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

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

Watauga County had the highest residents who moved from another county in the past year of 100 counties in 2021, at 15.4%. Wilkes County had the lowest, at 2.1%. The median was 6% and the figure for North Carolina was 6.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest15.4Watauga County
Lowest2.1Wilkes County
Median6100 counties
North Carolina6.7History

Map of counties, 2021

Alamance County: 6 %Alexander County: 5.1 %Alleghany County: 3.2 %Anson County: 6.7 %Ashe County: 2.7 %Avery County: 9.3 %Beaufort County: 2.9 %Bertie County: 6.9 %Bladen County: 2.7 %Brunswick County: 8.2 %Buncombe County: 6.1 %Burke County: 4.5 %Cabarrus County: 6.4 %Caldwell County: 4.6 %Camden County: 5.6 %Carteret County: 7.7 %Caswell County: 4.8 %Catawba County: 5.9 %Chatham County: 5.7 %Cherokee County: 5.7 %Chowan County: 6 %Clay County: 2.6 %Cleveland County: 5.6 %Columbus County: 4.9 %Craven County: 7.2 %Cumberland County: 9.8 %Currituck County: 7.9 %Dare County: 5.4 %Davidson County: 5 %Davie County: 5.8 %Duplin County: 4.6 %Durham County: 8.7 %Edgecombe County: 3.9 %Forsyth County: 6.1 %Franklin County: 7.8 %Gaston County: 5.1 %Gates County: 5.8 %Graham County: 3.2 %Granville County: 6.9 %Greene County: 9.8 %Guilford County: 6.4 %Halifax County: 2.8 %Harnett County: 9.9 %Haywood County: 6.1 %Henderson County: 6.7 %Hertford County: 8.7 %Hoke County: 8.9 %Hyde County: 5.4 %Iredell County: 6.9 %Jackson County: 13.4 %Johnston County: 5.5 %Jones County: 6.6 %Lee County: 4.7 %Lenoir County: 5 %Lincoln County: 6.5 %McDowell County: 4.4 %Macon County: 7.1 %Madison County: 6.8 %Martin County: 5.5 %Mecklenburg County: 6.2 %Mitchell County: 4.1 %Montgomery County: 5.7 %Moore County: 8.3 %Nash County: 6 %New Hanover County: 8.8 %Northampton County: 6.6 %Onslow County: 14.2 %Orange County: 12.4 %Pamlico County: 4.7 %Pasquotank County: 9.5 %Pender County: 8.8 %Perquimans County: 6.2 %Person County: 3.9 %Pitt County: 11.6 %Polk County: 9.3 %Randolph County: 4.2 %Richmond County: 5.4 %Robeson County: 3.1 %Rockingham County: 5 %Rowan County: 5.8 %Rutherford County: 6.2 %Sampson County: 3.5 %Scotland County: 5.7 %Stanly County: 5.8 %Stokes County: 4.5 %Surry County: 3.7 %Swain County: 7.2 %Transylvania County: 6.8 %Tyrrell County: 11 %Union County: 7 %Vance County: 5.1 %Wake County: 6.7 %Warren County: 6.8 %Washington County: 7.3 %Watauga County: 15.4 %Wayne County: 6.3 %Wilkes County: 2.1 %Wilson County: 4.7 %Yadkin County: 3.6 %Yancey County: 5.1 %
  • Under 4.4
  • 4.4 to 5.4
  • 5.4 to 6
  • 6 to 6.7
  • 6.7 to 8.5
  • 8.5 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Watauga County: 15.4 %Watauga County15.4Onslow County: 14.2 %Onslow County14.2Jackson County: 13.4 %Jackson County13.4Orange County: 12.4 %Orange County12.4Pitt County: 11.6 %Pitt County11.6Tyrrell County: 11 %Tyrrell County11Harnett County: 9.9 %Harnett County9.9Greene County: 9.8 %Greene County9.8Cumberland County: 9.8 %Cumberland County9.8Pasquotank County: 9.5 %Pasquotank County9.5Polk County: 9.3 %Polk County9.3Avery County: 9.3 %Avery County9.3Hoke County: 8.9 %Hoke County8.9New Hanover County: 8.8 %New Hanover County8.8Pender County: 8.8 %Pender County8.8Durham County: 8.7 %Durham County8.7Hertford County: 8.7 %Hertford County8.7Moore County: 8.3 %Moore County8.3Brunswick County: 8.2 %Brunswick County8.2Currituck County: 7.9 %Currituck County7.9Franklin County: 7.8 %Franklin County7.8Carteret County: 7.7 %Carteret County7.7Washington County: 7.3 %Washington County7.3Swain County: 7.2 %Swain County7.2Craven County: 7.2 %Craven County7.2Macon County: 7.1 %Macon County7.1Union County: 7 %Union County7Granville County: 6.9 %Granville County6.9Iredell County: 6.9 %Iredell County6.9Bertie County: 6.9 %Bertie County6.9Transylvania County: 6.8 %Transylvania County6.8Warren County: 6.8 %Warren County6.8Madison County: 6.8 %Madison County6.8Henderson County: 6.7 %Henderson County6.7Anson County: 6.7 %Anson County6.7Wake County: 6.7 %Wake County6.7Jones County: 6.6 %Jones County6.6Northampton County: 6.6 %Northampton County6.6Lincoln County: 6.5 %Lincoln County6.5Cabarrus County: 6.4 %Cabarrus County6.4Watauga County: 15.4 %Watauga County15.4Onslow County: 14.2 %Onslow County14.2Jackson County: 13.4 %Jackson County13.4Orange County: 12.4 %Orange County12.4Pitt County: 11.6 %Pitt County11.6Tyrrell County: 11 %Tyrrell County11Harnett County: 9.9 %Harnett County9.9Greene County: 9.8 %Greene County9.8Cumberland County: 9.8 %Cumberland County9.8Pasquotank County: 9.5 %Pasquotank County9.5Polk County: 9.3 %Polk County9.3Avery County: 9.3 %Avery County9.3Hoke County: 8.9 %Hoke County8.9New Hanover County: 8.8 %New Hanover County8.8Pender County: 8.8 %Pender County8.8Durham County: 8.7 %Durham County8.7Hertford County: 8.7 %Hertford County8.7Moore County: 8.3 %Moore County8.3Brunswick County: 8.2 %Brunswick County8.2Currituck County: 7.9 %Currituck County7.9Franklin County: 7.8 %Franklin County7.8Carteret County: 7.7 %Carteret County7.7Washington County: 7.3 %Washington County7.3Swain County: 7.2 %Swain County7.2Craven County: 7.2 %Craven County7.2Macon County: 7.1 %Macon County7.1Union County: 7 %Union County7Granville County: 6.9 %Granville County6.9Iredell County: 6.9 %Iredell County6.9Bertie County: 6.9 %Bertie County6.9Transylvania County: 6.8 %Transylvania County6.8Warren County: 6.8 %Warren County6.8Madison County: 6.8 %Madison County6.8Henderson County: 6.7 %Henderson County6.7Anson County: 6.7 %Anson County6.7Wake County: 6.7 %Wake County6.7Jones County: 6.6 %Jones County6.6Northampton County: 6.6 %Northampton County6.6Lincoln County: 6.5 %Lincoln County6.5Cabarrus County: 6.4 %Cabarrus County6.4
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Watauga County15.4
2Onslow County14.2
3Jackson County13.4
4Orange County12.4
5Pitt County11.6
6Tyrrell County11
7Harnett County9.9
8Greene County9.8
9Cumberland County9.8
10Pasquotank County9.5
11Polk County9.3
12Avery County9.3
13Hoke County8.9
14New Hanover County8.8
14Pender County8.8
16Durham County8.7
17Hertford County8.7
18Moore County8.3
19Brunswick County8.2
20Currituck County7.9
21Franklin County7.8
22Carteret County7.7
23Washington County7.3
24Swain County7.2
25Craven County7.2
26Macon County7.1
27Union County7
28Granville County6.9
28Iredell County6.9
30Bertie County6.9
31Transylvania County6.8
32Warren County6.8
33Madison County6.8
34Henderson County6.7
35Anson County6.7
35Wake County6.7
37Jones County6.6
38Northampton County6.6
39Lincoln County6.5
40Cabarrus County6.4
41Guilford County6.4
42Wayne County6.3
43Mecklenburg County6.2
43Perquimans County6.2
45Rutherford County6.2
46Haywood County6.1
47Buncombe County6.1
47Forsyth County6.1
49Alamance County6
50Chowan County6
51Nash County6
52Catawba County5.9
53Gates County5.8
54Davie County5.8
54Stanly County5.8
56Rowan County5.8
57Chatham County5.7
57Scotland County5.7
59Cherokee County5.7
60Montgomery County5.7
61Camden County5.6
62Cleveland County5.6
63Martin County5.5
64Johnston County5.5
65Richmond County5.4
66Hyde County5.4
67Dare County5.4
68Gaston County5.1
69Alexander County5.1
69Vance County5.1
71Yancey County5.1
72Rockingham County5
73Lenoir County5
74Davidson County5
75Columbus County4.9
76Caswell County4.8
77Wilson County4.7
78Pamlico County4.7
79Lee County4.7
80Caldwell County4.6
81Duplin County4.6
82Stokes County4.5
83Burke County4.5
84McDowell County4.4
85Randolph County4.2
86Mitchell County4.1
87Edgecombe County3.9
88Person County3.9
89Surry County3.7
90Yadkin County3.6
91Sampson County3.5
92Graham County3.2
93Alleghany County3.2
94Robeson County3.1
95Beaufort County2.9
96Halifax County2.8
97Bladen County2.7
98Ashe County2.7
99Clay County2.6
100Wilkes County2.1

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 counties 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. 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 (Counties 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, Counties 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-counties?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. Counties 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-counties?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, Counties 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-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_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: Counties 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-counties?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. 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: Counties 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-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/moved-from-another-county/north-carolina-counties?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. 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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Questions

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

Watauga County, with 15.4% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Wilkes County, with 2.1% 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. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings