RANKING · 2010 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most sparsely populated, North Carolina counties · 2010

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.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Hyde County, NCNC4,5549−0%

02Tyrrell County, NCNC3,53711+6%

03Jones County, NCNC9,57522−2%

04Swain County, NCNC14,02426+8%

05Graham County, NCNC8,19030+11%

06Bertie County, NCNC17,08630+8%

07Gates County, NCNC10,23436+16%

08Washington County, NCNC10,63838−4%

09Pamlico County, NCNC12,75839+2%

10Bladen County, NCNC30,00740+9%

11Northampton County, NCNC16,49141+0%

12Camden County, NCNC11,31542+45%

13Madison County, NCNC22,55346+6%

14Alleghany County, NCNC11,47948+4%

15Warren County, NCNC18,89849+5%

16Clay County, NCNC12,23949+21%

17Anson County, NCNC21,75851+7%

18Martin County, NCNC21,60154−4%

19Perquimans County, NCNC13,49054+18%

20Caswell County, NCNC22,56356+1%

21Montgomery County, NCNC26,40357+4%

22Yancey County, NCNC19,08457+0%

23Beaufort County, NCNC44,67057+6%

24Pender County, NCNC72,11160+27%

25Cherokee County, NCNC30,83060+13%

26Columbus County, NCNC50,48762+6%

27Ashe County, NCNC27,51464+12%

28Macon County, NCNC39,23266+14%

29Sampson County, NCNC61,50467+5%

30Hertford County, NCNC19,01570+9%

31Mitchell County, NCNC15,06270−1%

32Duplin County, NCNC51,57172+19%

33Avery County, NCNC18,11072+4%

34Halifax County, NCNC46,53476−5%

35Greene County, NCNC20,70080+13%

36Jackson County, NCNC45,03982+22%

37Chowan County, NCNC14,08286+2%

38Polk County, NCNC20,53386+12%

39Transylvania County, NCNC34,21187+13%

40Dare County, NCNC38,24589+13%

41Currituck County, NCNC33,15890+29%

42Wilkes County, NCNC66,23392+6%

43Chatham County, NCNC85,11193+29%

44Richmond County, NCNC42,04198+0%

45Person County, NCNC40,636101+11%

46McDowell County, NCNC45,198102+7%

47Stokes County, NCNC46,126105+6%

48Haywood County, NCNC63,369107+9%

49Edgecombe County, NCNC49,121112+2%

50Granville County, NCNC61,421113+24%

51Scotland County, NCNC33,322113+0%

52Yadkin County, NCNC38,325115+6%

53Rutherford County, NCNC65,745120+8%

54Hoke County, NCNC56,939120+40%

55Franklin County, NCNC82,037123+28%

56Brunswick County, NCNC174,702126+47%

57Moore County, NCNC110,619126+18%

58Carteret County, NCNC70,469131+12%

59Surry County, NCNC72,287138+3%

60Robeson County, NCNC119,941142+9%

61Alexander County, NCNC36,958143+11%

62Craven County, NCNC105,025146+13%

63Lenoir County, NCNC55,837149−0%

64Stanly County, NCNC68,830153+4%

65Davie County, NCNC45,855156+18%

66Watauga County, NCNC54,786163+20%

67Rockingham County, NCNC94,195166+2%

68Caldwell County, NCNC81,105176+7%

69Nash County, NCNC99,365177+10%

70Pasquotank County, NCNC42,201179+17%

71Burke County, NCNC88,655180+2%

72Vance County, NCNC42,638180+6%

73Randolph County, NCNC149,516181+9%

74Harnett County, NCNC150,137193+26%

75Cleveland County, NCNC103,325211+2%

76Johnston County, NCNC256,448213+38%

77Wilson County, NCNC81,150221+10%

78Wayne County, NCNC122,278221+8%

79Lee County, NCNC70,258227+18%

80Onslow County, NCNC217,175233+18%

81Pitt County, NCNC182,936258+26%

82Lincoln County, NCNC98,654265+23%

83Rowan County, NCNC155,096271+6%

84Iredell County, NCNC211,798278+30%

85Henderson County, NCNC122,375286+20%

86Davidson County, NCNC180,182294+11%

87Union County, NCNC267,674318+63%

88Orange County, NCNC152,498337+13%

89Alamance County, NCNC186,177357+16%

90Buncombe County, NCNC277,417363+16%

91Catawba County, NCNC170,172385+9%

92Cumberland County, NCNC338,473489+5%

93Cabarrus County, NCNC249,725493+36%

94Gaston County, NCNC246,558579+8%

95Guilford County, NCNC562,234756+16%

96Forsyth County, NCNC401,718860+15%

97Durham County, NCNC347,240931+20%

98New Hanover County, NCNC245,9591,054+26%

99Wake County, NCNC1,257,2351,080+44%

100Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,3831,756+32%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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