RANKING · 2020 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most population lost, North Carolina counties · 2020

North Carolina counties that lost 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

01Robeson County, NCNC119,941-17,638−197%

02Duplin County, NCNC51,571-9,790−208%

03Edgecombe County, NCNC49,121-7,652+704%

04Columbus County, NCNC50,487-7,475−245%

05Halifax County, NCNC46,534-6,069−427%

06Bladen County, NCNC30,007-5,584−254%

07Wayne County, NCNC122,278-5,290−161%

08Anson County, NCNC21,758-4,893−372%

09Northampton County, NCNC16,491-4,628−459%

10Sampson County, NCNC61,504-4,395−134%

11Lenoir County, NCNC55,837-4,373−284%

12Richmond County, NCNC42,041-3,693−280%

13Wilkes County, NCNC66,233-3,371−154%

14Rutherford County, NCNC65,745-3,366−156%

15Bertie County, NCNC17,086-3,348+444%

16Burke County, NCNC88,655-3,342−125%

17Hertford County, NCNC19,015-3,117−4096%

18Beaufort County, NCNC44,670-3,107−216%

19Stokes County, NCNC46,126-2,881−138%

20Vance County, NCNC42,638-2,844−170%

21Craven County, NCNC105,025-2,785−128%

22Rockingham County, NCNC94,195-2,547−143%

23Martin County, NCNC21,601-2,474−580%

24Wilson County, NCNC81,150-2,450−132%

25Caldwell County, NCNC81,105-2,377−135%

26Warren County, NCNC18,898-2,330−186%

27Surry County, NCNC72,287-2,314−124%

28Washington County, NCNC10,638-2,225+712%

29Montgomery County, NCNC26,403-2,047−159%

30Scotland County, NCNC33,322-1,983−188%

31Gates County, NCNC10,234-1,719−242%

32Hyde County, NCNC4,554-1,221−394%

33Yadkin County, NCNC38,325-1,192−120%

34Polk County, NCNC20,533-1,182−130%

35Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537-1,162−497%

36Chowan County, NCNC14,082-1,085−206%

37Caswell County, NCNC22,563-983−135%

38Jones County, NCNC9,575-981−201%

39Greene County, NCNC20,700-911−125%

40Nash County, NCNC99,365-870−108%

41Pamlico County, NCNC12,758-868−156%

42Graham County, NCNC8,190-831−204%

43Alexander County, NCNC36,958-754−112%

44Ashe County, NCNC27,514-704−132%

45Mitchell County, NCNC15,062-676−154%

46Perquimans County, NCNC13,490-448−149%

47McDowell County, NCNC45,198-418−106%

48Person County, NCNC40,636-367−107%

49Alleghany County, NCNC11,479-267−125%

50Transylvania County, NCNC34,211-104−103%

51Pasquotank County, NCNC42,201-93−103%

52Avery County, NCNC18,110+9−100%

53Swain County, NCNC14,024+136−92%

54Camden County, NCNC11,315+375−62%

55Madison County, NCNC22,553+429−84%

56Clay County, NCNC12,239+502−69%

57Yancey County, NCNC19,084+652−72%

58Granville County, NCNC61,421+1,076−89%

59Carteret County, NCNC70,469+1,217−82%

60Cherokee County, NCNC30,830+1,330−68%

61Cleveland County, NCNC103,325+1,441−88%

62Davie County, NCNC45,855+1,472−79%

63Stanly County, NCNC68,830+1,919−70%

64Pitt County, NCNC182,936+2,095−92%

65Randolph County, NCNC149,516+2,419−90%

66Jackson County, NCNC45,039+2,838−55%

67Dare County, NCNC38,245+2,995−59%

68Watauga County, NCNC54,786+3,007−48%

69Haywood County, NCNC63,369+3,053−57%

70Macon County, NCNC39,232+3,092−51%

71Currituck County, NCNC33,158+4,553+2%

72Hoke County, NCNC56,939+5,130−52%

73Lee County, NCNC70,258+5,419−29%

74Davidson County, NCNC180,182+6,052−71%

75Catawba County, NCNC170,172+6,252−73%

76Franklin County, NCNC82,037+7,954−27%

77Pender County, NCNC72,111+7,986−35%

78Rowan County, NCNC155,096+8,447−57%

79Lincoln County, NCNC98,654+8,545−37%

80Henderson County, NCNC122,375+9,541−52%

81Moore County, NCNC110,619+11,480−27%

82Chatham County, NCNC85,111+12,780+21%

83Orange County, NCNC152,498+14,895−39%

84Cumberland County, NCNC338,473+15,297−46%

85Harnett County, NCNC150,137+18,890−19%

86Alamance County, NCNC186,177+20,284−10%

87Gaston County, NCNC246,558+21,857+43%

88New Hanover County, NCNC245,959+23,035−42%

89Onslow County, NCNC217,175+26,804+5085%

90Iredell County, NCNC211,798+27,256−8%

91Brunswick County, NCNC174,702+29,262+32%

92Buncombe County, NCNC277,417+31,134−1%

93Forsyth County, NCNC401,718+31,920−21%

94Union County, NCNC267,674+36,975−6%

95Johnston County, NCNC256,448+47,121+16%

96Cabarrus County, NCNC249,725+47,793+49%

97Guilford County, NCNC562,234+52,893−28%

98Durham County, NCNC347,240+57,246+38%

99Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,383+195,854+6%

100Wake County, NCNC1,257,235+228,417+12%

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