Data / Rankings / Population under 18 / Counties in North Carolina

Counties in North Carolina by population under 18, 2025

Hoke County had the highest population under 18 of 100 counties in 2025, at 26.7%. Watauga County had the lowest, at 11%. The median was 20.1% and the figure for North Carolina was 21.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest26.7Hoke County
Lowest11Watauga County
Median20.1100 counties
North Carolina21.1History

Top 40 counties, 2025

Hoke County: 26.7 %Hoke County26.7Robeson County: 26.4 %Robeson County26.4Harnett County: 25.1 %Harnett County25.1Duplin County: 25 %Duplin County25Sampson County: 24.8 %Sampson County24.8Cumberland County: 24.7 %Cumberland County24.7Union County: 24.6 %Union County24.6Cabarrus County: 24.2 %Cabarrus County24.2Onslow County: 23.8 %Onslow County23.8Wayne County: 23.8 %Wayne County23.8Johnston County: 23.8 %Johnston County23.8Vance County: 23.2 %Vance County23.2Richmond County: 23.1 %Richmond County23.1Lee County: 22.7 %Lee County22.7Scotland County: 22.6 %Scotland County22.6Camden County: 22.5 %Camden County22.5Pender County: 22.4 %Pender County22.4Lenoir County: 22.4 %Lenoir County22.4Edgecombe County: 22.3 %Edgecombe County22.3Mecklenburg County: 22.1 %Mecklenburg County22.1Wake County: 22 %Wake County22Cleveland County: 21.9 %Cleveland County21.9Franklin County: 21.8 %Franklin County21.8Wilson County: 21.8 %Wilson County21.8Gaston County: 21.8 %Gaston County21.8Swain County: 21.8 %Swain County21.8Moore County: 21.7 %Moore County21.7Currituck County: 21.6 %Currituck County21.6Bladen County: 21.5 %Bladen County21.5Randolph County: 21.5 %Randolph County21.5Forsyth County: 21.5 %Forsyth County21.5Iredell County: 21.4 %Iredell County21.4Stanly County: 21.3 %Stanly County21.3Guilford County: 21.2 %Guilford County21.2Davidson County: 21.2 %Davidson County21.2Nash County: 21.2 %Nash County21.2Columbus County: 21.2 %Columbus County21.2Alamance County: 21.1 %Alamance County21.1Pitt County: 21 %Pitt County21Anson County: 21 %Anson County21
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2025 (%)Change on 2024
1Hoke County26.7-0.2 pts
2Robeson County26.40 pts
3Harnett County25.1-0.5 pts
4Duplin County25-0.3 pts
5Sampson County24.8-0 pts
6Cumberland County24.7-0 pts
7Union County24.6-0.6 pts
8Cabarrus County24.2-0.4 pts
9Onslow County23.8-0.1 pts
10Wayne County23.8+0.1 pts
11Johnston County23.8-0.5 pts
12Vance County23.2-0.3 pts
13Richmond County23.1-0.1 pts
14Lee County22.7-0 pts
15Scotland County22.6-0.1 pts
16Camden County22.5-0.5 pts
17Pender County22.4-0.3 pts
18Lenoir County22.4-0.1 pts
19Edgecombe County22.3-0 pts
20Mecklenburg County22.1-0.2 pts
21Wake County22-0.4 pts
22Cleveland County21.9-0 pts
23Franklin County21.8-0.3 pts
24Wilson County21.8-0.2 pts
25Gaston County21.8-0.1 pts
26Swain County21.8-0.2 pts
27Moore County21.70 pts
28Currituck County21.6-0.3 pts
29Bladen County21.5+0.1 pts
30Randolph County21.5-0.2 pts
31Forsyth County21.5-0.2 pts
32Iredell County21.4-0.3 pts
33Stanly County21.3-0.1 pts
34Guilford County21.2-0.1 pts
35Davidson County21.2-0.1 pts
36Nash County21.2-0.2 pts
37Columbus County21.2+0.1 pts
38Alamance County21.1-0.3 pts
39Pitt County21-0.3 pts
40Anson County21+0.3 pts
41Surry County20.9-0.1 pts
42Rowan County20.9-0.3 pts
43Yadkin County20.7-0.1 pts
44Person County20.5-0 pts
45Catawba County20.4-0.2 pts
46Lincoln County20.3-0.2 pts
47Montgomery County20.2-0.4 pts
48Martin County20.20 pts
49Halifax County20.2-0.2 pts
50Craven County20.2-0.1 pts
51Pasquotank County20.1-0.2 pts
52Rockingham County19.8-0.2 pts
53Davie County19.8-0.3 pts
54Granville County19.7-0.4 pts
55Rutherford County19.7-0.3 pts
56Graham County19.70 pts
57Wilkes County19.5-0.2 pts
58Caldwell County19.5-0.2 pts
59Washington County19.4+0.1 pts
60Hertford County19.3-0.3 pts
61Durham County19.2-0.2 pts
62Burke County19.1-0.2 pts
63Jones County19.1-0 pts
64Alexander County19.1-0.1 pts
65Gates County19-0.3 pts
66Greene County18.7-0.1 pts
67Stokes County18.6-0.2 pts
68Chowan County18.6-0.3 pts
69Beaufort County18.5-0.4 pts
70Tyrrell County18.5-0.3 pts
71McDowell County18.4-0.2 pts
72Chatham County18.3-0.3 pts
73Caswell County18.3+0.1 pts
74Northampton County18.2+0.2 pts
75Perquimans County17.9-0.2 pts
76Orange County17.8-0.3 pts
77Henderson County17.4-0.3 pts
78Mitchell County17.3-0.3 pts
79Warren County17.2-0.4 pts
80Yancey County17.1-0.2 pts
81Macon County17-0.2 pts
82Buncombe County16.9-0.2 pts
83Alleghany County16.9-0 pts
84New Hanover County16.8-0.4 pts
85Haywood County16.7-0.2 pts
86Dare County16.6-0.4 pts
87Madison County16.4-0.3 pts
88Cherokee County16.4+0.5 pts
89Carteret County16.1-0.3 pts
90Transylvania County16-0.1 pts
91Ashe County15.9-0.3 pts
92Bertie County15.8-0.4 pts
93Jackson County15.8-0.2 pts
94Polk County15.4-0.3 pts
95Clay County15.2+0.4 pts
96Avery County14.7-0.2 pts
97Hyde County14.5-0.6 pts
98Pamlico County13.7-0.2 pts
99Brunswick County13.6-0.2 pts
100Watauga County11-0.4 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of total population on 1 July. United States: Census Bureau county population estimates by age; states and the nation are sums of their counties.

Uses the US age of majority. Not comparable with population_0_14_share, which stops at 14.

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, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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Rank Counties in North Carolina by population under 18 using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest population under 18?

Hoke County, with 26.7% in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population under 18?

Watauga County, with 11% 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, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Population under 18: other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings