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 2024, at 889.9 inhabitants per km². Hyde County had the lowest, at 2.9 inhabitants per km². The median was 44.8 inhabitants per km² and the figure for North Carolina was 87.8 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest889.9Mecklenburg County
Lowest2.9Hyde County
Median44.8100 counties
North Carolina87.8History

Top 40 counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 889.9 inhabitants per km²889.9Wake CountyWake County: 568.6 inhabitants per km²568.6New Hanover CountyNew Hanover County: 488.5 inhabitants per km²488.5Durham CountyDurham County: 459.6 inhabitants per km²459.6Forsyth CountyForsyth County: 376.4 inhabitants per km²376.4Guilford CountyGuilford County: 332.9 inhabitants per km²332.9Gaston CountyGaston County: 263.8 inhabitants per km²263.8Cabarrus CountyCabarrus County: 262.6 inhabitants per km²262.6Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 199.5 inhabitants per km²199.5Alamance CountyAlamance County: 167.2 inhabitants per km²167.2Buncombe CountyBuncombe County: 164.2 inhabitants per km²164.2Union CountyUnion County: 160.9 inhabitants per km²160.9Catawba CountyCatawba County: 160.8 inhabitants per km²160.8Orange CountyOrange County: 147.4 inhabitants per km²147.4Iredell CountyIredell County: 138.5 inhabitants per km²138.5Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 127.3 inhabitants per km²127.3Henderson CountyHenderson County: 125.6 inhabitants per km²125.6Davidson CountyDavidson County: 124.3 inhabitants per km²124.3Johnston CountyJohnston County: 121.6 inhabitants per km²121.6Rowan CountyRowan County: 116 inhabitants per km²116Onslow CountyOnslow County: 108.8 inhabitants per km²108.8Pitt CountyPitt County: 107.1 inhabitants per km²107.1Lee CountyLee County: 104.2 inhabitants per km²104.2Harnett CountyHarnett County: 95 inhabitants per km²95Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 85.2 inhabitants per km²85.2Wilson CountyWilson County: 85 inhabitants per km²85Wayne CountyWayne County: 84.5 inhabitants per km²84.5Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 75.9 inhabitants per km²75.9Randolph CountyRandolph County: 73.4 inhabitants per km²73.4Pasquotank CountyPasquotank County: 70.8 inhabitants per km²70.8Nash CountyNash County: 70.6 inhabitants per km²70.6Watauga CountyWatauga County: 67.9 inhabitants per km²67.9Burke CountyBurke County: 67.5 inhabitants per km²67.5Davie CountyDavie County: 66.6 inhabitants per km²66.6Caldwell CountyCaldwell County: 66.2 inhabitants per km²66.2Stanly CountyStanly County: 66 inhabitants per km²66Vance CountyVance County: 65.2 inhabitants per km²65.2Rockingham CountyRockingham County: 63.9 inhabitants per km²63.9Franklin CountyFranklin County: 62.7 inhabitants per km²62.7Moore CountyMoore County: 60 inhabitants per km²60
inhabitants per km². Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024
inhabitants per km²		Change on 2023
1Mecklenburg County889.9+2.8%
2Wake County568.6+2.4%
3New Hanover County488.5+1.4%
4Durham County459.6+1.9%
5Forsyth County376.4+1.1%
6Guilford County332.9+1%
7Gaston County263.8+1.9%
8Cabarrus County262.6+2.1%
9Cumberland County199.5-0.1%
10Alamance County167.2+2.2%
11Buncombe County164.2+1%
12Union County160.9+2.4%
13Catawba County160.8+1.4%
14Orange County147.40%
15Iredell County138.5+3.1%
16Lincoln County127.3+1.9%
17Henderson County125.6+1.4%
18Davidson County124.3+1.7%
19Johnston County121.6+3.1%
20Rowan County116+1.2%
21Onslow County108.8+1.8%
22Pitt County107.1+1.2%
23Lee County104.2+2.2%
24Harnett County95+3.3%
25Cleveland County85.2+0.9%
26Wilson County85+0.8%
27Wayne County84.5+1.2%
28Brunswick County75.9+4.7%
29Randolph County73.4+0.7%
30Pasquotank County70.8+0.6%
31Nash County70.6+1.5%
32Watauga County67.9-0.8%
33Burke County67.5+0.4%
34Davie County66.6+1.8%
35Caldwell County66.2+0.2%
36Stanly County66+2.6%
37Vance County65.2+0.6%
38Rockingham County63.9+1.2%
39Franklin County62.7+3.8%
40Moore County60+1.4%
41Craven County56.9+0.8%
42Hoke County55.1+1.7%
43Alexander County54.6+1%
44Lenoir County53.6+0.8%
45Carteret County53.4+0.8%
46Surry County52.2+0.7%
47Robeson County48.7+1.2%
48Currituck County47.8+2.6%
49Chatham County47.5+2.4%
50Rutherford County44.8+0.3%
51Granville County44.7+0.4%
52Haywood County44.1+0.5%
53Yadkin County44.1+0.9%
54Scotland County40.7+0.2%
55McDowell County39.8+0.8%
56Person County39.6+1.1%
57Stokes County39.4+0.7%
58Dare County38.5+0.2%
59Edgecombe County37.5+0.2%
60Jackson County35.4-0.1%
61Transylvania County34.9+0.8%
62Richmond County34.3+0.1%
63Wilkes County33.9+0.3%
64Polk County33.1+1.8%
65Chowan County31.4+1%
66Pender County31.1+2.7%
67Greene County30+0.5%
68Macon County29.1+1%
69Avery County28.3+1.9%
70Mitchell County26.4+0.9%
71Cherokee County25.8+1.3%
72Halifax County25.1-0.2%
73Sampson County24.9+1.8%
74Ashe County24.8+1%
75Duplin County24.2+2.1%
76Yancey County23.5+0.8%
77Clay County21.5+1.1%
78Perquimans County21+0.8%
79Hertford County20.9-0.5%
80Beaufort County20.7+0.5%
81Columbus County20.7+0.1%
82Montgomery County20.7+0.5%
83Caswell County20.4-0.1%
84Madison County19.3+1.9%
85Alleghany County18.7+0.6%
86Martin County18.2+0.4%
87Camden County18.1+0.8%
88Warren County17.1+1.7%
89Anson County15.6-1.2%
90Pamlico County14.6+2.1%
91Bladen County13.2+1.3%
92Northampton County11.9-1.1%
93Washington County11.9-0.6%
94Gates County11.7-0.7%
95Graham County10.8+1%
96Swain County10.3+0.6%
97Bertie County9.5+1%
98Jones County7.8+0.6%
99Tyrrell County3.5-0.2%
100Hyde County2.9-1.1%

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 889.9 inhabitants per km² in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population density?

Hyde County, with 2.9 inhabitants per km² in 2024.

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