Counties in North Carolina by population under 18

Hoke County had the highest population under 18 of 100 counties in 2017, at 28.5%. Watauga County had the lowest, at 14.1%. The median was 21.1% and the figure for North Carolina was 22.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest28.5Hoke County
Lowest14.1Watauga County
Median21.1100 counties
North Carolina22.5History

Top 40 counties, 2017

Hoke County: 28.5 %Hoke County28.5Union County: 28 %Union County28Harnett County: 27.2 %Harnett County27.2Johnston County: 26.4 %Johnston County26.4Cabarrus County: 26.3 %Cabarrus County26.3Robeson County: 24.9 %Robeson County24.9Wake County: 24.6 %Wake County24.6Duplin County: 24.4 %Duplin County24.4Camden County: 24.2 %Camden County24.2Sampson County: 24.2 %Sampson County24.2Cumberland County: 24.2 %Cumberland County24.2Lee County: 23.9 %Lee County23.9Mecklenburg County: 23.9 %Mecklenburg County23.9Onslow County: 23.6 %Onslow County23.6Iredell County: 23.5 %Iredell County23.5Wayne County: 23.2 %Wayne County23.2Vance County: 23.2 %Vance County23.2Franklin County: 23.1 %Franklin County23.1Forsyth County: 23 %Forsyth County23Wilson County: 23 %Wilson County23Randolph County: 22.9 %Randolph County22.9Pender County: 22.8 %Pender County22.8Montgomery County: 22.7 %Montgomery County22.7Edgecombe County: 22.6 %Edgecombe County22.6Pitt County: 22.5 %Pitt County22.5Currituck County: 22.5 %Currituck County22.5Gaston County: 22.5 %Gaston County22.5Richmond County: 22.4 %Richmond County22.4Davidson County: 22.3 %Davidson County22.3Alamance County: 22.3 %Alamance County22.3Rowan County: 22.2 %Rowan County22.2Guilford County: 22.2 %Guilford County22.2Lenoir County: 22.2 %Lenoir County22.2Nash County: 22.1 %Nash County22.1Swain County: 22 %Swain County22Catawba County: 22 %Catawba County22Cleveland County: 21.8 %Cleveland County21.8Scotland County: 21.7 %Scotland County21.7Lincoln County: 21.7 %Lincoln County21.7Pasquotank County: 21.7 %Pasquotank County21.7
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Hoke County28.5-0.2 pts
2Union County28-0.4 pts
3Harnett County27.2-0.3 pts
4Johnston County26.4-0.2 pts
5Cabarrus County26.3-0.1 pts
6Robeson County24.9-0.3 pts
7Wake County24.6-0.2 pts
8Duplin County24.4-0.3 pts
9Camden County24.2+0.2 pts
10Sampson County24.2-0.1 pts
11Cumberland County24.2-0 pts
12Lee County23.9-0.3 pts
13Mecklenburg County23.9-0.3 pts
14Onslow County23.6-0.2 pts
15Iredell County23.5-0.2 pts
16Wayne County23.2-0.2 pts
17Vance County23.2-0.2 pts
18Franklin County23.1+0.1 pts
19Forsyth County23-0.2 pts
20Wilson County23-0.1 pts
21Randolph County22.9-0.2 pts
22Pender County22.8+0.2 pts
23Montgomery County22.7-0.4 pts
24Edgecombe County22.6-0.1 pts
25Pitt County22.5-0.1 pts
26Currituck County22.50 pts
27Gaston County22.5-0.2 pts
28Richmond County22.4-0.2 pts
29Davidson County22.3-0.3 pts
30Alamance County22.3-0.1 pts
31Rowan County22.2-0.1 pts
32Guilford County22.2-0 pts
33Lenoir County22.2-0.3 pts
34Nash County22.1-0.2 pts
35Swain County22-0.4 pts
36Catawba County22-0.2 pts
37Cleveland County21.8-0 pts
38Scotland County21.7-0.1 pts
39Lincoln County21.7-0.1 pts
40Pasquotank County21.7-0 pts
41Person County21.5-0.1 pts
42Stanly County21.5-0.2 pts
43Surry County21.4-0.2 pts
44Moore County21.4+0.1 pts
45Craven County21.4-0.2 pts
46Davie County21.3-0.3 pts
47Bladen County21.3-0.3 pts
48Durham County21.3-0.1 pts
49Graham County21.2-0.5 pts
50Columbus County21.1-0.4 pts
51Yadkin County21.1-0.4 pts
52Gates County21-0.2 pts
53Granville County20.9-0.2 pts
54Rutherford County20.9-0.1 pts
55Chatham County20.8-0.1 pts
56Wilkes County20.8-0.3 pts
57Caldwell County20.7-0.2 pts
58Rockingham County20.5-0.2 pts
59Halifax County20.5-0.1 pts
60Alexander County20.4-0.2 pts
61Beaufort County20.4-0.3 pts
62McDowell County20.3-0.3 pts
63Orange County20.3+0.1 pts
64Burke County20.3-0.1 pts
65Martin County20.2-0.4 pts
66Washington County20.2+0.2 pts
67Chowan County20.1-0.3 pts
68Greene County19.6-0.7 pts
69Stokes County19.5-0.3 pts
70Henderson County19.3-0.2 pts
71Hertford County19.2-0.1 pts
72New Hanover County19.1-0.1 pts
73Anson County19.1-0 pts
74Buncombe County19-0.2 pts
75Jones County19-0.3 pts
76Perquimans County19-0.1 pts
77Tyrrell County18.9-0.8 pts
78Macon County18.7-0.1 pts
79Warren County18.5-0.1 pts
80Madison County18.5-0.2 pts
81Yancey County18.5-0.2 pts
82Dare County18.4-0.2 pts
83Caswell County18.3-0.3 pts
84Alleghany County18.2-0.1 pts
85Haywood County18.1-0.1 pts
86Mitchell County18.1-0.1 pts
87Ashe County18.1-0.3 pts
88Northampton County18-0.3 pts
89Carteret County18-0.1 pts
90Bertie County17.8-0.2 pts
91Hyde County17.7-0 pts
92Clay County17.5+0.3 pts
93Jackson County17.5+0.1 pts
94Cherokee County17.4-0.4 pts
95Transylvania County17-0.2 pts
96Polk County16.9-0.2 pts
97Brunswick County16-0.6 pts
98Avery County15.4-0.1 pts
99Pamlico County15.2-0.5 pts
100Watauga County14.1+0.1 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.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). 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 (Counties in North Carolina by population under 18, 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html

MLA 9

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, Counties in North Carolina by population under 18, 2017. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 June 2026, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2017. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. 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. Counties in North Carolina by population under 18, 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) 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, Counties in North Carolina by population under 18, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_carolina_2017,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{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: Counties in North Carolina by population under 18, 2017}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2017. Publisher attribution: 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.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - 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: Counties in North Carolina by population under 18, 2017
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/25
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2017.
N1  - Publisher attribution: 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.
ER  - 
Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Counties in North Carolina by population under 18 using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"population_0_17_share","level":"province","within":"North Carolina","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=population_0_17_share&level=province&within=North%20Carolina&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which county has the highest population under 18?

Hoke County, with 28.5% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population under 18?

Watauga County, with 14.1% in 2017.

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