Data / Rankings / Residents who moved from another county in the past year / Cities in North Carolina

Cities in North Carolina by residents who moved from another county in the past year

Boone, NC had the highest residents who moved from another county in the past year of 93 cities in 2021, at 31.5%. Roanoke Rapids, NC had the lowest, at 1.8%. The median was 7.2% and the figure for North Carolina was 6.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest31.5Boone, NC
Lowest1.8Roanoke Rapids, NC
Median7.293 cities
North Carolina6.7History

Top 40 cities, 2021

Boone, NC: 31.5 %Boone, NC31.5Jacksonville, NC: 23.2 %Jacksonville, NC23.2Spring Lake, NC: 22.4 %Spring Lake, NC22.4Chapel Hill, NC: 20 %Chapel Hill, NC20Elon, NC: 19.8 %Elon, NC19.8Greenville, NC: 18.4 %Greenville, NC18.4Elizabeth City, NC: 14.9 %Elizabeth City, NC14.9Havelock, NC: 13.3 %Havelock, NC13.3Carrboro, NC: 12.7 %Carrboro, NC12.7Davidson, NC: 12.5 %Davidson, NC12.5Stallings, NC: 11.4 %Stallings, NC11.4Wilmington, NC: 11.4 %Wilmington, NC11.4Pinehurst, NC: 11.3 %Pinehurst, NC11.3Garner, NC: 11.2 %Garner, NC11.2Fayetteville, NC: 11.2 %Fayetteville, NC11.2Mooresville, NC: 11.1 %Mooresville, NC11.1Leland, NC: 10.1 %Leland, NC10.1Morehead City, NC: 9.9 %Morehead City, NC9.9Morrisville, NC: 9.9 %Morrisville, NC9.9Salisbury, NC: 9.8 %Salisbury, NC9.8Weddington, NC: 9.8 %Weddington, NC9.8Hickory, NC: 9.8 %Hickory, NC9.8Clayton, NC: 9.6 %Clayton, NC9.6Waxhaw, NC: 9.6 %Waxhaw, NC9.6Pineville, NC: 9.5 %Pineville, NC9.5Kernersville, NC: 9.5 %Kernersville, NC9.5Durham, NC: 9 %Durham, NC9Lincolnton, NC: 8.8 %Lincolnton, NC8.8Asheville, NC: 8.8 %Asheville, NC8.8Indian Trail, NC: 8.6 %Indian Trail, NC8.6Goldsboro, NC: 8.3 %Goldsboro, NC8.3Southern Pines, NC: 8.3 %Southern Pines, NC8.3Cary, NC: 8.2 %Cary, NC8.2Burlington, NC: 7.9 %Burlington, NC7.9Eden, NC: 7.8 %Eden, NC7.8Hendersonville, NC: 7.8 %Hendersonville, NC7.8Albemarle, NC: 7.8 %Albemarle, NC7.8Thomasville, NC: 7.7 %Thomasville, NC7.7Laurinburg, NC: 7.7 %Laurinburg, NC7.7Rocky Mount, NC: 7.6 %Rocky Mount, NC7.6Boone, NC: 31.5 %Boone, NC31.5Jacksonville, NC: 23.2 %Jacksonville, NC23.2Spring Lake, NC: 22.4 %Spring Lake, NC22.4Chapel Hill, NC: 20 %Chapel Hill, NC20Elon, NC: 19.8 %Elon, NC19.8Greenville, NC: 18.4 %Greenville, NC18.4Elizabeth City, NC: 14.9 %Elizabeth City, NC14.9Havelock, NC: 13.3 %Havelock, NC13.3Carrboro, NC: 12.7 %Carrboro, NC12.7Davidson, NC: 12.5 %Davidson, NC12.5Stallings, NC: 11.4 %Stallings, NC11.4Wilmington, NC: 11.4 %Wilmington, NC11.4Pinehurst, NC: 11.3 %Pinehurst, NC11.3Garner, NC: 11.2 %Garner, NC11.2Fayetteville, NC: 11.2 %Fayetteville, NC11.2Mooresville, NC: 11.1 %Mooresville, NC11.1Leland, NC: 10.1 %Leland, NC10.1Morehead City, NC: 9.9 %Morehead City, NC9.9Morrisville, NC: 9.9 %Morrisville, NC9.9Salisbury, NC: 9.8 %Salisbury, NC9.8Weddington, NC: 9.8 %Weddington, NC9.8Hickory, NC: 9.8 %Hickory, NC9.8Clayton, NC: 9.6 %Clayton, NC9.6Waxhaw, NC: 9.6 %Waxhaw, NC9.6Pineville, NC: 9.5 %Pineville, NC9.5Kernersville, NC: 9.5 %Kernersville, NC9.5Durham, NC: 9 %Durham, NC9Lincolnton, NC: 8.8 %Lincolnton, NC8.8Asheville, NC: 8.8 %Asheville, NC8.8Indian Trail, NC: 8.6 %Indian Trail, NC8.6Goldsboro, NC: 8.3 %Goldsboro, NC8.3Southern Pines, NC: 8.3 %Southern Pines, NC8.3Cary, NC: 8.2 %Cary, NC8.2Burlington, NC: 7.9 %Burlington, NC7.9Eden, NC: 7.8 %Eden, NC7.8Hendersonville, NC: 7.8 %Hendersonville, NC7.8Albemarle, NC: 7.8 %Albemarle, NC7.8Thomasville, NC: 7.7 %Thomasville, NC7.7Laurinburg, NC: 7.7 %Laurinburg, NC7.7Rocky Mount, NC: 7.6 %Rocky Mount, NC7.6
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2021 (%)
1Boone, NC31.5
2Jacksonville, NC23.2
3Spring Lake, NC22.4
4Chapel Hill, NC20
5Elon, NC19.8
6Greenville, NC18.4
7Elizabeth City, NC14.9
8Havelock, NC13.3
9Carrboro, NC12.7
10Davidson, NC12.5
11Stallings, NC11.4
12Wilmington, NC11.4
13Pinehurst, NC11.3
14Garner, NC11.2
15Fayetteville, NC11.2
16Mooresville, NC11.1
17Leland, NC10.1
18Morehead City, NC9.9
19Morrisville, NC9.9
20Salisbury, NC9.8
21Weddington, NC9.8
22Hickory, NC9.8
23Clayton, NC9.6
24Waxhaw, NC9.6
25Pineville, NC9.5
26Kernersville, NC9.5
27Durham, NC9
28Lincolnton, NC8.8
29Asheville, NC8.8
30Indian Trail, NC8.6
31Goldsboro, NC8.3
32Southern Pines, NC8.3
33Cary, NC8.2
34Burlington, NC7.9
35Eden, NC7.8
36Hendersonville, NC7.8
37Albemarle, NC7.8
38Thomasville, NC7.7
39Laurinburg, NC7.7
40Rocky Mount, NC7.6
41Wake Forest, NC7.6
42Mount Airy, NC7.5
43Raleigh, NC7.4
44Mount Holly, NC7.4
45Wendell, NC7.3
46Kings Mountain, NC7.2
46Newton, NC7.2
48Huntersville, NC7.1
49Greensboro, NC7.1
50Shelby, NC7
51Kannapolis, NC7
52High Point, NC7
52New Bern, NC7
54Apex, NC6.9
55Concord, NC6.5
56Cornelius, NC6.4
57Matthews, NC6.4
58Winston-Salem, NC6.3
59Waynesville, NC6.3
60Belmont, NC6.1
61Wilson, NC6.1
62Fuquay-Varina, NC6.1
62Gastonia, NC6.1
64Archdale, NC6
65Charlotte, NC6
66Mebane, NC5.9
67Monroe, NC5.9
68Lexington, NC5.9
69Hope Mills, NC5.8
70Winterville, NC5.8
71Holly Springs, NC5.7
72Harrisburg, NC5.5
73Henderson, NC5.4
74Sanford, NC5.2
75Aberdeen, NC5.2
76Morganton, NC5.1
77Reidsville, NC5
78Statesville, NC5
79Mint Hill, NC4.9
80Clemmons, NC4.9
81Lumberton, NC4.6
82Kinston, NC4.5
83Rolesville, NC4.3
84Smithfield, NC4
85Graham, NC4
86Lenoir, NC3.9
87Knightdale, NC3.8
88Asheboro, NC3.8
89Zebulon, NC2.7
90Lewisville, NC2.7
91Summerfield, NC2.6
92Tarboro, NC2.1
93Roanoke Rapids, NC1.8

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 1 and over who lived in a different US county one year earlier, in the same state or another state, as a percentage of all people aged 1 and over living in the area. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Counts people who arrived, not net migration: people who left are not subtracted. Moves from abroad are left out. Includes moves from other states, which moved_from_other_state_share shows alone.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B07003: people aged 1 and over who moved from a different county in the past year, as a percentage of the population aged 1 and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b07003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B07003: people aged 1 and over who moved from a different county in the past year, as a percentage of the population aged 1 and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in North Carolina by residents who moved from another county in the past year, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b07003.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B07003: people aged 1 and over who moved from a different county in the past year, as a percentage of the population aged 1 and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in North Carolina by residents who moved from another county in the past year, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b07003.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/moved-from-another-county/north-carolina-cities?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B07003: people aged 1 and over who moved from a different county in the past year, as a percentage of the population aged 1 and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in North Carolina by residents who moved from another county in the past year, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b07003.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/moved-from-another-county/north-carolina-cities?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B07003: people aged 1 and over who moved from a different county in the past year, as a percentage of the population aged 1 and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in North Carolina by residents who moved from another county in the past year, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b07003.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/moved-from-another-county/north-carolina-cities?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_north_carolina_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B07003: people aged 1 and over who moved from a different county in the past year, as a percentage of the population aged 1 and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in North Carolina by residents who moved from another county in the past year, 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b07003.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/moved-from-another-county/north-carolina-cities?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B07003: people aged 1 and over who moved from a different county in the past year, as a percentage of the population aged 1 and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b07003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B07003: people aged 1 and over who moved from a different county in the past year, as a percentage of the population aged 1 and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in North Carolina by residents who moved from another county in the past year, 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b07003.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/moved-from-another-county/north-carolina-cities?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/moved-from-another-county/north-carolina-cities?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B07003: people aged 1 and over who moved from a different county in the past year, as a percentage of the population aged 1 and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b07003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Cities in North Carolina by residents who moved from another county in the past year using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"moved_from_other_county_share","level":"municipality","within":"North Carolina","limit":10}
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Questions

Which city has the highest residents who moved from another county in the past year?

Boone, NC, with 31.5% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest residents who moved from another county in the past year?

Roanoke Rapids, NC, with 1.8% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B07003: people aged 1 and over who moved from a different county in the past year, as a percentage of the population aged 1 and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Residents who moved from another county in the past year: other rankings

Cities in North Carolina: more rankings