| County | Rank | Change (2020) ↓ | 2026 Pop. | 2020 Pop. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County | 1 | 31.45% | 181,626 | 138,167 |
| Franklin County | 2 | 23.33% | 85,129 | 69,028 |
| Johnston County | 3 | 21.73% | 264,666 | 217,426 |
| Pender County | 4 | 21.27% | 73,519 | 60,625 |
| Currituck County | 5 | 18.35% | 33,616 | 28,404 |
| Iredell County | 6 | 16.39% | 218,461 | 187,696 |
| Lincoln County | 7 | 16.17% | 101,261 | 87,169 |
| Harnett County | 8 | 15.7% | 154,704 | 133,716 |
| Union County | 9 | 14.79% | 275,138 | 239,688 |
| Chatham County | 10 | 14.32% | 87,638 | 76,662 |
| Wake County | 11 | 14.14% | 1,290,544 | 1,130,694 |
| Mecklenburg County | 12 | 13.45% | 1,266,399 | 1,116,263 |
| Stanly County | 13 | 12.23% | 70,342 | 62,679 |
| Lee County | 14 | 11.62% | 70,769 | 63,402 |
| Cabarrus County | 15 | 11.58% | 253,559 | 227,235 |
| Clay County | 16 | 11.08% | 12,380 | 11,145 |
| Moore County | 17 | 10.78% | 111,107 | 100,293 |
| Alamance County | 18 | 10.64% | 189,886 | 171,620 |
| Durham County | 19 | 10.51% | 356,408 | 322,505 |
| New Hanover County | 20 | 10.36% | 249,891 | 226,442 |
| Davie County | 21 | 9.48% | 46,961 | 42,894 |
| Gaston County | 22 | 9.23% | 249,724 | 228,625 |
| Hoke County | 23 | 9.04% | 56,972 | 52,249 |
| Davidson County | 24 | 8.64% | 183,653 | 169,050 |
| Tyrrell County | 25 | 8.57% | 3,511 | 3,234 |
| Jackson County | 26 | 8.53% | 45,743 | 42,146 |
| Camden County | 27 | 8.47% | 11,288 | 10,407 |
| Cherokee County | 28 | 8.15% | 31,215 | 28,864 |
| Madison County | 29 | 7.9% | 22,978 | 21,295 |
| Polk County | 30 | 7.84% | 20,900 | 19,380 |
| Orange County | 31 | 7.25% | 154,153 | 143,732 |
| Duplin County | 32 | 6.8% | 51,979 | 48,668 |
| Rowan County | 33 | 6.45% | 156,386 | 146,909 |
| Catawba County | 34 | 6.44% | 171,252 | 160,889 |
| Forsyth County | 35 | 6.3% | 406,759 | 382,634 |
| Pitt County | 36 | 6.22% | 184,437 | 173,643 |
| Warren County | 37 | 6.01% | 19,719 | 18,601 |
| Guilford County | 38 | 5.93% | 570,688 | 538,761 |
| Macon County | 39 | 5.92% | 39,291 | 37,095 |
| Henderson County | 40 | 5.65% | 123,161 | 116,571 |
| Onslow County | 41 | 5.55% | 216,494 | 205,111 |
| Nash County | 42 | 5.48% | 100,378 | 95,159 |
| Carteret County | 43 | 5.4% | 71,353 | 67,695 |
| Buncombe County | 44 | 5.32% | 284,052 | 269,704 |
| Alleghany County | 45 | 5.22% | 11,457 | 10,889 |
| Perquimans County | 46 | 4.79% | 13,646 | 13,022 |
| Stokes County | 47 | 4.53% | 46,599 | 44,579 |
| Sampson County | 48 | 4.5% | 61,728 | 59,070 |
| Rockingham County | 49 | 4.45% | 95,275 | 91,214 |
| Craven County | 50 | 4.27% | 105,843 | 101,505 |
| Graham County | 51 | 4.23% | 8,379 | 8,039 |
| Pasquotank County | 52 | 4.03% | 41,894 | 40,270 |
| Ashe County | 53 | 4.03% | 27,662 | 26,590 |
| Person County | 54 | 4.03% | 40,765 | 39,187 |
| Robeson County | 55 | 3.88% | 120,462 | 115,967 |
| Randolph County | 56 | 3.79% | 149,885 | 144,407 |
| Jones County | 57 | 3.77% | 9,490 | 9,145 |
| Pamlico County | 58 | 3.56% | 12,750 | 12,312 |
| Transylvania County | 59 | 3.56% | 34,441 | 33,258 |
| Cleveland County | 60 | 3.52% | 103,460 | 99,945 |
| Wayne County | 61 | 3.48% | 121,874 | 117,772 |
| Montgomery County | 62 | 3.46% | 26,610 | 25,720 |
| Yancey County | 63 | 3.26% | 19,099 | 18,496 |
| Dare County | 64 | 3.1% | 38,187 | 37,038 |
| Yadkin County | 65 | 3.05% | 38,389 | 37,253 |
| McDowell County | 66 | 2.96% | 45,871 | 44,554 |
| Granville County | 67 | 2.92% | 61,908 | 60,151 |
| Scotland County | 68 | 2.85% | 34,374 | 33,420 |
| Rutherford County | 69 | 2.59% | 66,023 | 64,357 |
| Burke County | 70 | 2.4% | 89,341 | 87,248 |
| Bladen County | 71 | 2.33% | 30,321 | 29,630 |
| Anson County | 72 | 2.27% | 22,534 | 22,034 |
| Alexander County | 73 | 2.24% | 37,225 | 36,410 |
| Lenoir County | 74 | 1.82% | 56,062 | 55,058 |
| Haywood County | 75 | 1.74% | 63,300 | 62,218 |
| Wilson County | 76 | 1.72% | 80,662 | 79,301 |
| Edgecombe County | 77 | 1.44% | 49,480 | 48,780 |
| Greene County | 78 | 1.4% | 20,725 | 20,438 |
| Chowan County | 79 | 1.3% | 13,885 | 13,707 |
| Mitchell County | 80 | 1.25% | 15,084 | 14,898 |
| Avery County | 81 | 1.1% | 18,011 | 17,815 |
| Wilkes County | 82 | 0.99% | 66,524 | 65,872 |
| Caldwell County | 83 | 0.59% | 81,059 | 80,584 |
| Surry County | 84 | 0.5% | 71,727 | 71,371 |
| Beaufort County | 85 | 0.49% | 44,908 | 44,690 |
| Cumberland County | 86 | 0.38% | 338,468 | 337,195 |
| Vance County | 87 | -0.48% | 42,353 | 42,559 |
| Watauga County | 88 | -0.59% | 54,151 | 54,470 |
| Swain County | 89 | -0.81% | 13,989 | 14,103 |
| Hyde County | 90 | -0.91% | 4,473 | 4,514 |
| Columbus County | 91 | -1.17% | 49,882 | 50,475 |
| Caswell County | 92 | -1.52% | 22,131 | 22,473 |
| Martin County | 93 | -1.63% | 21,601 | 21,959 |
| Richmond County | 94 | -1.78% | 41,964 | 42,725 |
| Gates County | 95 | -2.5% | 10,189 | 10,450 |
| Halifax County | 96 | -3.26% | 46,840 | 48,416 |
| Washington County | 97 | -4.53% | 10,484 | 10,981 |
| Bertie County | 98 | -5.23% | 16,791 | 17,717 |
| Northampton County | 99 | -6.36% | 16,330 | 17,439 |
| Hertford County | 100 | -12.61% | 19,039 | 21,787 |
North Carolina's counties show varied growth patterns from 2020 to 2026. Brunswick County leads with 4.66% annualized growth, followed by Franklin County (3.56%) and Johnston County (3.33%). The largest counties are Wake County (1,290,544), Mecklenburg County (1,266,399), and Guilford County (570,688). Of the 100 counties in North Carolina, 86 are growing while 14 have experienced population decline. Overall, counties averaged 0.88% annualized growth, with total population growing by 1.43% annually.
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