North Carolina
100 counties, 776 cities and towns, and 853 ZIP codes.
Population
10,730,404
Land area
48,624sq mi
People per sq mi
221
Cities and towns
776
Largest cities in North Carolina
North Carolina at a glance
- By population, it ranks 9th among the 50 states.
- The median household income is $72,388, 10% below the U.S. median of $80,734.
- A typical owner-occupied home is valued at $288,900 (13% below the U.S.) and median rent is $1,228 a month.
- Its largest cities are Charlotte (903,844), Raleigh (481,031) and Greensboro (301,198).
Local data for North Carolina
Counts from official public data
- Hospitals120
- Emergency Rooms105
- Nursing Homes419
- Schools3,301
- Colleges167
- Libraries397
- Banks2,058
- Post Offices950
- Parks3,855
- Grocery Stores4,241
- Restaurants30,193
- Affordable Housing913
- Home Health Agencies165
- Hospice Care76
- Dialysis Centers251
- Rehab & Long-Term Care Hospitals33
- Community Health Centers782
- Mental Health & Addiction Treatment634
- National Cemeteries4
- Private Schools594
- Community Colleges & Trade Schools91
- Superfund Sites42
- Toxic Release Facilities780
- Historic Places1,865
Housing and community stats
North Carolina, American Community Survey 2020-2024
Median household income
$72,388
Poverty rate
13.0%
Median home value
$288,900
Prices +0.4% in a year
Median rent
$1,228/mo
Homeownership
66.6%
Bachelor's or higher
35.7%
Median age
39.1
Average commute
25.1 min
Largest reported origins and ancestries: German Americans (1,012,317), Irish Americans (903,955), Mexican Americans (600,832).
Economy and federal money
Jobs, income, federal spending and pandemic loans
Unemployment rate
3.4%
Sep 2026, -0.5 pts in a year
Average annual pay
$71,533
4,941,383 jobs, 2025
Income per person
$65,634
BEA, 2024
Federal spending
$92.74B
FY 2026, $8,884 per person
PPP loans
$17.66B
258,993 loans, 2,225,006 jobs reported
Campaign donations
$97.74M
Itemized, 2026 cycle
Environment and hazard risk
North Carolina, from FEMA, NOAA and EPA
High-risk counties
5
of 100 rated by FEMA
Storm events since 1996
49,735
636 deaths
Flood insurance policies
106,560
$2.3B paid since 1978
Superfund sites
42
780 toxic release facilities
Hazards, floods and storm historyCheck a flood zone1,865 historic places
Health statistics
Share of adults in North Carolina, CDC PLACES estimates
Obesity
35.1%
U.S. 33.3% +1.8 pts
Diabetes
12.0%
U.S. 12.1% about the same
Smoking
13.5%
U.S. 12.8% +0.7 pts
Uninsured (18-64)
10.4%
U.S. 11.1% -0.7 pts
Largest cities in North Carolina
| Name | Population | Land area (sq mi) |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 903,844 | 311.6 |
| Raleigh | 481,031 | 150.9 |
| Greensboro | 301,198 | 134.3 |
| Durham | 291,467 | 118.8 |
| Winston-Salem | 252,037 | 133.7 |
| Fayetteville | 210,815 | 148.3 |
| Cary | 179,306 | 61 |
| Wilmington | 120,805 | 51.4 |
| High Point | 116,245 | 57.4 |
| Concord | 108,719 | 64.7 |
| Asheville | 94,535 | 45.5 |
| Greenville | 92,857 | 38.3 |
| Gastonia | 82,884 | 53.7 |
| Jacksonville | 71,279 | 48.8 |
| Apex | 70,630 | 26.9 |
| Huntersville | 63,969 | 41.8 |
| Chapel Hill | 61,607 | 21.7 |
| Burlington | 59,610 | 30.8 |
| Kannapolis | 57,890 | 34.9 |
| Rocky Mount | 54,297 | 45.2 |
| Wake Forest | 52,844 | 19.9 |
| Mooresville | 52,381 | 27.4 |
| Wilson | 48,370 | 31.6 |
| Holly Springs | 45,248 | 19.4 |
| Hickory | 44,258 | 32.3 |
Counties, cities and towns in North Carolina
Population shown. Largest 400 of 776 cities and towns listed
- Wake County1,178,653
- Mecklenburg County1,154,681
- Guilford County547,940
- Forsyth County389,977
- Cumberland County338,545
- Durham County332,353
- Buncombe County274,360
- Union County250,958
- Cabarrus County236,133
- New Hanover County235,229
- Gaston County234,881
- Johnston County234,263
- Onslow County207,906
- Iredell County196,544
- Pitt County177,193
- Alamance County176,893
- Davidson County172,954
- Catawba County163,573
- Brunswick County152,568
- Rowan County149,875
- Orange County149,678
- Randolph County146,348
- Harnett County139,150
- Wayne County118,652
- Henderson County118,484
- Robeson County116,902
- Moore County104,876
- Craven County102,612
- Cleveland County100,991
- Nash County96,216
- Lincoln County92,716
- Rockingham County92,131
- Burke County87,795
- Caldwell County80,536
- Chatham County80,151
- Wilson County79,290
- Franklin County74,386
- Surry County71,425
- Carteret County69,148
- Wilkes County65,935
- Lee County65,816
- Pender County65,550
- Rutherford County64,930
- Stanly County64,651
- Haywood County62,662
- Granville County60,877
- Sampson County59,470
- Watauga County55,123
- Lenoir County54,919
- Hoke County53,835
- Columbus County50,140
- Duplin County49,335
- Edgecombe County48,736
- Halifax County47,675
- Stokes County45,139
- McDowell County44,817
- Beaufort County44,499
- Davie County44,122
- Jackson County43,771
- Richmond County42,344
- Vance County42,322
- Pasquotank County40,834
- Person County39,542
- Macon County37,941
- Dare County37,875
- Yadkin County37,574
- Alexander County36,412
- Transylvania County33,691
- Scotland County33,590
- Currituck County30,601
- Bladen County29,566
- Cherokee County29,562
- Ashe County26,950
- Montgomery County26,007
- Caswell County22,404
- Anson County22,289
- Madison County21,867
- Martin County21,644
- Greene County20,486
- Hertford County19,908
- Polk County19,891
- Yancey County18,797
- Warren County18,795
- Avery County17,680
- Bertie County17,170
- Northampton County16,931
- Mitchell County14,992
- Swain County14,013
- Chowan County13,836
- Perquimans County13,244
- Pamlico County12,390
- Clay County11,610
- Alleghany County11,174
- Camden County10,927
- Washington County10,812
- Gates County10,376
- Jones County9,302
- Graham County8,072
- Hyde County4,592
- Tyrrell County3,423
Frequently asked questions
- How many counties are in North Carolina?
- North Carolina has 100 counties, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
- What is the largest city in North Carolina?
- Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina, with a population of about 903,844.
- What is the population of North Carolina?
- North Carolina has about 10,730,404 residents, based on the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
- How many ZIP codes are in North Carolina?
- There are 853 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas in North Carolina.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau (TIGER/Line boundaries, American Community Survey)