| County | Rank | Change (2020) ↓ | 2025 Pop. | 2020 Pop. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County | 1 | 25.99% | 174,076 | 138,168 |
| Pender County | 2 | 22.31% | 74,167 | 60,639 |
| Franklin County | 3 | 18.85% | 82,203 | 69,164 |
| Johnston County | 4 | 17.56% | 256,061 | 217,808 |
| Lincoln County | 5 | 15.58% | 100,809 | 87,220 |
| Currituck County | 6 | 15.34% | 32,763 | 28,405 |
| Union County | 7 | 13.17% | 271,012 | 239,470 |
| Clay County | 8 | 10.95% | 12,362 | 11,142 |
| Chatham County | 9 | 10.87% | 84,994 | 76,664 |
| Iredell County | 10 | 10.5% | 207,382 | 187,683 |
| Lee County | 11 | 10.49% | 70,091 | 63,434 |
| Harnett County | 12 | 10.26% | 147,475 | 133,757 |
| Stanly County | 13 | 9.57% | 68,635 | 62,642 |
| Moore County | 14 | 9.39% | 109,712 | 100,296 |
| Cabarrus County | 15 | 9.25% | 248,230 | 227,219 |
| Wake County | 16 | 8.74% | 1,229,269 | 1,130,483 |
| Jackson County | 17 | 8.62% | 45,878 | 42,237 |
| New Hanover County | 18 | 8.25% | 244,988 | 226,326 |
| Camden County | 19 | 7.91% | 11,231 | 10,408 |
| Mecklenburg County | 20 | 7.65% | 1,202,953 | 1,117,423 |
| Onslow County | 21 | 7.32% | 222,966 | 207,757 |
| Cherokee County | 22 | 7.28% | 30,959 | 28,858 |
| Alamance County | 23 | 7.15% | 184,259 | 171,960 |
| Hoke County | 24 | 7.12% | 55,956 | 52,236 |
| Alleghany County | 25 | 6.84% | 11,640 | 10,895 |
| Jones County | 26 | 6.73% | 9,765 | 9,149 |
| Gaston County | 27 | 6.67% | 243,786 | 228,532 |
| Davie County | 28 | 6.21% | 45,567 | 42,903 |
| Davidson County | 29 | 6.18% | 179,652 | 169,203 |
| Tyrrell County | 30 | 6.05% | 3,437 | 3,241 |
| Macon County | 31 | 5.93% | 39,298 | 37,098 |
| Rowan County | 32 | 5.76% | 155,637 | 147,167 |
| Durham County | 33 | 5.69% | 344,092 | 325,567 |
| Madison County | 34 | 5.47% | 22,451 | 21,287 |
| Orange County | 35 | 5.41% | 151,372 | 143,602 |
| Perquimans County | 36 | 5.15% | 13,689 | 13,018 |
| Craven County | 37 | 4.68% | 104,999 | 100,307 |
| Pitt County | 38 | 4.55% | 178,137 | 170,390 |
| Forsyth County | 39 | 4.24% | 399,441 | 383,202 |
| Yancey County | 40 | 4.23% | 19,278 | 18,496 |
| Duplin County | 41 | 4.18% | 50,692 | 48,658 |
| Catawba County | 42 | 4.17% | 167,601 | 160,888 |
| Pamlico County | 43 | 4.07% | 12,801 | 12,300 |
| Polk County | 44 | 3.95% | 20,156 | 19,390 |
| Stokes County | 45 | 3.93% | 46,324 | 44,572 |
| Henderson County | 46 | 3.88% | 121,094 | 116,574 |
| Buncombe County | 47 | 3.86% | 280,123 | 269,702 |
| Randolph County | 48 | 3.85% | 149,982 | 144,425 |
| Caswell County | 49 | 3.8% | 23,559 | 22,697 |
| Carteret County | 50 | 3.64% | 70,193 | 67,728 |
| Dare County | 51 | 3.56% | 38,356 | 37,039 |
| Pasquotank County | 52 | 3.5% | 41,996 | 40,577 |
| Granville County | 53 | 3.46% | 63,172 | 61,061 |
| Person County | 54 | 3.41% | 40,525 | 39,187 |
| Wayne County | 55 | 3.36% | 121,160 | 117,221 |
| Rutherford County | 56 | 3.33% | 66,631 | 64,486 |
| Montgomery County | 57 | 3.27% | 26,573 | 25,731 |
| Guilford County | 58 | 3.22% | 556,684 | 539,321 |
| Cleveland County | 59 | 3.02% | 102,828 | 99,817 |
| Nash County | 60 | 3% | 98,013 | 95,157 |
| Warren County | 61 | 3% | 19,154 | 18,596 |
| Yadkin County | 62 | 2.83% | 38,308 | 37,254 |
| Sampson County | 63 | 2.82% | 60,749 | 59,085 |
| Rockingham County | 64 | 2.66% | 93,622 | 91,195 |
| Transylvania County | 65 | 2.58% | 33,901 | 33,048 |
| Robeson County | 66 | 2.45% | 119,163 | 116,309 |
| Haywood County | 67 | 2.34% | 63,677 | 62,218 |
| Greene County | 68 | 2.01% | 20,856 | 20,446 |
| Edgecombe County | 69 | 1.93% | 49,718 | 48,775 |
| Wilson County | 70 | 1.9% | 80,298 | 78,804 |
| Ashe County | 71 | 1.81% | 27,065 | 26,584 |
| Burke County | 72 | 1.72% | 89,070 | 87,565 |
| McDowell County | 73 | 1.4% | 45,169 | 44,547 |
| Cumberland County | 74 | 1.38% | 340,108 | 335,470 |
| Chowan County | 75 | 1.27% | 13,877 | 13,703 |
| Lenoir County | 76 | 1.16% | 55,687 | 55,046 |
| Wilkes County | 77 | 0.82% | 66,457 | 65,916 |
| Alexander County | 78 | 0.82% | 36,787 | 36,489 |
| Graham County | 79 | 0.7% | 8,092 | 8,036 |
| Caldwell County | 80 | 0.47% | 81,028 | 80,652 |
| Scotland County | 81 | 0.4% | 34,428 | 34,290 |
| Watauga County | 82 | 0.18% | 54,218 | 54,122 |
| Vance County | 83 | 0.13% | 42,595 | 42,540 |
| Bladen County | 84 | 0.13% | 29,670 | 29,632 |
| Surry County | 85 | 0.07% | 71,422 | 71,373 |
| Mitchell County | 86 | 0.01% | 14,901 | 14,900 |
| Beaufort County | 87 | -0.11% | 44,643 | 44,694 |
| Columbus County | 88 | -0.56% | 50,213 | 50,496 |
| Hyde County | 89 | -0.97% | 4,509 | 4,553 |
| Anson County | 90 | -1.19% | 21,775 | 22,037 |
| Avery County | 91 | -1.38% | 17,601 | 17,847 |
| Gates County | 92 | -1.56% | 10,289 | 10,452 |
| Swain County | 93 | -1.61% | 13,876 | 14,103 |
| Richmond County | 94 | -2.54% | 41,826 | 42,914 |
| Martin County | 95 | -2.58% | 21,385 | 21,952 |
| Washington County | 96 | -3.58% | 10,587 | 10,980 |
| Halifax County | 97 | -4.24% | 46,472 | 48,528 |
| Northampton County | 98 | -5.4% | 16,491 | 17,433 |
| Bertie County | 99 | -6.9% | 16,630 | 17,863 |
| Hertford County | 100 | -10.7% | 19,091 | 21,378 |
North Carolina's counties show varied growth patterns from 2020 to 2025. Brunswick County leads with 25.99% annualized growth, followed by Pender County (22.31%) and Franklin County (18.85%). The largest counties are Wake County (1,229,269), Mecklenburg County (1,202,953), and Guilford County (556,684). Of the 100 counties in North Carolina, 86 are growing while 14 have experienced population decline. Overall, counties averaged 4.36% annualized growth, with total population growing by 6.32% annually.