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 2023, at 865.5 inhabitants per km². Hyde County had the lowest, at 2.9 inhabitants per km². The median was 44.6 inhabitants per km² and the figure for North Carolina was 86.3 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest865.5Mecklenburg County
Lowest2.9Hyde County
Median44.6100 counties
North Carolina86.3History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 865.5 inhabitants per km²865.5Wake CountyWake County: 555.3 inhabitants per km²555.3New Hanover CountyNew Hanover County: 481.6 inhabitants per km²481.6Durham CountyDurham County: 451 inhabitants per km²451Forsyth CountyForsyth County: 372.5 inhabitants per km²372.5Guilford CountyGuilford County: 329.6 inhabitants per km²329.6Gaston CountyGaston County: 258.9 inhabitants per km²258.9Cabarrus CountyCabarrus County: 257.2 inhabitants per km²257.2Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 199.8 inhabitants per km²199.8Alamance CountyAlamance County: 163.5 inhabitants per km²163.5Buncombe CountyBuncombe County: 162.6 inhabitants per km²162.6Catawba CountyCatawba County: 158.6 inhabitants per km²158.6Union CountyUnion County: 157.1 inhabitants per km²157.1Orange CountyOrange County: 147.3 inhabitants per km²147.3Iredell CountyIredell County: 134.4 inhabitants per km²134.4Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 124.9 inhabitants per km²124.9Henderson CountyHenderson County: 123.9 inhabitants per km²123.9Davidson CountyDavidson County: 122.2 inhabitants per km²122.2Johnston CountyJohnston County: 118 inhabitants per km²118Rowan CountyRowan County: 114.6 inhabitants per km²114.6Onslow CountyOnslow County: 106.9 inhabitants per km²106.9Pitt CountyPitt County: 105.8 inhabitants per km²105.8Lee CountyLee County: 101.9 inhabitants per km²101.9Harnett CountyHarnett County: 92 inhabitants per km²92Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 84.5 inhabitants per km²84.5Wilson CountyWilson County: 84.3 inhabitants per km²84.3Wayne CountyWayne County: 83.5 inhabitants per km²83.5Randolph CountyRandolph County: 72.9 inhabitants per km²72.9Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 72.5 inhabitants per km²72.5Pasquotank CountyPasquotank County: 70.4 inhabitants per km²70.4Nash CountyNash County: 69.5 inhabitants per km²69.5Watauga CountyWatauga County: 68.4 inhabitants per km²68.4Burke CountyBurke County: 67.3 inhabitants per km²67.3Caldwell CountyCaldwell County: 66 inhabitants per km²66Davie CountyDavie County: 65.4 inhabitants per km²65.4Vance CountyVance County: 64.8 inhabitants per km²64.8Stanly CountyStanly County: 64.3 inhabitants per km²64.3Rockingham CountyRockingham County: 63.2 inhabitants per km²63.2Franklin CountyFranklin County: 60.5 inhabitants per km²60.5Moore CountyMoore County: 59.2 inhabitants per km²59.2
inhabitants per km². Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023
inhabitants per km²		Change on 2022
1Mecklenburg County865.5+2.2%
2Wake County555.3+2.4%
3New Hanover County481.6+1.6%
4Durham County451+1.4%
5Forsyth County372.5+1.1%
6Guilford County329.6+0.9%
7Gaston County258.9+1.8%
8Cabarrus County257.2+2%
9Cumberland County199.8-0.3%
10Alamance County163.5+1.6%
11Buncombe County162.6+0.9%
12Catawba County158.6+1%
13Union County157.1+3.1%
14Orange County147.3+0.8%
15Iredell County134.4+2%
16Lincoln County124.9+2.8%
17Henderson County123.9+1.1%
18Davidson County122.2+1.5%
19Johnston County118+3.1%
20Rowan County114.6+1.6%
21Onslow County106.9+2.1%
22Pitt County105.8+1%
23Lee County101.9+2.6%
24Harnett County92+2.4%
25Cleveland County84.5+0.8%
26Wilson County84.3+1.1%
27Wayne County83.5+1.3%
28Randolph County72.9+1.1%
29Brunswick County72.5+4.5%
30Pasquotank County70.4+1%
31Nash County69.5+1%
32Watauga County68.4-0%
33Burke County67.3+0.5%
34Caldwell County66+0.4%
35Davie County65.4+1.3%
36Vance County64.8+0.4%
37Stanly County64.3+2.4%
38Rockingham County63.2+0.6%
39Franklin County60.5+3.7%
40Moore County59.2+1.4%
41Craven County56.5+0.9%
42Hoke County54.1+1.8%
43Alexander County54+0.5%
44Lenoir County53.2+0.8%
45Carteret County53+0.4%
46Surry County51.90%
47Robeson County48.1+1.5%
48Currituck County46.6+2%
49Chatham County46.4+2.3%
50Rutherford County44.6+0.8%
51Granville County44.6+0.9%
52Haywood County43.9+0.6%
53Yadkin County43.7+0.9%
54Scotland County40.6+0.3%
55McDowell County39.4+0.4%
56Person County39.2+1.1%
57Stokes County39.1+0.8%
58Dare County38.4+0.4%
59Edgecombe County37.4+1%
60Jackson County35.4+2.5%
61Transylvania County34.6+0.9%
62Richmond County34.3-0.6%
63Wilkes County33.8+0.3%
64Polk County32.5+0.2%
65Chowan County31.1-0.2%
66Pender County30.3+4.1%
67Greene County29.8+1%
68Macon County28.8+1.2%
69Avery County27.7+0.7%
70Mitchell County26.2-0.2%
71Cherokee County25.5+1.7%
72Halifax County25.1-1.1%
73Ashe County24.5+0.2%
74Sampson County24.5+1.3%
75Duplin County23.7+1.8%
76Yancey County23.4+0.8%
77Clay County21.2+2%
78Hertford County21-1.5%
79Perquimans County20.9+1%
80Columbus County20.7+0.4%
81Beaufort County20.6+0.3%
82Montgomery County20.6+1.4%
83Caswell County20.4+1.2%
84Madison County18.9+0.6%
85Alleghany County18.6+1.2%
86Martin County18.2-0%
87Camden County17.9+0.6%
88Warren County16.9+0.3%
89Anson County15.8+0.2%
90Pamlico County14.3+1.4%
91Bladen County13.1+0.8%
92Northampton County12-0.5%
93Washington County11.9-0.6%
94Gates County11.7-0.1%
95Graham County10.60%
96Swain County10.2-0.2%
97Bertie County9.4+0.4%
98Jones County7.7+2.2%
99Tyrrell County3.5+1.4%
100Hyde County2.9+0.4%

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 865.5 inhabitants per km² in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population density?

Hyde County, with 2.9 inhabitants per km² 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 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