RANKING · 2000 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most sparsely populated, North Carolina counties · 2000

North Carolina counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2023). This list covers the 100 counties in North Carolina that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

Flip the list · Most densely populated, US counties →

North CarolinaAll states All rankings

SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Hyde County, NCNC4,55410+0%

02Tyrrell County, NCNC3,53711+0%

03Jones County, NCNC9,57522+0%

04Swain County, NCNC14,02425+0%

05Graham County, NCNC8,19027+0%

06Bertie County, NCNC17,08628+0%

07Camden County, NCNC11,31529+0%

08Gates County, NCNC10,23431+0%

09Bladen County, NCNC30,00737+0%

10Pamlico County, NCNC12,75838+0%

11Washington County, NCNC10,63840+0%

12Clay County, NCNC12,23941+0%

13Northampton County, NCNC16,49141+0%

14Madison County, NCNC22,55344+0%

15Alleghany County, NCNC11,47945+0%

16Perquimans County, NCNC13,49046+0%

17Warren County, NCNC18,89847+0%

18Pender County, NCNC72,11147+0%

19Anson County, NCNC21,75848+0%

20Cherokee County, NCNC30,83053+0%

21Beaufort County, NCNC44,67054+0%

22Montgomery County, NCNC26,40355+0%

23Caswell County, NCNC22,56355+0%

24Martin County, NCNC21,60156+0%

25Yancey County, NCNC19,08457+0%

26Ashe County, NCNC27,51457+0%

27Macon County, NCNC39,23258+0%

28Columbus County, NCNC50,48758+0%

29Duplin County, NCNC51,57160+0%

30Sampson County, NCNC61,50464+0%

31Hertford County, NCNC19,01564+0%

32Jackson County, NCNC45,03967+0%

33Avery County, NCNC18,11069+0%

34Currituck County, NCNC33,15869+0%

35Mitchell County, NCNC15,06271+0%

36Greene County, NCNC20,70071+0%

37Chatham County, NCNC85,11172+0%

38Polk County, NCNC20,53377+0%

39Transylvania County, NCNC34,21178+0%

40Dare County, NCNC38,24578+0%

41Halifax County, NCNC46,53479+0%

42Chowan County, NCNC14,08284+0%

43Brunswick County, NCNC174,70286+0%

44Hoke County, NCNC56,93986+0%

45Wilkes County, NCNC66,23387+0%

46Person County, NCNC40,63691+0%

47Granville County, NCNC61,42191+0%

48McDowell County, NCNC45,19896+0%

49Franklin County, NCNC82,03796+0%

50Haywood County, NCNC63,36998+0%

51Richmond County, NCNC42,04198+0%

52Stokes County, NCNC46,126100+0%

53Moore County, NCNC110,619107+0%

54Yadkin County, NCNC38,325109+0%

55Edgecombe County, NCNC49,121110+0%

56Rutherford County, NCNC65,745111+0%

57Scotland County, NCNC33,322113+0%

58Carteret County, NCNC70,469117+0%

59Alexander County, NCNC36,958129+0%

60Craven County, NCNC105,025129+0%

61Robeson County, NCNC119,941130+0%

62Davie County, NCNC45,855132+0%

63Surry County, NCNC72,287134+0%

64Watauga County, NCNC54,786137+0%

65Stanly County, NCNC68,830147+0%

66Lenoir County, NCNC55,837149+0%

67Harnett County, NCNC150,137153+0%

68Pasquotank County, NCNC42,201154+0%

69Johnston County, NCNC256,448154+0%

70Nash County, NCNC99,365162+0%

71Rockingham County, NCNC94,195163+0%

72Caldwell County, NCNC81,105164+0%

73Randolph County, NCNC149,516167+0%

74Vance County, NCNC42,638170+0%

75Burke County, NCNC88,655176+0%

76Lee County, NCNC70,258192+0%

77Union County, NCNC267,674195+0%

78Onslow County, NCNC217,175197+0%

79Wilson County, NCNC81,150201+0%

80Wayne County, NCNC122,278205+0%

81Pitt County, NCNC182,936205+0%

82Cleveland County, NCNC103,325207+0%

83Iredell County, NCNC211,798214+0%

84Lincoln County, NCNC98,654216+0%

85Henderson County, NCNC122,375239+0%

86Rowan County, NCNC155,096255+0%

87Davidson County, NCNC180,182266+0%

88Orange County, NCNC152,498297+0%

89Alamance County, NCNC186,177309+0%

90Buncombe County, NCNC277,417314+0%

91Catawba County, NCNC170,172353+0%

92Cabarrus County, NCNC249,725363+0%

93Cumberland County, NCNC338,473464+0%

94Gaston County, NCNC246,558535+0%

95Guilford County, NCNC562,234652+0%

96Forsyth County, NCNC401,718750+0%

97Wake County, NCNC1,257,235752+0%

98Durham County, NCNC347,240777+0%

99New Hanover County, NCNC245,959834+0%

100Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,3831,328+0%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

Download CSV (full list, 100 rows)

UPDATED 2026-06-02 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES