Data / Rankings / School enrolment, children aged 3 and 4 / Cities in North Carolina

Cities in North Carolina by school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4

Elon, NC had the highest school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4 of 93 cities in 2023, at 100%. Kings Mountain, NC had the lowest, at 0.8%. The median was 42.6% and the figure for North Carolina was 40.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest100Elon, NC
Lowest0.8Kings Mountain, NC
Median42.693 cities
North Carolina40.4History

Top 40 cities, 2023

Elon, NC: 100 %Elon, NC100Waynesville, NC: 100 %Waynesville, NC100Boone, NC: 94.6 %Boone, NC94.6Rolesville, NC: 94.1 %Rolesville, NC94.1Pineville, NC: 89.7 %Pineville, NC89.7Tarboro, NC: 83.5 %Tarboro, NC83.5Davidson, NC: 82.3 %Davidson, NC82.3Winterville, NC: 78 %Winterville, NC78Pinehurst, NC: 70 %Pinehurst, NC70Newton, NC: 69.1 %Newton, NC69.1Zebulon, NC: 68.3 %Zebulon, NC68.3Mount Airy, NC: 66 %Mount Airy, NC66Belmont, NC: 65.5 %Belmont, NC65.5Cary, NC: 63.8 %Cary, NC63.8Lincolnton, NC: 62 %Lincolnton, NC62Weddington, NC: 60.3 %Weddington, NC60.3Wake Forest, NC: 59.5 %Wake Forest, NC59.5Matthews, NC: 59.4 %Matthews, NC59.4Mint Hill, NC: 59.4 %Mint Hill, NC59.4Fuquay-Varina, NC: 59 %Fuquay-Varina, NC59Knightdale, NC: 57.1 %Knightdale, NC57.1Stallings, NC: 55.8 %Stallings, NC55.8Huntersville, NC: 55.5 %Huntersville, NC55.5Greenville, NC: 54.4 %Greenville, NC54.4Wendell, NC: 54 %Wendell, NC54Summerfield, NC: 53.9 %Summerfield, NC53.9Chapel Hill, NC: 53.8 %Chapel Hill, NC53.8New Bern, NC: 53.3 %New Bern, NC53.3Holly Springs, NC: 53.3 %Holly Springs, NC53.3Concord, NC: 52.9 %Concord, NC52.9Garner, NC: 52.1 %Garner, NC52.1Eden, NC: 49.3 %Eden, NC49.3Archdale, NC: 49.2 %Archdale, NC49.2Kannapolis, NC: 48.3 %Kannapolis, NC48.3Cornelius, NC: 48 %Cornelius, NC48Raleigh, NC: 48 %Raleigh, NC48Albemarle, NC: 47.2 %Albemarle, NC47.2Morrisville, NC: 47 %Morrisville, NC47Asheville, NC: 46.9 %Asheville, NC46.9Apex, NC: 46.5 %Apex, NC46.5Elon, NC: 100 %Elon, NC100Waynesville, NC: 100 %Waynesville, NC100Boone, NC: 94.6 %Boone, NC94.6Rolesville, NC: 94.1 %Rolesville, NC94.1Pineville, NC: 89.7 %Pineville, NC89.7Tarboro, NC: 83.5 %Tarboro, NC83.5Davidson, NC: 82.3 %Davidson, NC82.3Winterville, NC: 78 %Winterville, NC78Pinehurst, NC: 70 %Pinehurst, NC70Newton, NC: 69.1 %Newton, NC69.1Zebulon, NC: 68.3 %Zebulon, NC68.3Mount Airy, NC: 66 %Mount Airy, NC66Belmont, NC: 65.5 %Belmont, NC65.5Cary, NC: 63.8 %Cary, NC63.8Lincolnton, NC: 62 %Lincolnton, NC62Weddington, NC: 60.3 %Weddington, NC60.3Wake Forest, NC: 59.5 %Wake Forest, NC59.5Matthews, NC: 59.4 %Matthews, NC59.4Mint Hill, NC: 59.4 %Mint Hill, NC59.4Fuquay-Varina, NC: 59 %Fuquay-Varina, NC59Knightdale, NC: 57.1 %Knightdale, NC57.1Stallings, NC: 55.8 %Stallings, NC55.8Huntersville, NC: 55.5 %Huntersville, NC55.5Greenville, NC: 54.4 %Greenville, NC54.4Wendell, NC: 54 %Wendell, NC54Summerfield, NC: 53.9 %Summerfield, NC53.9Chapel Hill, NC: 53.8 %Chapel Hill, NC53.8New Bern, NC: 53.3 %New Bern, NC53.3Holly Springs, NC: 53.3 %Holly Springs, NC53.3Concord, NC: 52.9 %Concord, NC52.9Garner, NC: 52.1 %Garner, NC52.1Eden, NC: 49.3 %Eden, NC49.3Archdale, NC: 49.2 %Archdale, NC49.2Kannapolis, NC: 48.3 %Kannapolis, NC48.3Cornelius, NC: 48 %Cornelius, NC48Raleigh, NC: 48 %Raleigh, NC48Albemarle, NC: 47.2 %Albemarle, NC47.2Morrisville, NC: 47 %Morrisville, NC47Asheville, NC: 46.9 %Asheville, NC46.9Apex, NC: 46.5 %Apex, NC46.5
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Elon, NC1000 pts
1Waynesville, NC1000 pts
3Boone, NC94.6+17.8 pts
4Rolesville, NC94.1+23.1 pts
5Pineville, NC89.7+3.8 pts
6Tarboro, NC83.5+7.3 pts
7Davidson, NC82.3-5.5 pts
8Winterville, NC78-6.2 pts
9Pinehurst, NC70-7.7 pts
10Newton, NC69.1-3.7 pts
11Zebulon, NC68.3+2.2 pts
12Mount Airy, NC66+18.8 pts
13Belmont, NC65.5+4.6 pts
14Cary, NC63.8+0.1 pts
15Lincolnton, NC62+15.8 pts
16Weddington, NC60.3-23.4 pts
17Wake Forest, NC59.5-5.3 pts
18Matthews, NC59.4+2 pts
19Mint Hill, NC59.4+3.1 pts
20Fuquay-Varina, NC59-0.3 pts
21Knightdale, NC57.1-11.8 pts
22Stallings, NC55.8-1.9 pts
23Huntersville, NC55.5+5.9 pts
24Greenville, NC54.4+0.6 pts
25Wendell, NC54+8.6 pts
26Summerfield, NC53.9-9.6 pts
27Chapel Hill, NC53.8-1 pts
28New Bern, NC53.3+9.4 pts
29Holly Springs, NC53.3-2.6 pts
30Concord, NC52.9-8.4 pts
31Garner, NC52.1-5.4 pts
32Eden, NC49.3+4 pts
33Archdale, NC49.2+6.7 pts
34Kannapolis, NC48.3+5.4 pts
35Cornelius, NC48-3.9 pts
35Raleigh, NC48-2.2 pts
37Albemarle, NC47.2+3.6 pts
38Morrisville, NC47+9.7 pts
39Asheville, NC46.9+1.1 pts
40Apex, NC46.5+3.6 pts
41Charlotte, NC45.4+1.2 pts
42Morehead City, NC44.9+1.6 pts
43Durham, NC44.2-1.6 pts
44Wilmington, NC43.3-4.5 pts
45Kernersville, NC43.2-3.5 pts
46Mooresville, NC43-7.3 pts
47Asheboro, NC42.6+6.7 pts
48Burlington, NC42.3-9.9 pts
49Mount Holly, NC42.1+1.9 pts
50Waxhaw, NC41-16.1 pts
51Statesville, NC41-9.8 pts
52Mebane, NC40.9-8 pts
53Spring Lake, NC40.9-1.1 pts
54Harrisburg, NC40.3-12.9 pts
55Elizabeth City, NC39.5+2.7 pts
56Rocky Mount, NC37.5+5 pts
57High Point, NC37.4-3.7 pts
58Hendersonville, NC37+6.2 pts
59Indian Trail, NC36.6-0.4 pts
60Southern Pines, NC36.4-13.1 pts
61Gastonia, NC36.3-6.8 pts
62Carrboro, NC35.5+9.9 pts
63Laurinburg, NC35.5+1 pts
64Goldsboro, NC35.3-4 pts
65Monroe, NC35.2-0.9 pts
66Salisbury, NC35.2-12 pts
67Clemmons, NC35-8.6 pts
68Sanford, NC34.4+0.2 pts
69Roanoke Rapids, NC34.1-11.4 pts
70Greensboro, NC33.9+0.2 pts
71Clayton, NC33.8+0.1 pts
72Lenoir, NC33.6-0.5 pts
73Hickory, NC33.5-9.1 pts
74Henderson, NC33.2-1 pts
74Winston-Salem, NC33.2-1.6 pts
76Shelby, NC31.7+1.3 pts
77Graham, NC31.5+2.8 pts
78Fayetteville, NC31.2-4.7 pts
79Aberdeen, NC30.9-2.9 pts
80Jacksonville, NC28+0.4 pts
81Morganton, NC27.2-13.6 pts
82Lexington, NC26.3+12.5 pts
83Thomasville, NC24.2-2.7 pts
84Reidsville, NC24.2-12.6 pts
85Leland, NC22.9-12.6 pts
86Kinston, NC20.8-21.8 pts
87Lewisville, NC19.5-5 pts
88Smithfield, NC19.2-7.6 pts
89Havelock, NC19.1+1.3 pts
90Lumberton, NC18.3+1.2 pts
91Wilson, NC15.7-13.4 pts
92Hope Mills, NC9.3-7.6 pts
93Kings Mountain, NC0.8-2.8 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school, including nursery school and preschool, at any time in the three months before the interview, as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Reported by households, so it includes private nursery schools. Small counties have only a few dozen children in the sample, and their rates can swing widely between periods.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b14003.dat. 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). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in North Carolina by school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4, 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b14003.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in North Carolina by school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4, 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b14003.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/preschool-enrollment-ages-3-4/north-carolina-cities?period=2023. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in North Carolina by school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4, 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b14003.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/preschool-enrollment-ages-3-4/north-carolina-cities?period=2023.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in North Carolina by school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4, 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b14003.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/preschool-enrollment-ages-3-4/north-carolina-cities?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_north_carolina_2023,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in North Carolina by school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4, 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b14003.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/preschool-enrollment-ages-3-4/north-carolina-cities?period=2023. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b14003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in North Carolina by school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4, 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b14003.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/preschool-enrollment-ages-3-4/north-carolina-cities?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/preschool-enrollment-ages-3-4/north-carolina-cities?period=2023.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b14003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Cities in North Carolina by school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4 using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which city has the highest school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4?

Elon, NC, with 100% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest school enrolment, children aged 3 and 4?

Kings Mountain, NC, with 0.8% 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, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B14003: children aged 3 and 4 enrolled in public or private school as a percentage of all children aged 3 and 4, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

School enrolment, children aged 3 and 4: other rankings

Cities in North Carolina: more rankings