North Carolina Population By County in 2021
Updated on June 16, 2025.
Based on the US Census Vintage data estimates, in 2021, the population of North Carolina was 10,564,320. Among all North Carolina counties, Wake had the highest population (1,152,626), followed by Mecklenburg (1,125,279), and Guilford (542,050). Tyrrell was the least populated county (3,373).
Hover over or click on the counties in the map below to see the populations. The data can also be found in a table below. You can use the table to sort, filter, and explore the data further.
You can see similar information for other states and by state for the United States.
Related Topics: North Carolina Census Vintage Data Topic List.
Data Source: US Census Bureau (Vintage).
See this for other years:
North Carolina Population By County in 2021
North Carolina Population By County in 2021
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| County | Population | % of State Population |
|---|---|---|
| Alamance | 173642 | 1.64 |
| Alexander | 36292 | 0.34 |
| Alleghany | 11074 | 0.11 |
| Anson | 22250 | 0.21 |
| Ashe | 26766 | 0.25 |
| Avery | 17511 | 0.17 |
| Beaufort | 44462 | 0.42 |
| Bertie | 17234 | 0.16 |
| Bladen | 29552 | 0.28 |
| Brunswick | 144869 | 1.37 |
| Buncombe | 271984 | 2.58 |
| Burke | 87303 | 0.83 |
| Cabarrus | 231821 | 2.19 |
| Caldwell | 80518 | 0.76 |
| Camden | 10821 | 0.10 |
| Carteret | 68707 | 0.65 |
| Caswell | 22487 | 0.21 |
| Catawba | 161682 | 1.53 |
| Chatham | 78147 | 0.74 |
| Cherokee | 29188 | 0.28 |
| Chowan | 13769 | 0.13 |
| Clay | 11380 | 0.11 |
| Cleveland | 100485 | 0.95 |
| Columbus | 50004 | 0.47 |
| Craven | 101667 | 0.96 |
| Cumberland | 339623 | 3.22 |
| Currituck | 29703 | 0.28 |
| Dare | 37924 | 0.36 |
| Davidson | 170580 | 1.62 |
| Davie | 43651 | 0.41 |
| Duplin | 48575 | 0.46 |
| Durham | 326826 | 3.09 |
| Edgecombe | 48351 | 0.46 |
| Forsyth | 385753 | 3.65 |
| Franklin | 71712 | 0.68 |
| Gaston | 231409 | 2.19 |
| Gates | 10404 | 0.10 |
| Graham | 8009 | 0.08 |
| Granville | 60460 | 0.57 |
| Greene | 20263 | 0.19 |
| Guilford | 542050 | 5.13 |
| Halifax | 48275 | 0.46 |
| Harnett | 135563 | 1.28 |
| Haywood | 62527 | 0.59 |
| Henderson | 117166 | 1.11 |
| Hertford | 19826 | 0.19 |
| Hoke | 53197 | 0.50 |
| Hyde | 4607 | 0.04 |
| Iredell | 192222 | 1.82 |
| Jackson | 42498 | 0.40 |
| Johnston | 226976 | 2.15 |
| Jones | 9211 | 0.09 |
| Lee | 64031 | 0.61 |
| Lenoir | 54710 | 0.52 |
| Lincoln | 89913 | 0.85 |
| McDowell | 44536 | 0.42 |
| Macon | 37465 | 0.36 |
| Madison | 21737 | 0.21 |
| Martin | 21752 | 0.21 |
| Mecklenburg | 1125279 | 10.65 |
| Mitchell | 14977 | 0.14 |
| Montgomery | 25826 | 0.24 |
| Moore | 103049 | 0.98 |
| Nash | 95215 | 0.90 |
| New Hanover | 230167 | 2.18 |
| Northampton | 17125 | 0.16 |
| Onslow | 203563 | 1.93 |
| Orange | 148798 | 1.41 |
| Pamlico | 12367 | 0.12 |
| Pasquotank | 40484 | 0.38 |
| Pender | 62994 | 0.60 |
| Perquimans | 13126 | 0.12 |
| Person | 39150 | 0.37 |
| Pitt | 175491 | 1.66 |
| Polk | 19709 | 0.19 |
| Randolph | 145129 | 1.37 |
| Richmond | 42641 | 0.40 |
| Robeson | 115901 | 1.10 |
| Rockingham | 91241 | 0.86 |
| Rowan | 147687 | 1.40 |
| Rutherford | 64508 | 0.61 |
| Sampson | 59038 | 0.56 |
| Scotland | 33423 | 0.32 |
| Stanly | 63147 | 0.60 |
| Stokes | 44636 | 0.42 |
| Surry | 71262 | 0.68 |
| Swain | 14126 | 0.13 |
| Transylvania | 33494 | 0.32 |
| Tyrrell | 3373 | 0.03 |
| Union | 244491 | 2.31 |
| Vance | 42126 | 0.40 |
| Wake | 1152626 | 10.91 |
| Warren | 18831 | 0.18 |
| Washington | 10888 | 0.10 |
| Watauga | 55326 | 0.52 |
| Wayne | 117395 | 1.11 |
| Wilkes | 65798 | 0.62 |
| Wilson | 78746 | 0.75 |
| Yadkin | 37280 | 0.35 |
| Yancey | 18767 | 0.18 |