Data / Rankings / Population density / Counties in North Carolina

Counties in North Carolina by population density, 2025

Mecklenburg County had the highest population density of 100 counties in 2025, at 909.4 inhabitants per km². Hyde County had the lowest, at 2.9 inhabitants per km². The median was 44.7 inhabitants per km² and the figure for North Carolina was 88.9 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest909.4Mecklenburg County
Lowest2.9Hyde County
Median44.7100 counties
North Carolina88.9History

Top 40 counties, 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 909.4 inhabitants per km²909.4Wake CountyWake County: 581.5 inhabitants per km²581.5New Hanover CountyNew Hanover County: 493.8 inhabitants per km²493.8Durham CountyDurham County: 466.2 inhabitants per km²466.2Forsyth CountyForsyth County: 380.1 inhabitants per km²380.1Guilford CountyGuilford County: 336 inhabitants per km²336Gaston CountyGaston County: 267.6 inhabitants per km²267.6Cabarrus CountyCabarrus County: 266.9 inhabitants per km²266.9Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 200.3 inhabitants per km²200.3Alamance CountyAlamance County: 169.8 inhabitants per km²169.8Catawba CountyCatawba County: 163.7 inhabitants per km²163.7Union CountyUnion County: 163.3 inhabitants per km²163.3Buncombe CountyBuncombe County: 163.2 inhabitants per km²163.2Orange CountyOrange County: 148.1 inhabitants per km²148.1Iredell CountyIredell County: 142.3 inhabitants per km²142.3Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 128.7 inhabitants per km²128.7Henderson CountyHenderson County: 126.7 inhabitants per km²126.7Davidson CountyDavidson County: 125.8 inhabitants per km²125.8Johnston CountyJohnston County: 125 inhabitants per km²125Rowan CountyRowan County: 117 inhabitants per km²117Onslow CountyOnslow County: 110 inhabitants per km²110Pitt CountyPitt County: 108.3 inhabitants per km²108.3Lee CountyLee County: 106.3 inhabitants per km²106.3Harnett CountyHarnett County: 97.4 inhabitants per km²97.4Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 85.9 inhabitants per km²85.9Wilson CountyWilson County: 85.2 inhabitants per km²85.2Wayne CountyWayne County: 85.2 inhabitants per km²85.2Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 79.4 inhabitants per km²79.4Randolph CountyRandolph County: 73.8 inhabitants per km²73.8Pasquotank CountyPasquotank County: 71.8 inhabitants per km²71.8Nash CountyNash County: 71 inhabitants per km²71Watauga CountyWatauga County: 67.7 inhabitants per km²67.7Burke CountyBurke County: 67.6 inhabitants per km²67.6Stanly CountyStanly County: 67.3 inhabitants per km²67.3Davie CountyDavie County: 67.1 inhabitants per km²67.1Caldwell CountyCaldwell County: 66.4 inhabitants per km²66.4Vance CountyVance County: 65.2 inhabitants per km²65.2Franklin CountyFranklin County: 64.4 inhabitants per km²64.4Rockingham CountyRockingham County: 64.3 inhabitants per km²64.3Moore CountyMoore County: 61.2 inhabitants per km²61.2
inhabitants per km². Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankCounties2025
inhabitants per km²		Change on 2024
1Mecklenburg County909.4+2.2%
2Wake County581.5+2.3%
3New Hanover County493.8+1.1%
4Durham County466.2+1.4%
5Forsyth County380.1+1%
6Guilford County336+0.9%
7Gaston County267.6+1.5%
8Cabarrus County266.9+1.6%
9Cumberland County200.3+0.4%
10Alamance County169.8+1.5%
11Catawba County163.7+1.8%
12Union County163.3+1.5%
13Buncombe County163.2-0.6%
14Orange County148.1+0.5%
15Iredell County142.3+2.8%
16Lincoln County128.7+1.2%
17Henderson County126.7+0.9%
18Davidson County125.8+1.2%
19Johnston County125+2.8%
20Rowan County117+0.9%
21Onslow County110+1.2%
22Pitt County108.3+1.1%
23Lee County106.3+2.1%
24Harnett County97.4+2.5%
25Cleveland County85.9+0.8%
26Wilson County85.2+0.3%
27Wayne County85.2+0.9%
28Brunswick County79.4+4.7%
29Randolph County73.8+0.5%
30Pasquotank County71.8+1.4%
31Nash County71+0.6%
32Watauga County67.7-0.2%
33Burke County67.6+0.1%
34Stanly County67.3+1.9%
35Davie County67.1+0.8%
36Caldwell County66.4+0.3%
37Vance County65.2+0.1%
38Franklin County64.4+2.6%
39Rockingham County64.3+0.6%
40Moore County61.2+2.1%
41Craven County57.4+0.8%
42Hoke County56.3+2.3%
43Alexander County54.9+0.6%
44Lenoir County54+0.7%
45Carteret County53.6+0.4%
46Surry County52.4+0.3%
47Robeson County48.9+0.5%
48Currituck County48.9+2.2%
49Chatham County48.2+1.5%
50Rutherford County44.9+0.3%
51Granville County44.6-0.3%
52Haywood County44.2+0.2%
53Yadkin County44.2+0.3%
54Scotland County40.3-0.9%
55Person County40+0.9%
56McDowell County39.7-0.2%
57Stokes County39.6+0.7%
58Dare County38.50%
59Edgecombe County37.5+0.1%
60Jackson County35.4+0.1%
61Transylvania County34.90%
62Richmond County34.3-0.2%
63Wilkes County33.9-0%
64Polk County33.4+0.7%
65Pender County32+2.8%
66Chowan County31.5+0.4%
67Greene County300%
68Macon County29.4+1.1%
69Avery County28.30%
70Mitchell County26.3-0.5%
71Cherokee County26.1+1.4%
72Sampson County25.1+0.7%
73Ashe County24.9+0.5%
74Halifax County24.8-1%
75Duplin County24.4+1.1%
76Yancey County23.6+0.1%
77Clay County22+2.3%
78Perquimans County21.1+0.1%
79Hertford County20.8-0.4%
80Columbus County20.8+0.4%
81Montgomery County20.7+0.2%
82Beaufort County20.7-0.1%
83Caswell County20.5+0.5%
84Madison County19.4+0.4%
85Alleghany County18.9+0.7%
86Martin County18.3+0.2%
87Camden County18.2+0.6%
88Warren County17-0.8%
89Anson County15.8+1.1%
90Pamlico County14.6+0.5%
91Bladen County13.2+0.1%
92Northampton County11.9-0.2%
93Washington County11.9-0.1%
94Gates County11.6-0.5%
95Graham County10.8+0.7%
96Swain County10.3-0.2%
97Bertie County9.4-0.6%
98Jones County7.8+0.8%
99Tyrrell County3.5+1.1%
100Hyde County2.9-0.9%

Other periods

About this ranking

Resident population divided by land area in km². World Bank figures use mid-year population and land area excluding inland water.

United States: Census Bureau population estimates for 1 July divided by land area (water excluded) from the latest Census Gazetteer files. US tables often give people per square mile; multiply persons per km² by 2.59 to compare.

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 resident population on 1 July divided by land area from the latest Census Gazetteer files, persons per km². https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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Questions

Which county has the highest population density?

Mecklenburg County, with 909.4 inhabitants per km² in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population density?

Hyde County, with 2.9 inhabitants per km² in 2025.

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 resident population on 1 July divided by land area from the latest Census Gazetteer files, persons per km². Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Population density: other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings