokes County, NCNC46,126+1,606−79%

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

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

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

56Macon County, NCNC39,232+2,218−65%

57Wilson County, NCNC81,150+2,366−69%

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

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

60Duplin County, NCNC51,571+2,856−69%

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

62Davie County, NCNC45,855+3,143−55%

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

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

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

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

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

68Nash County, NCNC99,365+4,395−59%

69Hoke County, NCNC56,939+4,857−55%

70Wayne County, NCNC122,278+4,945−43%

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

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

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

74Stanly County, NCNC68,830+6,326−0%

75Lee County, NCNC70,258+6,973−9%

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

77Rowan County, NCNC155,096+8,221−58%

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

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

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

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

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

83Pender County, NCNC72,111+11,908−3%

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

85Pitt County, NCNC182,936+12,693−51%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

98Johnston 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 2026-07-15 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU POPULATION ESTIMATES