North Carolina County Map with Cities — All 100 Counties
All 100 of North Carolina's counties, mapped from official U.S. Census boundaries with population, income, and unemployment for every one. Color the map by any measure, tap a county for its data, or download a print-ready copy.
North Carolina CountiesFIPS 37
Albers Equal Area ConicDatum WGS 84Census PEP V2025 · Census SAIPE 2024 · BLS LAUS September 2026, preliminary · Census TIGER 2026
CountyAtlasEdition
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Tap any county for its population, income, and more.
North Carolina at a glance
- Scale. North Carolina is divided into 100 counties across 48,624 sq mi of land, an average of 486 sq mi each. calculated from Census TIGER 2026
- People. Its counties are home to 11,197,968 residents. That averages 111,980 each, or 230 per square mile statewide. calculated from Census PEP V2025 · Census TIGER 2026
- Water. Another 5,194 sq mi is water, or 9.7% of the state’s area. Dare County has the most. calculated from Census TIGER 2026
North Carolina’s 100 counties, by the numbers
The table lists every county’s population, median household income, unemployment, density, and land area. Sort it by any column to find yours or rank them. A few patterns stand out:
- Concentrated. Half of North Carolina’s 11,197,968 residents live in just 12 of 100 counties, and the 5 largest hold 34.0% of the total. calculated from Census PEP V2025
- Income tracks poverty. The gap from richest to poorest runs 2.3×, and the 10 highest-income counties average 8.9% in poverty against 20.7% for the 10 lowest. calculated from Census SAIPE 2024
- The median county. Half of North Carolina’s counties have fewer than 53,179 residents, and half report a median household income below $62,225. calculated from Census PEP V2025 · Census SAIPE 2024
- Lopsided density. Only 24 of 100 counties are denser than North Carolina’s statewide average of 230 people per square mile. calculated from Census PEP V2025 · Census TIGER 2026
| Alamance County | 186,177 | $66,652 | 3.2% | 440/sq mi | 423 sq mi | Graham |
| Alexander County | 36,958 | $66,198 | 2.9% | 142/sq mi | 260 sq mi | Taylorsville |
| Alleghany County | 11,479 | $53,354 | 3.1% | 49/sq mi | 235 sq mi | Sparta |
| Anson County | 21,758 | $57,324 | 4.0% | 41/sq mi | 531 sq mi | Wadesboro |
| Ashe County | 27,514 | $57,567 | 2.6% | 65/sq mi | 426 sq mi | Jefferson |
| Avery County | 18,110 | $58,017 | 2.6% | 73/sq mi | 247 sq mi | Newland |
| Beaufort County | 44,670 | $58,625 | 3.1% | 54/sq mi | 833 sq mi | Washington |
| Bertie County | 17,086 | $47,587 | 4.2% | 24/sq mi | 699 sq mi | Windsor |
| Bladen County | 30,007 | $49,547 | 4.4% | 34/sq mi | 875 sq mi | Elizabethtown |
| Brunswick County | 174,702 | $81,361 | 3.6% | 206/sq mi | 849 sq mi | Bolivia |
| Buncombe County | 277,417 | $78,993 | 2.8% | 423/sq mi | 656 sq mi | Asheville |
| Burke County | 88,655 | $61,006 | 2.9% | 175/sq mi | 506 sq mi | Morganton |
| Cabarrus County | 249,725 | $87,867 | 3.0% | 691/sq mi | 361 sq mi | Concord |
| Caldwell County | 81,105 | $59,968 | 3.1% | 172/sq mi | 472 sq mi | Lenoir |
| Camden County | 11,315 | $89,509 | 2.5% | 47/sq mi | 240 sq mi | Camden |
| Carteret County | 70,469 | $76,739 | 2.8% | 139/sq mi | 508 sq mi | Beaufort |
| Caswell County | 22,563 | $60,453 | 3.1% | 53/sq mi | 426 sq mi | Yanceyville |
| Catawba County | 170,172 | $70,879 | 3.1% | 424/sq mi | 401 sq mi | Newton |
| Chatham County | 85,111 | $100,222 | 2.7% | 125/sq mi | 681 sq mi | Pittsboro |
| Cherokee County | 30,830 | $55,351 | 3.3% | 68/sq mi | 456 sq mi | Murphy |
| Chowan County | 14,082 | $57,780 | 2.9% | 82/sq mi | 173 sq mi | Edenton |
| Clay County | 12,239 | $64,569 | 3.1% | 57/sq mi | 215 sq mi | Hayesville |
| Cleveland County | 103,325 | $61,392 | 3.7% | 223/sq mi | 464 sq mi | Shelby |
| Columbus County | 50,487 | $50,741 | 3.7% | 54/sq mi | 938 sq mi | Whiteville |
| Craven County | 105,025 | $65,661 | 3.3% | 149/sq mi | 707 sq mi | New Bern |
| Cumberland County | 338,473 | $60,831 | 4.0% | 519/sq mi | 653 sq mi | Fayetteville |
| Currituck County | 33,158 | $94,709 | 2.3% | 127/sq mi | 262 sq mi | Currituck |
| Dare County | 38,245 | $87,321 | 2.7% | 100/sq mi | 383 sq mi | Manteo |
| Davidson County | 180,182 | $65,644 | 3.2% | 326/sq mi | 553 sq mi | Lexington |
| Davie County | 45,855 | $77,417 | 3.0% | 174/sq mi | 264 sq mi | Mocksville |
| Duplin County | 51,571 | $56,729 | 2.8% | 63/sq mi | 815 sq mi | Kenansville |
| Durham County | 347,240 | $84,375 | 2.8% | 1,207/sq mi | 288 sq mi | Durham |
| Edgecombe County | 49,121 | $49,283 | 4.7% | 97/sq mi | 505 sq mi | Tarboro |
| Forsyth County | 401,718 | $67,638 | 3.3% | 984/sq mi | 408 sq mi | Winston-Salem |
| Franklin County | 82,037 | $72,026 | 2.8% | 167/sq mi | 492 sq mi | Louisburg |
| Gaston County | 246,558 | $70,318 | 3.2% | 693/sq mi | 356 sq mi | Gastonia |
| Gates County | 10,234 | $68,522 | 2.9% | 30/sq mi | 341 sq mi | Gatesville |
| Graham County | 8,190 | $55,006 | 3.0% | 28/sq mi | 292 sq mi | Robbinsville |
| Granville County | 61,421 | $70,353 | 2.9% | 115/sq mi | 532 sq mi | Oxford |
| Greene County | 20,700 | $57,307 | 2.8% | 78/sq mi | 267 sq mi | Snow Hill |
| Guilford County | 562,234 | $70,304 | 3.4% | 870/sq mi | 646 sq mi | Greensboro |
| Halifax County | 46,534 | $47,318 | 4.6% | 64/sq mi | 724 sq mi | Halifax |
| Harnett County | 150,137 | $72,961 | 3.4% | 252/sq mi | 595 sq mi | Lillington |
| Haywood County | 63,369 | $65,113 | 2.8% | 114/sq mi | 554 sq mi | Waynesville |
| Henderson County | 122,375 | $72,820 | 2.6% | 328/sq mi | 373 sq mi | Hendersonville |
| Hertford County | 19,015 | $48,051 | 3.5% | 54/sq mi | 353 sq mi | Winton |
| Hoke County | 56,939 | $68,243 | 3.9% | 146/sq mi | 390 sq mi | Raeford |
| Hyde County | 4,554 | $53,386 | 4.0% | 7/sq mi | 612 sq mi | Swan Quarter |
| Iredell County | 211,798 | $85,180 | 2.9% | 369/sq mi | 574 sq mi | Statesville |
| Jackson County | 45,039 | $62,044 | 2.6% | 92/sq mi | 491 sq mi | Sylva |
| Johnston County | 256,448 | $88,688 | 2.7% | 324/sq mi | 792 sq mi | Smithfield |
| Jones County | 9,575 | $56,456 | 3.3% | 20/sq mi | 471 sq mi | Trenton |
| Lee County | 70,258 | $71,876 | 3.1% | 275/sq mi | 255 sq mi | Sanford |
| Lenoir County | 55,837 | $52,084 | 3.3% | 140/sq mi | 399 sq mi | Kinston |
| Lincoln County | 98,654 | $83,859 | 2.9% | 333/sq mi | 296 sq mi | Lincolnton |
| Macon County | 39,232 | $58,888 | 2.9% | 76/sq mi | 516 sq mi | Franklin |
| Madison County | 22,553 | $61,754 | 2.8% | 50/sq mi | 450 sq mi | Marshall |
| Martin County | 21,601 | $52,295 | 3.5% | 47/sq mi | 456 sq mi | Williamston |
| McDowell County | 45,198 | $57,124 | 3.2% | 103/sq mi | 440 sq mi | Marion |
| Mecklenburg County | 1,233,383 | $90,698 | 3.3% | 2,355/sq mi | 524 sq mi | Charlotte |
| Mitchell County | 15,062 | $58,182 | 3.1% | 68/sq mi | 221 sq mi | Bakersville |
| Montgomery County | 26,403 | $57,356 | 3.5% | 54/sq mi | 492 sq mi | Troy |
| Moore County | 110,619 | $85,211 | 2.8% | 159/sq mi | 698 sq mi | Carthage |
| Nash County | 99,365 | $66,531 | 4.1% | 184/sq mi | 540 sq mi | Nashville |
| New Hanover County | 245,959 | $77,098 | 2.8% | 1,279/sq mi | 192 sq mi | Wilmington |
| Northampton County | 16,491 | $51,986 | 3.8% | 31/sq mi | 537 sq mi | Jackson |
| Onslow County | 217,175 | $71,800 | 3.4% | 285/sq mi | 762 sq mi | Jacksonville |
| Orange County | 152,498 | $83,872 | 2.8% | 384/sq mi | 398 sq mi | Hillsborough |
| Pamlico County | 12,758 | $63,059 | 3.2% | 38/sq mi | 337 sq mi | Bayboro |
| Pasquotank County | 42,201 | $64,384 | 3.1% | 186/sq mi | 227 sq mi | Elizabeth City |
| Pender County | 72,111 | $79,480 | 2.9% | 83/sq mi | 871 sq mi | Burgaw |
| Perquimans County | 13,490 | $71,446 | 3.5% | 55/sq mi | 247 sq mi | Hertford |
| Person County | 40,636 | $60,520 | 2.9% | 104/sq mi | 392 sq mi | Roxboro |
| Pitt County | 182,936 | $59,430 | 3.5% | 280/sq mi | 652 sq mi | Greenville |
| Polk County | 20,533 | $74,525 | 2.7% | 86/sq mi | 238 sq mi | Columbus |
| Randolph County | 149,516 | $63,374 | 3.1% | 191/sq mi | 782 sq mi | Asheboro |
| Richmond County | 42,041 | $50,515 | 3.5% | 89/sq mi | 474 sq mi | Rockingham |
| Robeson County | 119,941 | $46,927 | 4.3% | 127/sq mi | 947 sq mi | Lumberton |
| Rockingham County | 94,195 | $56,141 | 3.3% | 167/sq mi | 566 sq mi | Wentworth |
| Rowan County | 155,096 | $65,555 | 3.1% | 303/sq mi | 512 sq mi | Salisbury |
| Rutherford County | 65,745 | $57,208 | 3.6% | 116/sq mi | 565 sq mi | Rutherfordton |
| Sampson County | 61,504 | $55,628 | 3.1% | 65/sq mi | 946 sq mi | Clinton |
| Scotland County | 33,322 | $55,335 | 4.1% | 104/sq mi | 319 sq mi | Laurinburg |
| Stanly County | 68,830 | $64,791 | 2.6% | 174/sq mi | 395 sq mi | Albemarle |
| Stokes County | 46,126 | $67,343 | 3.0% | 103/sq mi | 449 sq mi | Danbury |
| Surry County | 72,287 | $55,191 | 2.8% | 136/sq mi | 533 sq mi | Dobson |
| Swain County | 14,024 | $53,257 | 2.5% | 27/sq mi | 528 sq mi | Bryson City |
| Transylvania County | 34,211 | $71,679 | 2.9% | 90/sq mi | 378 sq mi | Brevard |
| Tyrrell County | 3,537 | $49,846 | 3.9% | 9/sq mi | 391 sq mi | Columbia |
| Union County | 267,674 | $107,681 | 2.9% | 423/sq mi | 633 sq mi | Monroe |
| Vance County | 42,638 | $54,441 | 4.0% | 169/sq mi | 252 sq mi | Henderson |
| Wake County | 1,257,235 | $107,083 | 2.8% | 1,506/sq mi | 835 sq mi | Raleigh |
| Warren County | 18,898 | $55,287 | 3.9% | 44/sq mi | 429 sq mi | Warrenton |
| Washington County | 10,638 | $51,253 | 4.3% | 31/sq mi | 347 sq mi | Plymouth |
| Watauga County | 54,786 | $58,832 | 2.6% | 175/sq mi | 312 sq mi | Boone |
| Wayne County | 122,278 | $59,786 | 3.3% | 221/sq mi | 554 sq mi | Goldsboro |
| Wilkes County | 66,233 | $56,053 | 3.2% | 88/sq mi | 754 sq mi | Wilkesboro |
| Wilson County | 81,150 | $62,252 | 4.2% | 221/sq mi | 368 sq mi | Wilson |
| Yadkin County | 38,325 | $66,012 | 2.8% | 114/sq mi | 335 sq mi | Yadkinville |
| Yancey County | 19,084 | $62,198 | 2.6% | 61/sq mi | 313 sq mi | Burnsville |
Click a column heading to sort all 100 counties. A suppressed estimate (coefficient of variation ≥ 0.30) shows a marker, never a guess. County seats are from Wikidata (CC0), each validated to a Census place inside its county. Where Wikidata has none, the seat comes from the page cited for that county in the seat file, and where the table names no seat, it says why. See the methodology.
Download & print this North Carolina map
North Carolina maps, colored by the data
Cities in North Carolina
North Carolina has 552 incorporated cities, towns, and villages. The largest is Charlotte in Mecklenburg County with 903,844 residents. Use the search on the map above to find any city and highlight the county it sits in.
| Charlotte | Mecklenburg County | 903,844 |
| Raleigh | Wake County +1 more (also Durham County) | 481,031 |
| Greensboro | Guilford County | 301,198 |
| Durham | Durham County +2 more (also Wake County, Orange County) | 291,467 |
| Winston-Salem | Forsyth County | 252,037 |
| Fayetteville | Cumberland County | 210,815 |
| Cary (town) | Wake County +2 more (also Chatham County, Durham County) | 179,306 |
| Wilmington | New Hanover County | 120,805 |
| High Point | Guilford County +3 more (also Davidson County, Forsyth County, Randolph County) | 116,245 |
| Concord | Cabarrus County +1 more (also Mecklenburg County) | 108,719 |
| Asheville | Buncombe County | 94,535 |
| Greenville | Pitt County | 92,857 |
| Gastonia | Gaston County | 82,884 |
| Jacksonville | Onslow County | 71,279 |
| Apex (town) | Wake County +1 more (also Chatham County) | 70,630 |
| Huntersville (town) | Mecklenburg County | 63,969 |
| Chapel Hill (town) | Orange County +1 more (also Durham County) | 61,607 |
| Burlington | Alamance County +1 more (also Guilford County) | 59,610 |
| Kannapolis | Cabarrus County +1 more (also Rowan County) | 57,890 |
| Rocky Mount | Nash County +1 more (also Edgecombe County) | 54,297 |
| Wake Forest (town) | Wake County +1 more (also Franklin County) | 52,844 |
| Mooresville (town) | Iredell County | 52,381 |
| Wilson | Wilson County | 48,370 |
| Holly Springs (town) | Wake County | 45,248 |
| Hickory | Catawba County +2 more (also Caldwell County, Burke County) | 44,258 |
| Indian Trail (town) | Union County | 42,036 |
| Fuquay-Varina (town) | Wake County +1 more (also Harnett County) | 40,485 |
| Monroe | Union County | 36,759 |
| Salisbury | Rowan County | 35,825 |
| Garner (town) | Wake County | 34,473 |
| Goldsboro | Wayne County | 34,383 |
| Cornelius (town) | Mecklenburg County | 32,783 |
| New Bern | Craven County | 32,734 |
| Sanford | Lee County | 31,478 |
| Morrisville (town) | Wake County +1 more (also Durham County) | 31,422 |
| Matthews (town) | Mecklenburg County | 30,577 |
| Statesville | Iredell County | 29,894 |
| Leland (town) | Brunswick County | 29,607 |
| Clayton (town) | Johnston County +1 more (also Wake County) | 29,320 |
| Kernersville (town) | Forsyth County +1 more (also Guilford County) | 27,830 |
| Asheboro | Randolph County | 27,580 |
| Mint Hill (town) | Mecklenburg County +1 more (also Union County) | 27,556 |
| Thomasville | Davidson County +1 more (also Randolph County) | 27,321 |
| Waxhaw (town) | Union County | 22,275 |
| Shelby | Cleveland County | 22,100 |
| Clemmons (village) | Forsyth County | 21,871 |
| Carrboro (town) | Orange County | 21,204 |
| Knightdale (town) | Wake County | 20,214 |
| Boone (town) | Watauga County | 20,032 |
| Lexington | Davidson County | 19,690 |
The table shows the 50 most populous. Search the map above for the other 502.
A city can reach into more than one county. The table names the one its center falls in; “+N more” counts the others, from the Census Bureau’s count of each city by county part Census ACS 2020–2024 place parts.
Which North Carolina county is the richest, largest, most crowded? The answers
- North Carolina’s highest median household income is in Union County ($107,681); the lowest is in Robeson County ($46,927). Census SAIPE 2024
- North Carolina’s most populous county is Wake County (1,257,235); the least populous is Tyrrell County (3,537), a 355× spread. calculated from Census PEP V2025
- North Carolina’s largest county by land area is Robeson County (947 sq mi); the smallest is Chowan County (173 sq mi). Census TIGER 2026
- North Carolina’s highest population density is in Mecklenburg County (2,355/sq mi); the lowest is in Hyde County (7/sq mi). calculated from Census PEP V2025 · Census TIGER 2026
- North Carolina’s highest poverty rate is in Robeson County (23.7%); the lowest is in Camden County (7.5%). Census SAIPE 2024
- In North Carolina, unemployment is highest in Edgecombe County (4.7%) and lowest in Currituck County (2.3%), for September 2026 (preliminary). BLS LAUS September 2026, preliminary
- North Carolina’s highest median age is in Brunswick County (56.4); the lowest is in Onslow County (27.7). Census ACS 2020–2024
- North Carolina’s highest share of adults 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree or higher is in Orange County (61.8%); the lowest is in Anson County (9.9%). Census ACS 2020–2024
Every figure is a current official estimate from the source named, never a crowd-sourced or copied value. Suppressed estimates (coefficient of variation ≥ 0.30) are omitted, never guessed. See the full methodology.
North Carolina counties: common questions
How many counties are in North Carolina?
North Carolina has 100 counties covering 48,624 sq mi and about 11.2M residents. Every one is on the map and in the table above.
What is the largest county in North Carolina?
It depends on the measure. By land area it’s Robeson County (947 sq mi); by population it’s Wake County (1,257,235 residents).
What county is Charlotte in?
Charlotte, population 903,844, is in Mecklenburg County. Use the search on the map to find any North Carolina city’s county.
What is the richest county in North Carolina?
By median household income, Union County is the richest at $107,681; the poorest is Robeson County at $46,927. Census SAIPE 2024
What is the most populous county in North Carolina?
Wake County, with 1,257,235 residents, about 11.2% of North Carolina’s people. That is 355× the least populous, Tyrrell County (3,537).
Sources & vintages
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025) — retrieved Nov 2026
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), 2024 — retrieved Nov 2026
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024, B01002 median age — retrieved Nov 2026
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024, S1501 educational attainment — retrieved Nov 2026
- Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), September 2026, preliminary — retrieved Nov 2026
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb county boundaries, January 1, 2026 vintage — retrieved Nov 2026
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb incorporated places, January 1, 2026 vintage — retrieved Nov 2026
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024, B01003 total population by place — retrieved Nov 2026
- Source: Wikidata, county seats (P36), query of 2026-11-11 — retrieved Nov 2026
- Source: County, state and Census sources, seats and no-seat reasons for 92 county-equivalents (3 rows cite the Virginia Association of Counties) — retrieved Nov 2026
- Calculated: population density = population ÷ land area (people per sq mi) (method)
- Calculated: state totals = sum over the state’s counties (population, land area, water area) (method)
- Calculated: averages per county = state total ÷ number of counties (method)
- Calculated: population shares = county (or top-5) population ÷ state total × 100; “half the residents” = fewest largest counties whose populations sum to ≥ 50% of the total (method)
- Calculated: medians across counties = middle value of the county values (mean of the two middle values for an even count) (method)
- Calculated: spreads = highest county value ÷ lowest county value (method)
- Calculated: income tiers vs poverty = mean poverty rate of the N highest- and N lowest-income counties, N = min(10, ⌊counties ÷ 2⌋), only for states with ≥ 6 counties (method)
- Calculated: rankings and superlatives = highest / lowest county value; suppressed values excluded (method)
- Calculated: water share = water area ÷ (land area + water area) × 100 (method)
- Calculated: square miles = TIGER AREALAND or AREAWATER (m²) ÷ 2,589,988.11, rounded to 2 dp (method)
Data current through .