Counties in North Carolina by population aged 18 to 64

Watauga County had the highest population aged 18 to 64 of 100 counties in 2023, at 70.1%. Clay County had the lowest, at 49%. The median was 57.4% and the figure for North Carolina was 60.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest70.1Watauga County
Lowest49Clay County
Median57.4100 counties
North Carolina60.3History

Map of counties, 2023

Alamance County: 60.2 %Alexander County: 59.3 %Alleghany County: 52.4 %Anson County: 58.6 %Ashe County: 54.9 %Avery County: 58.3 %Beaufort County: 52.9 %Bertie County: 57.4 %Bladen County: 55.3 %Brunswick County: 50.3 %Buncombe County: 60.5 %Burke County: 58.2 %Cabarrus County: 60.8 %Caldwell County: 58.2 %Camden County: 59.1 %Carteret County: 54.6 %Caswell County: 57.2 %Catawba County: 59.2 %Chatham County: 54 %Cherokee County: 51.6 %Chowan County: 52.8 %Clay County: 49 %Cleveland County: 58.2 %Columbus County: 57.3 %Craven County: 56.4 %Cumberland County: 61.2 %Currituck County: 58.7 %Dare County: 55.5 %Davidson County: 58.5 %Davie County: 56.3 %Duplin County: 54.8 %Durham County: 65.3 %Edgecombe County: 55.3 %Forsyth County: 59.8 %Franklin County: 59.6 %Gaston County: 60.4 %Gates County: 57.5 %Graham County: 53.5 %Granville County: 60.9 %Greene County: 62 %Guilford County: 61.3 %Halifax County: 55.7 %Harnett County: 59.9 %Haywood County: 55.7 %Henderson County: 53.8 %Hertford County: 54.9 %Hoke County: 60.3 %Hyde County: 58.4 %Iredell County: 60.2 %Jackson County: 63.5 %Johnston County: 60.7 %Jones County: 55 %Lee County: 58.2 %Lenoir County: 55.5 %Lincoln County: 58.9 %McDowell County: 58.6 %Macon County: 51.9 %Madison County: 58.6 %Martin County: 53.5 %Mecklenburg County: 64.9 %Mitchell County: 55.8 %Montgomery County: 55.9 %Moore County: 53.4 %Nash County: 57.7 %New Hanover County: 62 %Northampton County: 51.5 %Onslow County: 63.7 %Orange County: 64.6 %Pamlico County: 52.5 %Pasquotank County: 59.3 %Pender County: 57.8 %Perquimans County: 53.3 %Person County: 56.9 %Pitt County: 63.1 %Polk County: 51.5 %Randolph County: 58.3 %Richmond County: 56.8 %Robeson County: 57.1 %Rockingham County: 57.2 %Rowan County: 59.4 %Rutherford County: 57.1 %Sampson County: 56.5 %Scotland County: 56.5 %Stanly County: 58.6 %Stokes County: 57.3 %Surry County: 56.7 %Swain County: 56.5 %Transylvania County: 52.6 %Tyrrell County: 58.1 %Union County: 60 %Vance County: 55.6 %Wake County: 63.6 %Warren County: 53.6 %Washington County: 51.6 %Watauga County: 70.1 %Wayne County: 57.9 %Wilkes County: 56.2 %Wilson County: 57.4 %Yadkin County: 57.6 %Yancey County: 55.1 %
  • Under 54
  • 54 to 56
  • 56 to 57
  • 57 to 59
  • 59 to 60
  • 60 and over
%, 2023. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2023

Watauga County: 70.1 %Watauga County70.1Durham County: 65.3 %Durham County65.3Mecklenburg County: 64.9 %Mecklenburg County64.9Orange County: 64.6 %Orange County64.6Onslow County: 63.7 %Onslow County63.7Wake County: 63.6 %Wake County63.6Jackson County: 63.5 %Jackson County63.5Pitt County: 63.1 %Pitt County63.1New Hanover County: 62 %New Hanover County62Greene County: 62 %Greene County62Guilford County: 61.3 %Guilford County61.3Cumberland County: 61.2 %Cumberland County61.2Granville County: 60.9 %Granville County60.9Cabarrus County: 60.8 %Cabarrus County60.8Johnston County: 60.7 %Johnston County60.7Buncombe County: 60.5 %Buncombe County60.5Gaston County: 60.4 %Gaston County60.4Hoke County: 60.3 %Hoke County60.3Iredell County: 60.2 %Iredell County60.2Alamance County: 60.2 %Alamance County60.2Union County: 60 %Union County60Harnett County: 59.9 %Harnett County59.9Forsyth County: 59.8 %Forsyth County59.8Franklin County: 59.6 %Franklin County59.6Rowan County: 59.4 %Rowan County59.4Pasquotank County: 59.3 %Pasquotank County59.3Alexander County: 59.3 %Alexander County59.3Catawba County: 59.2 %Catawba County59.2Camden County: 59.1 %Camden County59.1Lincoln County: 58.9 %Lincoln County58.9Currituck County: 58.7 %Currituck County58.7Madison County: 58.6 %Madison County58.6McDowell County: 58.6 %McDowell County58.6Stanly County: 58.6 %Stanly County58.6Anson County: 58.6 %Anson County58.6Davidson County: 58.5 %Davidson County58.5Hyde County: 58.4 %Hyde County58.4Avery County: 58.3 %Avery County58.3Randolph County: 58.3 %Randolph County58.3Lee County: 58.2 %Lee County58.2Watauga County: 70.1 %Watauga County70.1Durham County: 65.3 %Durham County65.3Mecklenburg County: 64.9 %Mecklenburg County64.9Orange County: 64.6 %Orange County64.6Onslow County: 63.7 %Onslow County63.7Wake County: 63.6 %Wake County63.6Jackson County: 63.5 %Jackson County63.5Pitt County: 63.1 %Pitt County63.1New Hanover County: 62 %New Hanover County62Greene County: 62 %Greene County62Guilford County: 61.3 %Guilford County61.3Cumberland County: 61.2 %Cumberland County61.2Granville County: 60.9 %Granville County60.9Cabarrus County: 60.8 %Cabarrus County60.8Johnston County: 60.7 %Johnston County60.7Buncombe County: 60.5 %Buncombe County60.5Gaston County: 60.4 %Gaston County60.4Hoke County: 60.3 %Hoke County60.3Iredell County: 60.2 %Iredell County60.2Alamance County: 60.2 %Alamance County60.2Union County: 60 %Union County60Harnett County: 59.9 %Harnett County59.9Forsyth County: 59.8 %Forsyth County59.8Franklin County: 59.6 %Franklin County59.6Rowan County: 59.4 %Rowan County59.4Pasquotank County: 59.3 %Pasquotank County59.3Alexander County: 59.3 %Alexander County59.3Catawba County: 59.2 %Catawba County59.2Camden County: 59.1 %Camden County59.1Lincoln County: 58.9 %Lincoln County58.9Currituck County: 58.7 %Currituck County58.7Madison County: 58.6 %Madison County58.6McDowell County: 58.6 %McDowell County58.6Stanly County: 58.6 %Stanly County58.6Anson County: 58.6 %Anson County58.6Davidson County: 58.5 %Davidson County58.5Hyde County: 58.4 %Hyde County58.4Avery County: 58.3 %Avery County58.3Randolph County: 58.3 %Randolph County58.3Lee County: 58.2 %Lee County58.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Watauga County70.1-0 pts
2Durham County65.3-0.2 pts
3Mecklenburg County64.9-0.1 pts
4Orange County64.6-0.1 pts
5Onslow County63.7-0.4 pts
6Wake County63.6+0.1 pts
7Jackson County63.5+0.2 pts
8Pitt County63.1-0.1 pts
9New Hanover County62-0.2 pts
10Greene County620 pts
11Guilford County61.3-0.2 pts
12Cumberland County61.2-0.7 pts
13Granville County60.9-0.2 pts
14Cabarrus County60.80 pts
15Johnston County60.7+0.1 pts
16Buncombe County60.5-0.2 pts
17Gaston County60.4-0.1 pts
18Hoke County60.3+0.1 pts
19Iredell County60.2-0 pts
20Alamance County60.2-0 pts
21Union County60+0.1 pts
22Harnett County59.9+0.1 pts
23Forsyth County59.8-0.1 pts
24Franklin County59.6-0.1 pts
25Rowan County59.4-0.2 pts
26Pasquotank County59.3-0.3 pts
27Alexander County59.3-0.1 pts
28Catawba County59.2-0.1 pts
29Camden County59.1-0.1 pts
30Lincoln County58.9-0.4 pts
31Currituck County58.7-0.7 pts
32Madison County58.6-0.4 pts
33McDowell County58.6-0.1 pts
34Stanly County58.60 pts
35Anson County58.6-0.3 pts
36Davidson County58.5-0.2 pts
37Hyde County58.4-0.3 pts
38Avery County58.3-0.2 pts
39Randolph County58.3-0.2 pts
40Lee County58.20 pts
41Caldwell County58.2-0.2 pts
42Cleveland County58.2-0.2 pts
43Burke County58.2-0.3 pts
44Tyrrell County58.1+0.1 pts
45Wayne County57.9-0.4 pts
46Pender County57.8-0.1 pts
47Nash County57.7-0.2 pts
48Yadkin County57.6-0.3 pts
49Gates County57.5-0.5 pts
50Bertie County57.4-0.3 pts
51Wilson County57.4-0.2 pts
52Stokes County57.3-0.4 pts
53Columbus County57.3-0.2 pts
54Rockingham County57.2-0.4 pts
55Caswell County57.2-0.7 pts
56Robeson County57.1-0.4 pts
57Rutherford County57.1-0.2 pts
58Person County56.9-0.4 pts
59Richmond County56.8-0.5 pts
60Surry County56.7-0.2 pts
61Scotland County56.5-0 pts
62Sampson County56.5-0.4 pts
63Swain County56.50 pts
64Craven County56.4-0.6 pts
65Davie County56.3-0.2 pts
66Wilkes County56.2-0.4 pts
67Montgomery County55.9-0.5 pts
68Mitchell County55.8-0.2 pts
69Halifax County55.7-0.5 pts
70Haywood County55.7-0.2 pts
71Vance County55.6-0.4 pts
72Lenoir County55.5-0.2 pts
73Dare County55.5-0.5 pts
74Bladen County55.3-0.6 pts
75Edgecombe County55.3-0.5 pts
76Yancey County55.1-0.1 pts
77Jones County55-0.9 pts
78Ashe County54.9-0.1 pts
79Hertford County54.9-1.3 pts
80Duplin County54.8-0.2 pts
81Carteret County54.6-0.6 pts
82Chatham County54-0.1 pts
83Henderson County53.8-0.3 pts
84Warren County53.6-0.9 pts
85Martin County53.5-0.2 pts
86Graham County53.5-0.3 pts
87Moore County53.4-0.2 pts
88Perquimans County53.3-0.3 pts
89Beaufort County52.9-0.5 pts
90Chowan County52.8-0.7 pts
91Transylvania County52.60 pts
92Pamlico County52.5-0.4 pts
93Alleghany County52.4-0.5 pts
94Macon County51.9+0.1 pts
95Washington County51.6-0.7 pts
96Cherokee County51.6-0.6 pts
97Northampton County51.5-1.1 pts
98Polk County51.5-0.2 pts
99Brunswick County50.3-0.2 pts
100Clay County49-0.5 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Residents aged 18 to 64 as a percentage of total population on 1 July. United States: Census Bureau county population estimates by age; states and the nation are sums of their counties.

Not comparable with working-age shares for ages 15 to 64 used in EU and World Bank statistics.

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. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 18 to 64 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. 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). Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 18 to 64 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties (Counties in North Carolina by population aged 18 to 64, 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html

MLA 9

Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 18 to 64 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties, Counties in North Carolina by population aged 18 to 64, 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 June 2026, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-18-64/north-carolina-counties?period=2023. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 18 to 64 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. Counties in North Carolina by population aged 18 to 64, 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-18-64/north-carolina-counties?period=2023.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 18 to 64 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties, Counties in North Carolina by population aged 18 to 64, 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-18-64/north-carolina-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_carolina_2023,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 18 to 64 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties: Counties in North Carolina by population aged 18 to 64, 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-18-64/north-carolina-counties?period=2023. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 18 to 64 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 18 to 64 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties: Counties in North Carolina by population aged 18 to 64, 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/25
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-18-64/north-carolina-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-18-64/north-carolina-counties?period=2023.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 18 to 64 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest population aged 18 to 64?

Watauga County, with 70.1% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population aged 18 to 64?

Clay County, with 49% 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, Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 18 to 64 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Population aged 18 to 64: other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings