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STATE · ADMITTED 1789

North Carolina

10,730,404 residents · 100 counties · 776 cities · 48,618 sq mi · 2,672 census tracts
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The short version

North Carolina is a state of 10,730,404 people. Growth has run 33% since 2000, or 2,681,091 more people. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $288,900. 9% of people here were born outside the United States. Households take in $72,388 at the median, 12% less than the US figure. 36% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

NC
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
10,730,404
+33%since 2000
from 8,049,313 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Population density
221 / sq mi
+19%since 2009
from 186 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
39.1
+11%since 2000
from 35.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
48,618 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
6.2M7.4M8.7M9.9M11.1M19902000201020202024North Carolina
202410.7M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.6%(602,983)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.9%(638,408)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.3%(673,145)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.7%(717,619)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.7%(717,919)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.4%(1,438,482)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.8%(1,374,188)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.6%(1,351,250)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.8%(1,370,847)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.3%(1,108,123)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.1%(551,658)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(185,782)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$72,388
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,184 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$41,385
+104%since 2000
from $20,307 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
48.3%
+21.6 ptssince 2009
from 26.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
13.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 12.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.477
+3%since 2010
from 0.463 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade11.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services7.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance5.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration5.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical4.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.9%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$288,900
+66%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $95,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,228
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $548 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
66.6%
−2.7 ptssince 2000
from 69.4% in 2000
33.4% rent
Vacancy rate
12.5%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 14.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.44 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.47 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
19.3%
−6.3 ptssince 2009
from 25.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
44.7%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 43.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.0
+25%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic70.2%(5,647,155)
Black21.4%(1,723,301)
Hispanic / Latino4.7%(378,963)
Asian1.4%(112,416)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic60%(6,438,593)
Black20%(2,146,633)
Hispanic / Latino11.3%(1,213,850)
Asian3.3%(351,050)
Other5.4%(580,278)
Diversity Score
73
+18%since 2009
from 62 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.6%(600,832)
Central American2.1%(228,000)
Puerto Rican1.3%(134,733)
South American1%(103,545)
Honduran0.8%(81,812)
Salvadoran0.7%(69,893)
Guatemalan0.5%(50,232)
Colombian0.4%(40,883)
Dominican0.4%(37,934)
Cuban0.3%(35,761)
Venezuelan0.2%(18,341)
Spaniard0.2%(17,457)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.1%(14,727)
Peruvian0.1%(12,523)
Nicaraguan0.1%(10,327)
Panamanian0.1%(8,724)
Argentine0.1%(6,541)
Costa Rican0.1%(6,279)
Chilean0.1%(5,962)
Uruguayan0%(1,579)
Bolivian0%(1,412)
Paraguayan0%(467)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.2%(131,175)
Chinese0.5%(48,685)
Vietnamese0.4%(38,481)
Filipino0.3%(28,611)
Korean0.2%(22,921)
Hmong0.1%(12,568)
Pakistani0.1%(10,702)
Nepalese0.1%(7,868)
Burmese0.1%(7,790)
Japanese0.1%(7,284)
Laotian0.1%(5,957)
Cambodian0%(4,502)
+ 13 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(4,093)
Taiwanese0%(3,049)
Kazakh0%(2,175)
Bangladeshi0%(2,168)
Sri Lankan0%(1,069)
Indonesian0%(797)
Uzbek0%(686)
Bhutanese0%(545)
Malaysian0%(288)
Mien0%(287)
Okinawan0%(127)
Mongolian0%(58)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.1%(7,150)
Samoan0%(3,819)
Chamorro0%(3,792)
Guamanian0%(254)
Tongan0%(179)
Fijian0%(119)
Ancestry
English12.7%(1,367,875)
German9.4%(1,012,317)
Irish8.4%(903,955)
American8.3%(886,441)
Italian3.3%(355,697)
Scottish2.3%(242,972)
Scotch-Irish1.8%(191,917)
Polish1.4%(152,351)
French1.4%(148,623)
Subsaharan African1.4%(145,623)
Dutch0.7%(70,661)
West Indian0.6%(61,893)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.5%(54,163)
Welsh0.5%(53,073)
Arab0.5%(49,918)
Norwegian0.5%(49,332)
British0.4%(45,139)
Russian0.4%(41,131)
French Canadian0.3%(31,872)
Greek0.3%(29,598)
Hungarian0.3%(28,910)
Jamaican0.2%(25,868)
Ukrainian0.2%(23,537)
Nigerian0.2%(21,534)
Portuguese0.2%(18,951)
Czech0.2%(18,617)
Haitian0.2%(18,231)
Danish0.2%(16,253)
Swiss0.1%(15,871)
Lebanese0.1%(15,076)
Canadian0.1%(13,545)
Austrian0.1%(12,427)
Slovak0.1%(12,314)
Lithuanian0.1%(12,156)
Romanian0.1%(11,420)
Brazilian0.1%(10,041)
Ethiopian0.1%(9,730)
Egyptian0.1%(8,943)
Finnish0.1%(7,827)
Iranian0.1%(6,756)
Moroccan0.1%(5,599)
Croatian0.1%(5,519)
Turkish0.1%(5,478)
Ghanaian0%(5,349)
Belgian0%(4,935)
Kenyan0%(3,695)
Palestinian0%(3,645)
Armenian0%(3,127)
Slovene0%(2,788)
Serbian0%(2,774)
Guyanese0%(2,759)
Syrian0%(2,506)
Jordanian0%(2,397)
Somali0%(2,377)
Bulgarian0%(2,256)
Iraqi0%(2,042)
Australian0%(1,933)
Barbadian0%(1,873)
Israeli0%(1,798)
Latvian0%(1,611)
Cape Verdean0%(1,146)
Macedonian0%(730)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
35.7%
+13.2 ptssince 2000
from 22.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.1%
+12.0 ptssince 2000
from 78.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
13.5%
+6.3 ptssince 2000
from 7.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.1 min
+58%since 2000
from 15.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
71.5%
−8.6 ptssince 2009
from 80.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.5%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
16.3%
+12.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.3%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.7%
−5.0 ptssince 2011
from 9.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
62.8%
−1.8 ptssince 2011
from 64.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.7%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 72.3% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
42.6%
+8.7 ptssince 2009
from 33.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.9%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
51.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
9.1%
+2.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.4%
−3.6 ptssince 2009
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.6%
+0.5 ptssince 2012
from 13.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
9.9%
−6.3 ptssince 2013
from 16.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.1%
+14.3 ptssince 2017
from 75.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.9%
+4.2 ptssince 2020
from 90.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
87.3%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 85.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
86.5%
−2.2 ptssince 2016
from 88.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
8.7%
+1.3 ptssince 2016
from 7.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married35.6%(1,516,822)
Married52.8%(2,253,121)
Widowed2.8%(119,764)
Divorced8.8%(376,746)
Women 15+
Never married30.4%(1,384,452)
Married48.9%(2,223,687)
Widowed8.7%(397,144)
Divorced12%(544,132)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
9.9%
−6.3 ptssince 2013
from 16.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
52.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 52.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 15.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
19.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 18.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
18.9%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 18.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.9%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 2.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
67.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 67.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.0%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 34.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)29%(178,729)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)27.4%(168,707)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.4%(193,529)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.6%(22,101)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.6%(3,870)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 615,509 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Largest cities

See all cities in North Carolina →
1.Charlotte964,784
2.Raleigh506,306
3.Greensboro308,667
4.Durham305,561
5.Winston-Salem257,271
6.Fayetteville209,120
7.Cary183,582
8.Wilmington126,809
9.High Point120,571
10.Concord114,598
11.Greenville96,443
12.Asheville93,523
13.Gastonia87,067
14.Apex80,419
15.Jacksonville72,732
16.Huntersville68,535
17.Chapel Hill63,565
18.Kannapolis61,708
19.Burlington61,496
20.Wake Forest58,147
21.Mooresville55,842
22.Rocky Mount55,120
23.Holly Springs50,288
24.Wilson49,572
25.Fuquay-Varina48,536
26.Hickory45,975
27.Indian Trail44,303
28.Monroe42,644
29.Garner41,562
30.Salisbury36,879
31.Leland35,731
32.Cornelius35,094
33.Goldsboro35,012
34.New Bern34,724
35.Sanford34,138
36.Matthews32,769
37.Clayton32,633
38.Morrisville32,466
39.Statesville32,181
40.Mint Hill29,476
41.Kernersville29,128
42.Asheboro27,990
43.Thomasville27,733
44.Shelby23,309
45.Knightdale23,144
Section 03

Metropolitan & micropolitan areas

Metropolitan areas (15)
1.Charlotte2,938,830
2.Raleigh1,595,720
3.Greensboro805,945
4.Winston-Salem712,206
5.Durham625,485
6.Wilmington492,772
7.Asheville422,345
8.Fayetteville395,412
9.Hickory376,890
10.Jacksonville217,175
11.Burlington186,177
12.Greenville182,936
13.Rocky Mount148,486
14.Goldsboro122,278
15.Pinehurst110,619
Micropolitan areas (23)
2.New Bern127,358
3.Lumberton119,941
4.Shelby103,325
5.Wilson81,150
6.Mount Airy72,287
8.Sanford70,258
9.Albemarle68,830
11.Forest City65,745
12.Waynesville63,369
14.Kinston55,837
15.Boone54,786
16.Marion45,198
17.Washington44,670
18.Henderson42,638
20.Rockingham42,041
22.Brevard34,211
23.Laurinburg33,322

Metropolitan areas are built around an urban core of 50,000 or more people; micropolitan areas around a core of 10,000 to 50,000. A statistical area can cross state lines, so each is listed under its primary state.

Frequently asked

How many people live in North Carolina?

North Carolina has about 10,730,404 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in North Carolina?

The typical household in North Carolina earns about $72,388 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is North Carolina expensive?

In North Carolina, the median home is worth about $288,900, and the typical rent is about $1,228 a month.

How educated are people in North Carolina?

About 35.7% of adults age 25 and over in North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in North Carolina?

About 13.0% of people in North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 4,101,767 residents, a change of about 62 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →