Counties in North Carolina by population under 18

Hoke County had the highest population under 18 of 100 counties in 2021, at 28.2%. Watauga County had the lowest, at 12.8%. The median was 20.6% and the figure for North Carolina was 21.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest28.2Hoke County
Lowest12.8Watauga County
Median20.6100 counties
North Carolina21.8History

Top 40 counties, 2021

Hoke County: 28.2 %Hoke County28.2Union County: 26.5 %Union County26.5Harnett County: 26.3 %Harnett County26.3Cabarrus County: 25.5 %Cabarrus County25.5Johnston County: 25.4 %Johnston County25.4Robeson County: 25.3 %Robeson County25.3Duplin County: 25.2 %Duplin County25.2Sampson County: 24.6 %Sampson County24.6Cumberland County: 24.4 %Cumberland County24.4Camden County: 24.1 %Camden County24.1Onslow County: 24.1 %Onslow County24.1Vance County: 23.4 %Vance County23.4Wake County: 23.4 %Wake County23.4Lee County: 23.4 %Lee County23.4Wayne County: 23.4 %Wayne County23.4Richmond County: 23.1 %Richmond County23.1Scotland County: 23 %Scotland County23Mecklenburg County: 22.9 %Mecklenburg County22.9Pender County: 22.8 %Pender County22.8Iredell County: 22.6 %Iredell County22.6Swain County: 22.6 %Swain County22.6Franklin County: 22.5 %Franklin County22.5Wilson County: 22.5 %Wilson County22.5Lenoir County: 22.3 %Lenoir County22.3Forsyth County: 22.3 %Forsyth County22.3Edgecombe County: 22.3 %Edgecombe County22.3Currituck County: 22.1 %Currituck County22.1Randolph County: 22.1 %Randolph County22.1Gaston County: 22 %Gaston County22Alamance County: 21.9 %Alamance County21.9Cleveland County: 21.9 %Cleveland County21.9Moore County: 21.8 %Moore County21.8Pitt County: 21.8 %Pitt County21.8Guilford County: 21.8 %Guilford County21.8Davidson County: 21.6 %Davidson County21.6Rowan County: 21.5 %Rowan County21.5Nash County: 21.5 %Nash County21.5Bladen County: 21.3 %Bladen County21.3Stanly County: 21.3 %Stanly County21.3Catawba County: 21.3 %Catawba County21.3
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Hoke County28.2-0 pts
2Union County26.5-0.4 pts
3Harnett County26.3-0.2 pts
4Cabarrus County25.5-0.3 pts
5Johnston County25.4-0.4 pts
6Robeson County25.3+0.2 pts
7Duplin County25.2+0.1 pts
8Sampson County24.6-0.1 pts
9Cumberland County24.4-0 pts
10Camden County24.1+0.1 pts
11Onslow County24.1+0.4 pts
12Vance County23.4-0.1 pts
13Wake County23.4-0.5 pts
14Lee County23.4-0.3 pts
15Wayne County23.4-0.1 pts
16Richmond County23.10 pts
17Scotland County23+0.3 pts
18Mecklenburg County22.9-0.4 pts
19Pender County22.8-0 pts
20Iredell County22.6-0.3 pts
21Swain County22.6+0.2 pts
22Franklin County22.5-0 pts
23Wilson County22.5-0.2 pts
24Lenoir County22.3+0.1 pts
25Forsyth County22.3-0.1 pts
26Edgecombe County22.30 pts
27Currituck County22.1+0.2 pts
28Randolph County22.1-0.1 pts
29Gaston County22-0 pts
30Alamance County21.9-0 pts
31Cleveland County21.90 pts
32Moore County21.8+0.1 pts
33Pitt County21.8-0.1 pts
34Guilford County21.8-0.3 pts
35Davidson County21.6-0.2 pts
36Rowan County21.5-0.3 pts
37Nash County21.5-0.1 pts
38Bladen County21.3-0.1 pts
39Stanly County21.30 pts
40Catawba County21.3-0.2 pts
41Montgomery County21.2-0.6 pts
42Granville County21.20 pts
43Pasquotank County21.2-0.3 pts
44Columbus County21.10 pts
45Lincoln County21-0.1 pts
46Surry County21-0.1 pts
47Craven County20.8-0.3 pts
48Person County20.80 pts
49Davie County20.7-0.3 pts
50Yadkin County20.7-0.2 pts
51Martin County20.4-0 pts
52Rutherford County20.4-0.1 pts
53Graham County20.4-0.2 pts
54Halifax County20.3-0 pts
55Anson County20.2+0.5 pts
56Wilkes County20.1-0.2 pts
57Caldwell County20.1-0.1 pts
58Rockingham County20.1-0.1 pts
59Gates County20-0.2 pts
60Alexander County20+0.1 pts
61Durham County19.9-0.6 pts
62Tyrrell County19.9-0.5 pts
63Washington County19.7-0.3 pts
64Beaufort County19.7-0.2 pts
65Burke County19.6-0.3 pts
66McDowell County19.6-0.2 pts
67Chatham County19.5-0.5 pts
68Hertford County19.5+1.2 pts
69Greene County19.40 pts
70Orange County19.1-1.2 pts
71Chowan County19.10 pts
72Stokes County18.8-0.4 pts
73Jones County18.6-0 pts
74Perquimans County18.5-0.2 pts
75Henderson County18.5-0.4 pts
76New Hanover County18.1-0.4 pts
77Warren County18.10 pts
78Northampton County18.1-0.2 pts
79Caswell County18.1-0.2 pts
80Mitchell County18+0.1 pts
81Buncombe County17.9-0.4 pts
82Macon County17.8-0.2 pts
82Yancey County17.8-0.1 pts
84Dare County17.7-0.1 pts
85Alleghany County17.70 pts
86Haywood County17.5-0.2 pts
87Madison County17.3-0.2 pts
88Carteret County17.10 pts
89Bertie County17-0.4 pts
90Ashe County17-0.3 pts
91Jackson County16.9-0.4 pts
92Hyde County16.8-0.5 pts
93Transylvania County16.8-0.2 pts
94Polk County16.20 pts
95Cherokee County15.9-0.4 pts
96Avery County15.8-0.1 pts
97Clay County15.7-0.8 pts
98Brunswick County14.6-0.3 pts
99Pamlico County14.1-0.5 pts
100Watauga County12.8-0.8 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, 2021) [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, 2021. 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=2021. 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, 2021. 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=2021.

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, 2021 [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=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_carolina_2021,
  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, 2021}},
  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=2021. 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, 2021
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=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2021.
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  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest population under 18?

Hoke County, with 28.2% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population under 18?

Watauga County, with 12.8% in 2021.

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