Data / Rankings / Population density / Counties in North Carolina

Counties in North Carolina by population density

Mecklenburg County had the highest population density of 100 counties in 2022, at 846.7 inhabitants per km². Hyde County had the lowest, at 2.9 inhabitants per km². The median was 44.2 inhabitants per km² and the figure for North Carolina was 85 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest846.7Mecklenburg County
Lowest2.9Hyde County
Median44.2100 counties
North Carolina85History

Top 40 counties, 2022

CSVChart (SVG)

Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 846.7 inhabitants per km²846.7Wake CountyWake County: 542.5 inhabitants per km²542.5New Hanover CountyNew Hanover County: 473.9 inhabitants per km²473.9Durham CountyDurham County: 444.6 inhabitants per km²444.6Forsyth CountyForsyth County: 368.4 inhabitants per km²368.4Guilford CountyGuilford County: 326.7 inhabitants per km²326.7Gaston CountyGaston County: 254.2 inhabitants per km²254.2Cabarrus CountyCabarrus County: 252.3 inhabitants per km²252.3Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 200.3 inhabitants per km²200.3Buncombe CountyBuncombe County: 161.2 inhabitants per km²161.2Alamance CountyAlamance County: 160.9 inhabitants per km²160.9Catawba CountyCatawba County: 157.1 inhabitants per km²157.1Union CountyUnion County: 152.3 inhabitants per km²152.3Orange CountyOrange County: 146.2 inhabitants per km²146.2Iredell CountyIredell County: 131.7 inhabitants per km²131.7Henderson CountyHenderson County: 122.5 inhabitants per km²122.5Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 121.5 inhabitants per km²121.5Davidson CountyDavidson County: 120.4 inhabitants per km²120.4Johnston CountyJohnston County: 114.4 inhabitants per km²114.4Rowan CountyRowan County: 112.8 inhabitants per km²112.8Pitt CountyPitt County: 104.8 inhabitants per km²104.8Onslow CountyOnslow County: 104.7 inhabitants per km²104.7Lee CountyLee County: 99.3 inhabitants per km²99.3Harnett CountyHarnett County: 89.9 inhabitants per km²89.9Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 83.8 inhabitants per km²83.8Wilson CountyWilson County: 83.4 inhabitants per km²83.4Wayne CountyWayne County: 82.4 inhabitants per km²82.4Randolph CountyRandolph County: 72.1 inhabitants per km²72.1Pasquotank CountyPasquotank County: 69.7 inhabitants per km²69.7Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 69.3 inhabitants per km²69.3Nash CountyNash County: 68.8 inhabitants per km²68.8Watauga CountyWatauga County: 68.4 inhabitants per km²68.4Burke CountyBurke County: 67 inhabitants per km²67Caldwell CountyCaldwell County: 65.7 inhabitants per km²65.7Davie CountyDavie County: 64.6 inhabitants per km²64.6Vance CountyVance County: 64.6 inhabitants per km²64.6Stanly CountyStanly County: 62.8 inhabitants per km²62.8Rockingham CountyRockingham County: 62.8 inhabitants per km²62.8Moore CountyMoore County: 58.4 inhabitants per km²58.4Franklin CountyFranklin County: 58.3 inhabitants per km²58.3
inhabitants per km². Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022
inhabitants per km²		Change on 2021
1Mecklenburg County846.7+2%
2Wake County542.5+1.7%
3New Hanover County473.9+2.6%
4Durham County444.6+1.4%
5Forsyth County368.4+0.9%
6Guilford County326.7+0.8%
7Gaston County254.2+1.2%
8Cabarrus County252.3+1.8%
9Cumberland County200.3-0.3%
10Buncombe County161.2+0.7%
11Alamance County160.9+1.6%
12Catawba County157.1+1%
13Union County152.3+2.1%
14Orange County146.2+1.1%
15Iredell County131.7+2%
16Henderson County122.5+1%
17Lincoln County121.5+3.5%
18Davidson County120.4+1.1%
19Johnston County114.4+3.4%
20Rowan County112.8+1.2%
21Pitt County104.8+0.9%
22Onslow County104.7+1.6%
23Lee County99.3+2.5%
24Harnett County89.9+2.2%
25Cleveland County83.8+0.3%
26Wilson County83.4+0.1%
27Wayne County82.4+0.7%
28Randolph County72.1+0.7%
29Pasquotank County69.7+0.8%
30Brunswick County69.3+5.4%
31Nash County68.8+0.7%
32Watauga County68.4+0.1%
33Burke County67+0.5%
34Caldwell County65.7-0.3%
35Davie County64.6+1%
36Vance County64.6+0.2%
37Stanly County62.8+1.8%
38Rockingham County62.8+0.8%
39Moore County58.4+2.4%
40Franklin County58.3+3.6%
41Craven County56+0.7%
42Alexander County53.8-0.2%
43Hoke County53.2+1%
44Lenoir County52.8-0.3%
45Carteret County52.7+0.9%
46Surry County51.9+0.4%
47Robeson County47.4+0.3%
48Currituck County45.7+4.4%
49Chatham County45.3+2.4%
50Rutherford County44.3+0.5%
51Granville County44.2+0.6%
52Haywood County43.7+0.1%
53Yadkin County43.3+0.7%
54Scotland County40.5+0.4%
55McDowell County39.3+0.5%
56Stokes County38.8+1.1%
57Person County38.8+0.6%
58Dare County38.3+0.2%
59Edgecombe County37+0.2%
60Richmond County34.5-0.7%
61Jackson County34.5+3.3%
62Transylvania County34.3+0.4%
63Wilkes County33.7-0%
64Polk County32.5+1.5%
65Chowan County31.1+1.1%
66Greene County29.5+0.6%
67Pender County29.1+4.2%
68Macon County28.4+1.4%
69Avery County27.5+0.2%
70Mitchell County26.3+0.4%
71Halifax County25.4-1.4%
72Cherokee County25+1.2%
73Ashe County24.5+1.1%
74Sampson County24.2+0.2%
75Duplin County23.3+1%
76Yancey County23.2+0.1%
77Hertford County21.3-1.6%
78Clay County20.8+1.9%
79Perquimans County20.7+0.9%
80Columbus County20.60%
81Beaufort County20.6-0.3%
82Montgomery County20.3+0.1%
83Caswell County20.2-1.3%
84Madison County18.8+0.8%
85Alleghany County18.4+1%
86Martin County18.2-1.2%
87Camden County17.8+2.5%
88Warren County16.8-0.8%
89Anson County15.8+0.4%
90Pamlico County14.1-0.9%
91Bladen County13-0.6%
92Northampton County12.1-1.9%
93Washington County12-0.9%
94Gates County11.8-0.3%
95Graham County10.6+0.4%
96Swain County10.2-1.1%
97Bertie County9.4-1.7%
98Jones County7.6+0.3%
99Tyrrell County3.4+2.4%
100Hyde County2.9+0.1%

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 846.7 inhabitants per km² in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population density?

Hyde County, with 2.9 inhabitants per km² in 2022.

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