Counties in North Carolina by population density

Name: Counties in North Carolina by population density, 2021
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: Public domain (US federal government work, citation requested)

Mecklenburg County had the highest population density of 100 counties in 2021, at 829.8 inhabitants per km². Hyde County had the lowest, at 2.9 inhabitants per km². The median was 43.8 inhabitants per km² and the figure for North Carolina was 83.9 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest829.8Mecklenburg County

Lowest2.9Hyde County

Median43.8100 counties

North Carolina83.9History

Top 40 counties, 2021

CSV Chart (SVG)

inhabitants per km². Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

Rank	Counties	2021 inhabitants per km²	Change on 2020
1	Mecklenburg County	829.8	+0.8%
2	Wake County	533.3	+2%
3	New Hanover County	462.1	+1.6%
4	Durham County	438.6	+1.3%
5	Forsyth County	365.1	+0.8%
6	Guilford County	324	+0.6%
7	Gaston County	251.2	+1.2%
8	Cabarrus County	247.8	+2%
9	Cumberland County	200.8	+0.7%
10	Buncombe County	160	+0.9%
11	Alamance County	158.3	+1.2%
12	Catawba County	155.5	+0.5%
13	Union County	149.2	+2%
14	Orange County	144.6	+3.6%
15	Iredell County	129.2	+2.4%
16	Henderson County	121.3	+0.5%
17	Davidson County	119.1	+0.9%
18	Lincoln County	117.4	+3.2%
19	Rowan County	111.5	+0.6%
20	Johnston County	110.6	+4.4%
21	Pitt County	103.9	+1.1%
22	Onslow County	103.1	-0.7%
23	Lee County	96.9	+1%
24	Harnett County	87.9	+1.4%
25	Cleveland County	83.6	+0.6%
26	Wilson County	83.3	-0.7%
27	Wayne County	81.8	-0.3%
28	Randolph County	71.6	+0.5%
29	Pasquotank County	69.2	+0.6%
30	Nash County	68.4	+0.1%
31	Watauga County	68.3	+1.5%
32	Burke County	66.6	+0.1%
33	Caldwell County	65.9	-0.1%
34	Brunswick County	65.8	+4.8%
35	Vance County	64.4	-1%
36	Davie County	64	+1.8%
37	Rockingham County	62.3	+0.1%
38	Stanly County	61.7	+0.8%
39	Moore County	57	+2.8%
40	Franklin County	56.3	+3.9%
41	Craven County	55.6	+0.2%
42	Alexander County	53.9	-0.3%
43	Lenoir County	52.9	-0.6%
44	Hoke County	52.6	+1.8%
45	Carteret County	52.3	+1.5%
46	Surry County	51.7	-0.1%
47	Robeson County	47.2	-0.1%
48	Chatham County	44.3	+2%
49	Rutherford County	44.1	+0.2%
50	Granville County	43.9	+0.5%
51	Currituck County	43.8	+4.6%
52	Haywood County	43.6	+0.5%
53	Yadkin County	43	+0.1%
54	Scotland County	40.3	-0.2%
55	McDowell County	39.1	-0%
56	Person County	38.5	-0%
57	Stokes County	38.4	+0.1%
58	Dare County	38.2	+2.4%
59	Edgecombe County	36.9	-0.9%
60	Richmond County	34.8	-0.2%
61	Transylvania County	34.2	+0.7%
62	Wilkes County	33.7	-0.1%
63	Jackson County	33.4	+0.9%
64	Polk County	32	+1.7%
65	Chowan County	30.8	+0.4%
66	Greene County	29.3	-0.8%
67	Macon County	28.1	+1%
68	Pender County	27.9	+3.9%
69	Avery County	27.5	-1.8%
70	Mitchell County	26.1	+0.5%
71	Halifax County	25.8	-0.3%
72	Cherokee County	24.7	+1.2%
73	Ashe County	24.2	+0.6%
74	Sampson County	24.1	-0%
75	Yancey County	23.2	+1.4%
76	Duplin County	23	-0.2%
77	Hertford County	21.7	-7.5%
78	Beaufort County	20.6	-0.4%
79	Columbus County	20.6	-0.9%
80	Perquimans County	20.5	+0.8%
81	Clay County	20.4	+2.1%
82	Caswell County	20.4	+0.1%
83	Montgomery County	20.3	+0.5%
84	Madison County	18.7	+2.1%
85	Martin County	18.4	-0.9%
86	Alleghany County	18.2	+1.8%
87	Camden County	17.4	+4.1%
88	Warren County	16.9	+1.2%
89	Anson County	15.7	-2.6%
90	Pamlico County	14.2	+0.4%
91	Bladen County	13	-0.3%
92	Northampton County	12.3	-1.8%
93	Washington County	12.1	-0.8%
94	Gates County	11.8	-0.5%
95	Graham County	10.6	-0.2%
96	Swain County	10.3	+0.2%
97	Bertie County	9.5	-2.7%
98	Jones County	7.5	+0.7%
99	Tyrrell County	3.3	+4.3%
100	Hyde County	2.9	+2.4%

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 829.8 inhabitants per km² in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population density?

Hyde County, with 2.9 inhabitants per km² 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, 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.