North Carolina Population 2024

10,975,017

The North Carolina population statistics make for very interesting reading as a whole, but how do the numbers stack up in recent years? North Carolina currently has a very healthy growth rate of 1.13%, which ranks 14th in the nation.

It's essential to look at the last set of confirmed figures which were declared at the time of the official US census of 2010. At the time, it was reported that there were 9,535,483 people living in the state, and that represented a significant rise of 18.5% from the numbers declared in 2000.

North Carolina Area and Population Density

Situated on the east coast of the United States, North Carolina is just the 28th largest state in the country in terms of area but it has a relatively high population density.

North Carolina may only rank in the lower middle half of the US in terms of size but it more than makes up for those statistics with its population density. The total surface area is 53,819 square miles (139,390 square kilometers) and there is an average of 196 people for every square mile. This makes North Carolina the 15th most densely populated state in the US.

North Carolina has three major Combined Statistical Areas with populations over 1.6 million, as of 2016. This includes:

Charlotte is by far the largest city in North Carolina, claiming 827,097 residents out of the total population of over 10 million. While North Carolina has historically been a rural area, the past thirty years have seen a rapid increase in urbanization, like most of the United States. Today, most of the residents of North Carolina live in urban and suburban areas.

The most populated counties in North Carolina are Mecklenburg (1,076,837), Wake (1,072,203), and Guilford (526,953) counties.

North Carolina Gender and Religion Statistics

The median age of the population in North Carolina is approximately 38.3 years of age. The ratio of females to males in the state is about 51.4% females to 48.6% males.

In terms of religious preferences across the state, 77% of the population report affiliation with a Christian based faith, 3% are affiliated with non-Christian based faiths, and 20% are unaffiliated with any faith in particular.

North Carolina Boundary, Census, and Statehood History

North Carolina was one of the 13 original States and by the time of the 1790 census had essentially its current boundaries. In 1790 census coverage included most of the State, except for areas at the western end, parts of which were not enumerated until 1840. The population for 1810 includes Walton County, enumerated as part of Georgia although actually within North Carolina.

North Carolina Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of North Carolina was:

  • White: 66.22%
  • Black or African American: 21.16%
  • Two or more races: 4.83%
  • Other race: 3.59%
  • Asian: 3.04%
  • Native American: 1.1%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.07%

North Carolina Population History

It’s a simplistic view at times to suggest that the western states within the US had healthy populations from the very birth of the United States' independence but the figures in relation to North Carolina certainly back up that view.

In 1790, recorded figures show that the North Carolina population had already reached 393,751 and just ten years later those numbers had climbed to 478,103. Similar rises were noted in the Censuses that followed, and in 1870 it was confirmed that numbers had exceeded one million for the very first time.

Average percentage rises in the years that have followed have tended to be in the region of 18%, and when the numbers are already healthy, that leads to a growing population and a densely populated state.

North Carolina Population Growth

With healthy natural growth and net migration, there is nothing apparent that would suggest that the North Carolina population growth will slow down. The population density is significant but there is space still to accommodate an ever-growing territory.

North Carolina Population Projections

It is, therefore, reasonable to assume that the census of 2020 will show that the population has far exceeded 10 million. According to state projections, North Carolina will reach a population of 10.5 million in 2020, and will then surpass 11 million by 2030.

North Carolina has seen a large growth in diversity, mostly fueled by immigrants from India, Southeast Asia and Latin America. There have also been high numbers of people moving from the Northeastern area of the US, Florida and even as far away as California.

North Carolina has a large African American population that makes up almost a quarter of its total population. Since the 1970s, the number of middle-class black residents has increased, and most African Americans live on the eastern Coastal Plain and in areas of the Piedmont Plateau. Many free black people migrated to the frontier areas of the state from Virginia during the colonial and post-Revolutionary period, with 80% counted as "all other free persons" in the 1790-1810 census.

The state also has a large and growing population of Asian Americans, especially those from India and Vietnam. North Carolina has the largest population of Montagnards (about 10,000) in the United States. These refugees from Vietnam's Central Highlands first arrived in the 1980s, and most live in Greensboro, Raleigh and Charlotte. North Carolina is also home to the largest American Indian population on the East Coast with an estimated population of 110,000 with 8 tribal nations recognized.

North Carolina Population 2024

North Carolina Facts

Population

100K

200K

300K

400K

500K

600K

700K

800K

900K

1M

1.1M

1.2M

When examining data from the 2010 Census and US Census Bureau estimates from 2015, the counties of North Carolina have both significant increases and decreases in population across the state. The largest percentages of growth were recorded in the southern and central regions of the state. Brunswick County, the southernmost North Carolina County, reflected a growth of 13.48%, the largest rate of growth during the 5-year period. This was followed by Wake County at 12.93% and Mecklenburg at 12%. Eight additional counties in the state had growth rates that exceeded 10%, while other counties saw smaller rates of growth.

The largest decreases in population were recorded in the northeastern corner of the state, with Tyrrell County showing the largest decline at 7.77%. Other counties with higher losses include Northampton at 7.14%, Gates at 6%, and Washington at 5.91%. North Carolina had other counties with losses that were less than 5%, and these counties include Graham, Anson, Richmond, and Beaufort.

North Carolina Population by County

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White6,865,50866.22%
Black or African American2,193,14721.16%
Two or more races500,4584.83%
Other race372,3813.59%
Asian314,6903.04%
Native American113,7191.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander7,1190.07%

White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Other race

Asian

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

North Carolina Population by Race

North Carolina Population Pyramid 2024

North Carolina Median Age

39

Total

37.6

Male

40.3

Female

North Carolina Adults

There are 8,064,707 adults, (1,686,235 of whom are seniors) in North Carolina.

North Carolina Age Dependency

62.5

Age Dependency Ratio

26.4

Old Age Dependency Ratio

36.1

Child Dependency Ratio

North Carolina Sex Ratio

Female5,299,35651.12%
Male5,067,66648.88%

North Carolina Population by Age

North Carolina Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All4,034,6842.565.934.1
Married1,922,6963.1282.417.6
Non Family1,418,4861.2552.147.9
Female513,4863.3746.453.6
Male180,0163.3355.144.9

3.1

Average Family Size

2.5

Average Household Size

65.9%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

North Carolina Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

North Carolina Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

North Carolina Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 92.36%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 61.2%.

North Carolina Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$40,954

Average Earnings

$46,664

Average Male

$35,327

Average Female

North Carolina Earnings by Educational Attainment

North Carolina Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

North Carolina Language

87.93% of North Carolina residents speak only English, while 12.07% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 7.71% of the population.

North Carolina Language

North Carolina Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White6,283,973599,3949.54%
Black2,113,081445,97121.11%
Hispanic991,728231,78323.37%
Multiple485,13990,00818.55%
Other365,42988,33724.17%
Asian308,03129,4259.55%
Native110,56726,48423.95%
Islander6,6351,60024.11%

13.67%

Overall Poverty Rate

12.28%

Male Poverty Rate

14.98%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in North Carolina

The race most likely to be in poverty in North Carolina is Other, with 24.17% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in North Carolina is White, with 9.54% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.84%. Among those working part-time, it was 16.93%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 21.02%.

North Carolina Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade26.69%
High School14.76%
Some College9.87%
Bachelors or Greater4.02%

North Carolina Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed34.16%
Male Unemployed27.18%
Female Employed7.7%
Male Employed5.34%

North Carolina Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

North Carolina Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

North Carolina Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

48.4%

Overall Marriage Rate

50.7%

Male Marriage Rate

46.3%

Female Marriage Rate

North Carolina Married by Age and Sex

male

female

North Carolina Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

North Carolina Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

North Carolina Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

637,790

Number of Veterans

568,807

Male Veterans

68,983

Female Veterans

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North Carolina Veterans by War

count

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North Carolina Veterans by Age

count

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North Carolina Veterans by Race

North Carolina Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

7.16%

Veteran Poverty Rate

29.14%

Veteran Disability Rate

North Carolina Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

62.6%

Labor Force Participation

58.1%

Employment Rate

5.3%

Unemployment Rate

North Carolina Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

North Carolina Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

North Carolina Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

55.42%

Born in North Carolina

91.84%

Native Born

8.16%

Foreign Born

4.8%

Non Citizen

3.37%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

91.84% of North Carolina residents were born in the United States, with 55.42% having been born in North Carolina. 4.8% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

North Carolina Place of Birth

  1. North Carolina State Data Center
  2. US Census State Population Estimates - Most recent state estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  3. US Census County Population Estimates - Most recent county estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  4. American Community Survey (2009 - 2013)
  5. Census QuickFacts
  6. Historical Populations of States and Counties (1790 - 1990)

Sources