Census ACS 2023 · 100 counties
Largest Counties in North Carolina
North Carolina has 100 counties with Census data available. The largest is Wake County with a population of 1,151,009. County-level data is important because counties are the primary unit of local government in most states, responsible for courts, elections, public health, and infrastructure. Population distribution across counties reveals where growth is concentrated and where rural decline may be occurring.
Source: Census ACS 2023 5-Year Estimates
| # | County | Population | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yancey County | 18,676 | $54,961 |
| 2 | Yadkin County | 37,419 | $60,321 |
| 3 | Wilson County | 78,648 | $51,381 |
| 4 | Wilkes County | 65,983 | $50,438 |
| 5 | Wayne County | 117,606 | $58,082 |
| 6 | Watauga County | 54,607 | $51,367 |
| 7 | Washington County | 10,905 | $41,750 |
| 8 | Warren County | 18,751 | $45,279 |
| 9 | Wake County | 1,151,009 | $101,763 |
| 10 | Vance County | 42,361 | $46,943 |
| 11 | Union County | 244,975 | $99,243 |
| 12 | Tyrrell County | 3,376 | $43,952 |
| 13 | Transylvania County | 33,243 | $64,523 |
| 14 | Swain County | 14,065 | $55,429 |
| 15 | Surry County | 71,407 | $56,095 |
| 16 | Stokes County | 44,889 | $60,039 |
| 17 | Stanly County | 63,557 | $61,631 |
| 18 | Scotland County | 34,353 | $43,500 |
| 19 | Sampson County | 59,245 | $53,159 |
| 20 | Rutherford County | 64,850 | $49,771 |
| 21 | Rowan County | 148,487 | $63,196 |
| 22 | Rockingham County | 91,585 | $55,796 |
| 23 | Robeson County | 116,858 | $40,318 |
| 24 | Richmond County | 42,818 | $43,626 |
| 25 | Randolph County | 145,322 | $59,047 |
| 26 | Polk County | 19,689 | $61,005 |
| 27 | Pitt County | 172,279 | $58,851 |
| 28 | Person County | 39,275 | $64,927 |
| 29 | Perquimans County | 13,146 | $61,224 |
| 30 | Pender County | 63,475 | $76,838 |
| 31 | Pasquotank County | 40,830 | $63,912 |
| 32 | Pamlico County | 12,315 | $61,624 |
| 33 | Orange County | 147,292 | $88,553 |
| 34 | Onslow County | 208,537 | $64,568 |
| 35 | Northampton County | 17,212 | $47,935 |
| 36 | New Hanover County | 231,214 | $72,892 |
| 37 | NASH County | 95,451 | $60,704 |
| 38 | Moore County | 102,840 | $82,837 |
| 39 | Montgomery County | 25,874 | $55,849 |
| 40 | Mitchell County | 14,973 | $58,089 |
| 41 | Mecklenburg County | 1,130,906 | $83,765 |
| 42 | McDowell County | 44,679 | $55,527 |
| 43 | Martin County | 21,773 | $46,793 |
| 44 | Madison County | 21,640 | $58,628 |
| 45 | Macon County | 37,533 | $53,298 |
| 46 | Lincoln County | 90,359 | $78,490 |
| 47 | Lenoir County | 54,917 | $44,795 |
| 48 | Lee County | 64,565 | $63,060 |
| 49 | Jones County | 9,245 | $55,659 |
| 50 | Johnston County | 226,623 | $79,838 |
| 51 | Jackson County | 43,089 | $53,479 |
| 52 | Iredell County | 191,800 | $78,678 |
| 53 | Hyde County | 4,625 | $47,338 |
| 54 | Hoke County | 53,102 | $60,095 |
| 55 | Hertford County | 20,492 | $47,472 |
| 56 | Henderson County | 117,387 | $67,623 |
| 57 | Haywood County | 62,432 | $61,001 |
| 58 | Harnett County | 136,503 | $69,012 |
| 59 | Halifax County | 48,219 | $45,071 |
| 60 | Guilford County | 542,987 | $66,027 |
| 61 | Greene County | 20,421 | $50,904 |
| 62 | Granville County | 61,439 | $70,975 |
| 63 | Graham County | 8,041 | $49,038 |
| 64 | Gates County | 10,437 | $61,612 |
| 65 | Gaston County | 231,485 | $65,472 |
| 66 | Franklin County | 71,962 | $71,386 |
| 67 | Forsyth County | 386,740 | $65,541 |
| 68 | Edgecombe County | 48,777 | $48,480 |
| 69 | Durham County | 329,405 | $79,501 |
| 70 | Duplin County | 49,053 | $51,880 |
| 71 | Davie County | 43,526 | $73,234 |
| 72 | Davidson County | 171,063 | $62,426 |
| 73 | Dare County | 37,534 | $81,214 |
| 74 | Currituck County | 29,612 | $91,548 |
| 75 | Cumberland County | 336,749 | $58,780 |
| 76 | Craven County | 101,074 | $64,635 |
| 77 | Columbus County | 50,453 | $48,184 |
| 78 | Cleveland County | 100,170 | $55,769 |
| 79 | Clay County | 11,391 | $53,645 |
| 80 | Chowan County | 13,814 | $56,982 |
| 81 | Cherokee County | 29,197 | $51,496 |
| 82 | Chatham County | 78,319 | $88,534 |
| 83 | Catawba County | 162,051 | $64,544 |
| 84 | Caswell County | 22,689 | $59,407 |
| 85 | Carteret County | 68,652 | $70,235 |
| 86 | Camden County | 10,743 | $87,781 |
| 87 | Caldwell County | 80,618 | $55,401 |
| 88 | Cabarrus County | 231,262 | $86,084 |
| 89 | Burke County | 87,863 | $55,684 |
| 90 | Buncombe County | 271,790 | $70,578 |
| 91 | Brunswick County | 145,889 | $74,034 |
| 92 | Bladen County | 29,591 | $44,528 |
| 93 | Bertie County | 17,482 | $45,931 |
| 94 | Beaufort County | 44,597 | $57,997 |
| 95 | Avery County | 17,643 | $57,657 |
| 96 | Ashe County | 26,831 | $50,827 |
| 97 | Anson County | 21,903 | $44,245 |
| 98 | Alleghany County | 11,075 | $44,272 |
| 99 | Alexander County | 36,440 | $65,268 |
| 100 | Alamance County | 174,286 | $64,445 |
More Rankings for North Carolina
Frequently Asked Questions
Wake County is the #1 ranked county in North Carolina by population, with a value of 1,151,009 according to Census ACS 2023 data.
North Carolina has 100 counties tracked in Census ACS 2023 data.
All data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-Year estimates by the US Census Bureau.
Data from the American Community Survey 2023 5-Year estimates. Covers all counties in North Carolina.