| County | Rank | Change (2020) ↓ | 2025 Pop. | 2020 Pop. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County | 1 | 26.2% | 174,369 | 138,167 |
| Franklin County | 2 | 19.44% | 82,450 | 69,028 |
| Pender County | 3 | 18.43% | 71,798 | 60,625 |
| Johnston County | 4 | 18.31% | 257,230 | 217,426 |
| Currituck County | 5 | 15.99% | 32,947 | 28,404 |
| Lincoln County | 6 | 14.07% | 99,436 | 87,169 |
| Iredell County | 7 | 13.17% | 212,411 | 187,696 |
| Harnett County | 8 | 12.48% | 150,400 | 133,716 |
| Union County | 9 | 12.34% | 269,262 | 239,688 |
| Chatham County | 10 | 11.86% | 85,756 | 76,662 |
| Wake County | 11 | 11.57% | 1,261,494 | 1,130,694 |
| Mecklenburg County | 12 | 10.76% | 1,236,342 | 1,116,263 |
| Lee County | 13 | 9.86% | 69,653 | 63,402 |
| Stanly County | 14 | 9.82% | 68,834 | 62,679 |
| Cabarrus County | 15 | 9.68% | 249,242 | 227,235 |
| Clay County | 16 | 9.56% | 12,211 | 11,145 |
| Moore County | 17 | 9.44% | 109,762 | 100,293 |
| New Hanover County | 18 | 8.91% | 246,612 | 226,442 |
| Tyrrell County | 19 | 8.66% | 3,514 | 3,234 |
| Alamance County | 20 | 8.65% | 186,463 | 171,620 |
| Durham County | 21 | 8.53% | 350,018 | 322,505 |
| Jackson County | 22 | 7.99% | 45,512 | 42,146 |
| Camden County | 23 | 7.97% | 11,236 | 10,407 |
| Davie County | 24 | 7.64% | 46,172 | 42,894 |
| Gaston County | 25 | 7.54% | 245,867 | 228,625 |
| Hoke County | 26 | 7.52% | 56,177 | 52,249 |
| Davidson County | 27 | 6.91% | 180,731 | 169,050 |
| Orange County | 28 | 6.81% | 153,515 | 143,732 |
| Cherokee County | 29 | 6.69% | 30,794 | 28,864 |
| Madison County | 30 | 6.43% | 22,665 | 21,295 |
| Polk County | 31 | 6.35% | 20,610 | 19,380 |
| Rowan County | 32 | 5.43% | 154,885 | 146,909 |
| Duplin County | 33 | 5.32% | 51,259 | 48,668 |
| Forsyth County | 34 | 5.18% | 402,451 | 382,634 |
| Pitt County | 35 | 5.16% | 182,610 | 173,643 |
| Macon County | 36 | 5.15% | 39,004 | 37,095 |
| Catawba County | 37 | 5.14% | 169,153 | 160,889 |
| Alleghany County | 38 | 4.86% | 11,418 | 10,889 |
| Guilford County | 39 | 4.82% | 564,752 | 538,761 |
| Onslow County | 40 | 4.69% | 214,724 | 205,111 |
| Henderson County | 41 | 4.63% | 121,966 | 116,571 |
| Carteret County | 42 | 4.6% | 70,806 | 67,695 |
| Buncombe County | 43 | 4.42% | 281,631 | 269,704 |
| Warren County | 44 | 4.3% | 19,400 | 18,601 |
| Nash County | 45 | 4.23% | 99,184 | 95,159 |
| Perquimans County | 46 | 4.08% | 13,553 | 13,022 |
| Stokes County | 47 | 3.7% | 46,228 | 44,579 |
| Jones County | 48 | 3.62% | 9,476 | 9,145 |
| Rockingham County | 49 | 3.49% | 94,396 | 91,214 |
| Craven County | 50 | 3.45% | 105,005 | 101,505 |
| Pasquotank County | 51 | 3.44% | 41,656 | 40,270 |
| Sampson County | 52 | 3.38% | 61,066 | 59,070 |
| Ashe County | 53 | 3.29% | 27,464 | 26,590 |
| Randolph County | 54 | 3.28% | 149,137 | 144,407 |
| Person County | 55 | 3.23% | 40,454 | 39,187 |
| Dare County | 56 | 3.1% | 38,185 | 37,038 |
| Robeson County | 57 | 3.08% | 119,543 | 115,967 |
| Transylvania County | 58 | 3.05% | 34,272 | 33,258 |
| Graham County | 59 | 2.99% | 8,279 | 8,039 |
| Montgomery County | 60 | 2.98% | 26,487 | 25,720 |
| Yancey County | 61 | 2.97% | 19,046 | 18,496 |
| Cleveland County | 62 | 2.88% | 102,827 | 99,945 |
| Wayne County | 63 | 2.83% | 121,106 | 117,772 |
| Pamlico County | 64 | 2.75% | 12,650 | 12,312 |
| Granville County | 65 | 2.62% | 61,726 | 60,151 |
| Yadkin County | 66 | 2.52% | 38,192 | 37,253 |
| McDowell County | 67 | 2.28% | 45,570 | 44,554 |
| Rutherford County | 68 | 2.25% | 65,805 | 64,357 |
| Scotland County | 69 | 2.14% | 34,136 | 33,420 |
| Anson County | 70 | 2.04% | 22,483 | 22,034 |
| Burke County | 71 | 1.94% | 88,943 | 87,248 |
| Haywood County | 72 | 1.54% | 63,174 | 62,218 |
| Alexander County | 73 | 1.51% | 36,959 | 36,410 |
| Bladen County | 74 | 1.41% | 30,049 | 29,630 |
| Chowan County | 75 | 1.32% | 13,888 | 13,707 |
| Wilson County | 76 | 1.27% | 80,310 | 79,301 |
| Greene County | 77 | 1.27% | 20,698 | 20,438 |
| Lenoir County | 78 | 1.16% | 55,697 | 55,058 |
| Edgecombe County | 79 | 1.07% | 49,302 | 48,780 |
| Mitchell County | 80 | 1.07% | 15,057 | 14,898 |
| Wilkes County | 81 | 0.73% | 66,355 | 65,872 |
| Avery County | 82 | 0.54% | 17,911 | 17,815 |
| Caldwell County | 83 | 0.39% | 80,899 | 80,584 |
| Surry County | 84 | 0.37% | 71,637 | 71,371 |
| Cumberland County | 85 | 0.37% | 338,449 | 337,195 |
| Hyde County | 86 | 0.31% | 4,528 | 4,514 |
| Watauga County | 87 | 0.19% | 54,574 | 54,470 |
| Beaufort County | 88 | 0.12% | 44,742 | 44,690 |
| Vance County | 89 | -0.5% | 42,345 | 42,559 |
| Swain County | 90 | -0.96% | 13,967 | 14,103 |
| Columbus County | 91 | -1% | 49,968 | 50,475 |
| Caswell County | 92 | -1.01% | 22,247 | 22,473 |
| Richmond County | 93 | -1.75% | 41,977 | 42,725 |
| Martin County | 94 | -1.81% | 21,562 | 21,959 |
| Gates County | 95 | -1.97% | 10,244 | 10,450 |
| Halifax County | 96 | -3.1% | 46,916 | 48,416 |
| Washington County | 97 | -3.75% | 10,569 | 10,981 |
| Bertie County | 98 | -4.81% | 16,865 | 17,717 |
| Northampton County | 99 | -5.64% | 16,455 | 17,439 |
| Hertford County | 100 | -12.31% | 19,104 | 21,787 |
North Carolina's counties show varied growth patterns from 2020 to 2025. Brunswick County leads with 26.2% annualized growth, followed by Franklin County (19.44%) and Pender County (18.43%). The largest counties are Wake County (1,261,494), Mecklenburg County (1,236,342), and Guilford County (564,752). Of the 100 counties in North Carolina, 88 are growing while 12 have experienced population decline. Overall, counties averaged 4.61% annualized growth, with total population growing by 7.28% annually.
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