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STATE · ADMITTED 1789

North Carolina

10,730,404 residents · 100 counties · 776 cities · 2,672 census tracts
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#9Largest by populationof 5110,730,404#9Fastest growingof 51+2.8%
The short version

North Carolina has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $72,388. Population has grown 33% since 2000. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $288,900.

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
Population, 1990 – 2024
6.2M7.4M8.7M9.9M11.1M1990201020202024North 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%
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
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
RELATED:See current rent listings in North Carolina on RentDataNow
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)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest Mexican population
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%
Self-employed
12.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
42.6%
−20.6 ptssince 2009
from 63.1% 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%
−40.2 ptssince 2009
from 47.6% 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%
−73.9 ptssince 2013
from 83.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.1%
+14.3 ptssince 2017
from 75.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
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 02

Largest cities

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
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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Explore from here

Largest cities
CharlotteRaleighGreensboroDurhamWinston-SalemFayettevilleCaryWilmington
All 100 counties
Wake CountyMecklenburg CountyGuilford CountyForsyth CountyDurham CountyCumberland CountyBuncombe CountyUnion CountyJohnston CountyCabarrus CountyGaston CountyNew Hanover CountyOnslow CountyIredell CountyAlamance CountyPitt CountyDavidson CountyBrunswick CountyCatawba CountyRowan CountyOrange CountyHarnett CountyRandolph CountyHenderson CountyWayne CountyRobeson CountyMoore CountyCraven CountyCleveland CountyNash CountyLincoln CountyRockingham CountyBurke CountyChatham CountyFranklin CountyWilson CountyCaldwell CountySurry CountyPender CountyCarteret CountyLee CountyStanly CountyWilkes CountyRutherford CountyHaywood CountySampson CountyGranville CountyHoke CountyLenoir CountyWatauga CountyDuplin CountyColumbus CountyEdgecombe CountyHalifax CountyStokes CountyDavie CountyMcDowell CountyJackson CountyBeaufort CountyVance CountyPasquotank CountyRichmond CountyPerson CountyMacon CountyYadkin CountyDare CountyAlexander CountyTransylvania CountyScotland CountyCurrituck CountyCherokee CountyBladen CountyAshe CountyMontgomery CountyCaswell CountyMadison CountyAnson CountyMartin CountyGreene CountyPolk CountyYancey CountyHertford CountyWarren CountyAvery CountyBertie CountyNorthampton CountyMitchell CountyChowan CountySwain CountyPerquimans CountyPamlico CountyClay CountyAlleghany CountyCamden CountyWashington CountyGates CountyJones CountyGraham CountyHyde CountyTyrrell County
Metro areas
CharlotteRaleighGreensboroWinston-SalemDurhamWilmingtonAshevilleFayettevilleHickoryJacksonvilleBurlingtonGreenville
Rankings
Highest income cities in North CarolinaFastest growing citiesAll US state rankings

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

How we source and harmonize this data →