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 2023, at 32.4%. Rolesville, NC had the lowest, at 0.8%. The median was 7.2% and the figure for North Carolina was 6.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest32.4Boone, NC
Median7.293 cities
North Carolina6.8History

Top 40 cities, 2023

Boone, NC: 32.4 %Boone, NC32.4Elon, NC: 22.2 %Elon, NC22.2Spring Lake, NC: 20.2 %Spring Lake, NC20.2Jacksonville, NC: 19.2 %Jacksonville, NC19.2Chapel Hill, NC: 18.3 %Chapel Hill, NC18.3Greenville, NC: 16.5 %Greenville, NC16.5Wilmington, NC: 12.6 %Wilmington, NC12.6Elizabeth City, NC: 12.3 %Elizabeth City, NC12.3Davidson, NC: 12.1 %Davidson, NC12.1Havelock, NC: 12 %Havelock, NC12Carrboro, NC: 11.9 %Carrboro, NC11.9Morrisville, NC: 11.6 %Morrisville, NC11.6Mooresville, NC: 10.6 %Mooresville, NC10.6Morehead City, NC: 10.5 %Morehead City, NC10.5Waxhaw, NC: 10.3 %Waxhaw, NC10.3Fayetteville, NC: 10.3 %Fayetteville, NC10.3Kernersville, NC: 10.1 %Kernersville, NC10.1Garner, NC: 10 %Garner, NC10Pinehurst, NC: 9.4 %Pinehurst, NC9.4Southern Pines, NC: 9.3 %Southern Pines, NC9.3Clayton, NC: 9.2 %Clayton, NC9.2Asheville, NC: 9.1 %Asheville, NC9.1Wilson, NC: 9 %Wilson, NC9Stallings, NC: 9 %Stallings, NC9Burlington, NC: 8.9 %Burlington, NC8.9Hickory, NC: 8.9 %Hickory, NC8.9Salisbury, NC: 8.9 %Salisbury, NC8.9Albemarle, NC: 8.8 %Albemarle, NC8.8Weddington, NC: 8.8 %Weddington, NC8.8Durham, NC: 8.8 %Durham, NC8.8Aberdeen, NC: 8.7 %Aberdeen, NC8.7Belmont, NC: 8.4 %Belmont, NC8.4Laurinburg, NC: 8.4 %Laurinburg, NC8.4Hendersonville, NC: 8.3 %Hendersonville, NC8.3Leland, NC: 8.3 %Leland, NC8.3Newton, NC: 8 %Newton, NC8Raleigh, NC: 7.7 %Raleigh, NC7.7Cary, NC: 7.7 %Cary, NC7.7Rocky Mount, NC: 7.6 %Rocky Mount, NC7.6Mebane, NC: 7.6 %Mebane, NC7.6Boone, NC: 32.4 %Boone, NC32.4Elon, NC: 22.2 %Elon, NC22.2Spring Lake, NC: 20.2 %Spring Lake, NC20.2Jacksonville, NC: 19.2 %Jacksonville, NC19.2Chapel Hill, NC: 18.3 %Chapel Hill, NC18.3Greenville, NC: 16.5 %Greenville, NC16.5Wilmington, NC: 12.6 %Wilmington, NC12.6Elizabeth City, NC: 12.3 %Elizabeth City, NC12.3Davidson, NC: 12.1 %Davidson, NC12.1Havelock, NC: 12 %Havelock, NC12Carrboro, NC: 11.9 %Carrboro, NC11.9Morrisville, NC: 11.6 %Morrisville, NC11.6Mooresville, NC: 10.6 %Mooresville, NC10.6Morehead City, NC: 10.5 %Morehead City, NC10.5Waxhaw, NC: 10.3 %Waxhaw, NC10.3Fayetteville, NC: 10.3 %Fayetteville, NC10.3Kernersville, NC: 10.1 %Kernersville, NC10.1Garner, NC: 10 %Garner, NC10Pinehurst, NC: 9.4 %Pinehurst, NC9.4Southern Pines, NC: 9.3 %Southern Pines, NC9.3Clayton, NC: 9.2 %Clayton, NC9.2Asheville, NC: 9.1 %Asheville, NC9.1Wilson, NC: 9 %Wilson, NC9Stallings, NC: 9 %Stallings, NC9Burlington, NC: 8.9 %Burlington, NC8.9Hickory, NC: 8.9 %Hickory, NC8.9Salisbury, NC: 8.9 %Salisbury, NC8.9Albemarle, NC: 8.8 %Albemarle, NC8.8Weddington, NC: 8.8 %Weddington, NC8.8Durham, NC: 8.8 %Durham, NC8.8Aberdeen, NC: 8.7 %Aberdeen, NC8.7Belmont, NC: 8.4 %Belmont, NC8.4Laurinburg, NC: 8.4 %Laurinburg, NC8.4Hendersonville, NC: 8.3 %Hendersonville, NC8.3Leland, NC: 8.3 %Leland, NC8.3Newton, NC: 8 %Newton, NC8Raleigh, NC: 7.7 %Raleigh, NC7.7Cary, NC: 7.7 %Cary, NC7.7Rocky Mount, NC: 7.6 %Rocky Mount, NC7.6Mebane, NC: 7.6 %Mebane, NC7.6
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Boone, NC32.4+0.8 pts
2Elon, NC22.2-2.2 pts
3Spring Lake, NC20.2-2.7 pts
4Jacksonville, NC19.2-1.8 pts
5Chapel Hill, NC18.3+1.2 pts
6Greenville, NC16.5-1 pts
7Wilmington, NC12.6+1.1 pts
8Elizabeth City, NC12.3+0.1 pts
9Davidson, NC12.1-0.9 pts
10Havelock, NC12+0.5 pts
11Carrboro, NC11.9+0.9 pts
12Morrisville, NC11.6+0.8 pts
13Mooresville, NC10.6+0.2 pts
14Morehead City, NC10.5+2.1 pts
15Waxhaw, NC10.3-0.2 pts
16Fayetteville, NC10.3-0.5 pts
17Kernersville, NC10.1+0.8 pts
18Garner, NC10-0.5 pts
19Pinehurst, NC9.4-1.3 pts
20Southern Pines, NC9.3-0.3 pts
21Clayton, NC9.2-0.4 pts
22Asheville, NC9.1-0.2 pts
23Wilson, NC9+1.3 pts
24Stallings, NC9-1.7 pts
25Burlington, NC8.90 pts
26Hickory, NC8.9-0.7 pts
26Salisbury, NC8.9-0.8 pts
28Albemarle, NC8.8+0.2 pts
29Weddington, NC8.8+0.4 pts
30Durham, NC8.80 pts
31Aberdeen, NC8.7+1.2 pts
32Belmont, NC8.4+0.9 pts
33Laurinburg, NC8.4-0.4 pts
34Hendersonville, NC8.3-0.5 pts
35Leland, NC8.3-1.2 pts
36Newton, NC8+2.1 pts
37Raleigh, NC7.7-0.1 pts
38Cary, NC7.7-0.4 pts
39Rocky Mount, NC7.6+0.2 pts
40Mebane, NC7.6+0.9 pts
41Goldsboro, NC7.5-0.2 pts
42Indian Trail, NC7.4-0.7 pts
43Kannapolis, NC7.4+0.2 pts
44High Point, NC7.3-0.3 pts
45Huntersville, NC7.3-0.2 pts
46Hope Mills, NC7.3+0.5 pts
47New Bern, NC7.20 pts
48Greensboro, NC7.1-0.3 pts
49Concord, NC7+0.4 pts
50Winterville, NC6.9+0.3 pts
51Winston-Salem, NC6.8-0 pts
52Kings Mountain, NC6.8-0.7 pts
53Charlotte, NC6.7+0.2 pts
54Mount Holly, NC6.6+0.2 pts
55Reidsville, NC6.6+0.4 pts
56Sanford, NC6.6+0.7 pts
57Waynesville, NC6.5+0.6 pts
58Eden, NC6.3-0.9 pts
59Lincolnton, NC6.2-2.9 pts
60Knightdale, NC6.2+1.9 pts
61Pineville, NC6.2-0.5 pts
62Fuquay-Varina, NC6.1-0.2 pts
63Matthews, NC6.1+0.3 pts
64Wake Forest, NC6.1-0.9 pts
64Zebulon, NC6.1+4.1 pts
66Henderson, NC6+0.4 pts
67Shelby, NC6-0.4 pts
68Summerfield, NC5.9+2.1 pts
69Monroe, NC5.7+0.1 pts
70Tarboro, NC5.7+2 pts
71Wendell, NC5.7-0.2 pts
72Cornelius, NC5.4-0.9 pts
73Apex, NC5.3-0.7 pts
74Thomasville, NC5.2-1.5 pts
75Mount Airy, NC5.2-1.5 pts
76Morganton, NC5.2-0.7 pts
77Statesville, NC5.1-0.6 pts
78Gastonia, NC4.9-0.6 pts
78Lexington, NC4.9-0.5 pts
80Holly Springs, NC4.7-0.1 pts
81Archdale, NC4.6-1.1 pts
82Graham, NC4.4-0.5 pts
83Lumberton, NC4.40 pts
84Lenoir, NC4.1-0.2 pts
85Harrisburg, NC3.9-1.1 pts
85Mint Hill, NC3.9+0.5 pts
87Clemmons, NC3.8-0.8 pts
88Asheboro, NC3.7-0.2 pts
89Kinston, NC3.5-0.6 pts
90Smithfield, NC3.4-0.2 pts
91Lewisville, NC2.6-0.1 pts
92Roanoke Rapids, NC2.3+0.3 pts
93Rolesville, NC0.8-2.1 pts

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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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, 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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, 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b07003.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/moved-from-another-county/north-carolina-cities?period=2023. 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, 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b07003.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/moved-from-another-county/north-carolina-cities?period=2023.

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, 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b07003.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/moved-from-another-county/north-carolina-cities?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_north_carolina_2023,
  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, 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b07003.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/moved-from-another-county/north-carolina-cities?period=2023. 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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, 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b07003.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/moved-from-another-county/north-carolina-cities?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/moved-from-another-county/north-carolina-cities?period=2023.
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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=moved_from_other_county_share&level=municipality&within=North%20Carolina&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 32.4% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Rolesville, NC, with 0.8% in 2023.

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