North Carolina · 147 places of 5,000+
Largest cities in North Carolina by population
Short answer
Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina with 943,476 residents in 2024, followed by Raleigh (499,825) and Greensboro (307,381).
- Largest
- 943,476
- Places 5,000+
- 147
- 100,000+
- 10
The 20 largest
Charlotte leads with 943,476 residents, 1.9 times the 499,825 of second-place Raleigh. The ten largest places hold 3,056,756 people, 28% of the state's 11,046,024. 10 places have 100,000 or more.
The median place of 5,000+ is Roanoke Rapids at 14,573. Within the top ten, Wilmington grew most since July 2020 (+8.1%) and Fayetteville least (-0.7%). 26 of the 147 places cross a county line; their totals include every county part.
- 01Charlotte943,476
- 02Raleigh499,825
- 03Greensboro307,381
- 04Durham301,870
- 05Winston-Salem255,769
- 06Fayetteville209,496
- 07Cary182,659
- 08Wilmington125,284
- 09High Point118,601
- 10Concord112,395
- 11Greenville95,138
- 12Asheville94,992
- 13Gastonia85,535
- 14Apex75,977
- 15Jacksonville70,840
- 16Huntersville67,087
- 17Chapel Hill64,028
- 18Burlington61,365
- 19Kannapolis60,521
- 20Wake Forest56,764
Dots: the 20 places in the chart. Orange pin: Charlotte, ranked first.
All 147 places of 5,000+ ranked
| # | Place | 2024 | Since 2020 | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlotte | 943,476 | +7.8% | Mecklenburg County |
| 2 | Raleigh | 499,825 | +7.3% | Wake County +1 |
| 3 | Greensboro | 307,381 | +3.9% | Guilford County |
| 4 | Durham | 301,870 | +7.2% | Durham County +2 |
| 5 | Winston-Salem | 255,769 | +2.6% | Forsyth County |
| 6 | Fayetteville | 209,496 | -0.7% | Cumberland County |
| 7 | Cary | 182,659 | +4.5% | Wake County +2 |
| 8 | Wilmington | 125,284 | +8.1% | New Hanover County |
| 9 | High Point | 118,601 | +3.3% | Guilford County +3 |
| 10 | Concord | 112,395 | +7.1% | Cabarrus County |
| 11 | Greenville | 95,138 | +4.6% | Pitt County |
| 12 | Asheville | 94,992 | +0.7% | Buncombe County |
| 13 | Gastonia | 85,535 | +6.2% | Gaston County |
| 14 | Apex | 75,977 | +16.5% | Wake County +1 |
| 15 | Jacksonville | 70,840 | -3.3% | Onslow County |
| 16 | Huntersville | 67,087 | +8.9% | Mecklenburg County |
| 17 | Chapel Hill | 64,028 | +12.3% | Orange County +1 |
| 18 | Burlington | 61,365 | +6.6% | Alamance County +1 |
| 19 | Kannapolis | 60,521 | +9.3% | Cabarrus County +1 |
| 20 | Wake Forest | 56,764 | +14.2% | Wake County +1 |
| 21 | Rocky Mount | 54,541 | +0.3% | Nash County +1 |
| 22 | Mooresville | 52,884 | +4.6% | Iredell County |
| 23 | Holly Springs | 48,674 | +17.1% | Wake County |
| 24 | Wilson | 48,579 | +0.2% | Wilson County |
| 25 | Fuquay-Varina | 46,317 | +34.0% | Wake County |
| 26 | Hickory | 45,081 | +3.2% | Catawba County +2 |
| 27 | Indian Trail | 43,867 | +8.8% | Union County |
| 28 | Monroe | 40,054 | +15.5% | Union County |
| 29 | Garner | 39,345 | +25.3% | Wake County |
| 30 | Salisbury | 36,579 | +3.5% | Rowan County |
| 31 | Goldsboro | 34,629 | +0.4% | Wayne County |
| 32 | Leland | 34,451 | +36.9% | Brunswick County |
| 33 | Cornelius | 34,366 | +9.0% | Mecklenburg County |
| 34 | New Bern | 34,218 | +9.2% | Craven County |
| 35 | Sanford | 32,971 | +9.1% | Lee County |
| 36 | Morrisville | 32,628 | +8.5% | Wake County +1 |
| 37 | Matthews | 32,048 | +8.6% | Mecklenburg County |
| 38 | Clayton | 31,732 | +18.9% | Johnston County |
| 39 | Statesville | 31,693 | +10.8% | Iredell County |
| 40 | Mint Hill | 28,825 | +8.6% | Mecklenburg County |
| 41 | Kernersville | 28,760 | +8.2% | Forsyth County +1 |
| 42 | Asheboro | 27,928 | +2.5% | Randolph County |
| 43 | Thomasville | 27,605 | +1.8% | Davidson County +1 |
| 44 | Waxhaw | 23,178 | +11.5% | Union County |
| 45 | Shelby | 22,778 | +3.8% | Cleveland County |
| 46 | Clemmons | 22,471 | +5.8% | Forsyth County |
| 47 | Knightdale | 21,829 | +12.2% | Wake County |
| 48 | Carrboro | 21,079 | -0.9% | Orange County |
| 49 | Mebane | 20,654 | +13.2% | Alamance County +1 |
| 50 | Harrisburg | 20,335 | +7.5% | Cabarrus County |
| 51 | Boone | 20,080 | +2.8% | Watauga County |
| 52 | Lexington | 19,904 | +2.0% | Davidson County |
| 53 | Kinston | 19,519 | -1.2% | Lenoir County |
| 54 | Graham | 19,311 | +12.5% | Alamance County |
| 55 | Elizabeth City | 19,028 | +2.1% | Pasquotank County +1 |
| 56 | Lumberton | 18,882 | +0.0% | Robeson County |
| 57 | Mount Holly | 18,723 | +5.4% | Gaston County |
| 58 | Pinehurst | 18,502 | +4.6% | Moore County |
| 59 | Lenoir | 18,280 | -0.4% | Caldwell County |
| 60 | Hope Mills | 18,102 | +1.6% | Cumberland County |
| 61 | Morganton | 17,825 | +1.8% | Burke County |
| 62 | Stallings | 17,617 | +8.7% | Union County +1 |
| 63 | Havelock | 17,407 | -2.8% | Craven County |
| 64 | Albemarle | 17,344 | +5.8% | Stanly County |
| 65 | Southern Pines | 16,987 | +8.3% | Moore County |
| 66 | Wendell | 16,845 | +68.6% | Wake County |
| 67 | Davidson | 16,276 | +9.6% | Mecklenburg County +1 |
| 68 | Belmont | 16,044 | +5.8% | Gaston County |
| 69 | Hendersonville | 15,656 | +2.9% | Henderson County |
| 70 | Eden | 15,399 | -0.1% | Rockingham County |
| 71 | Laurinburg | 15,130 | +0.2% | Scotland County |
| 72 | Henderson | 14,807 | -1.7% | Vance County |
| 73 | Reidsville | 14,646 | +0.4% | Rockingham County |
| 74 | Roanoke Rapids | 14,573 | -4.1% | Halifax County |
| 75 | Weddington | 14,391 | +8.6% | Union County +1 |
| 76 | Lewisville | 14,203 | +5.9% | Forsyth County |
| 77 | Newton | 13,571 | +3.2% | Catawba County |
| 78 | Smithfield | 12,806 | +12.6% | Johnston County |
| 79 | Lincolnton | 12,353 | +10.9% | Lincoln County |
| 80 | Archdale | 12,147 | +2.0% | Randolph County +1 |
| 81 | Rolesville | 11,854 | +22.0% | Wake County |
| 82 | Kings Mountain | 11,797 | +5.4% | Cleveland County +1 |
| 83 | Pineville | 11,567 | +8.7% | Mecklenburg County |
| 84 | Spring Lake | 11,530 | -1.0% | Cumberland County |
| 85 | Summerfield | 11,333 | +3.4% | Guilford County |
| 86 | Elon | 11,282 | +3.2% | Alamance County |
| 87 | Tarboro | 10,954 | +2.5% | Edgecombe County |
| 88 | Winterville | 10,899 | +3.7% | Pitt County |
| 89 | Waynesville | 10,709 | +4.5% | Haywood County |
| 90 | Mount Airy | 10,583 | -0.8% | Surry County |
| 91 | Zebulon | 10,505 | +49.2% | Wake County |
| 92 | Morehead City | 9,963 | +4.0% | Carteret County |
| 93 | Hillsborough | 9,773 | +1.2% | Orange County |
| 94 | Gibsonville | 9,744 | +6.6% | Guilford County +1 |
| 95 | Washington | 9,738 | -1.5% | Beaufort County |
| 96 | Aberdeen | 9,573 | +11.0% | Moore County |
| 97 | Wesley Chapel | 9,495 | +8.8% | Union County |
| 98 | Oak Island | 9,322 | +11.1% | Brunswick County |
| 99 | Oxford | 8,972 | +2.2% | Granville County |
| 100 | Rockingham | 8,802 | -4.4% | Richmond County |
| 101 | Conover | 8,760 | +3.8% | Catawba County |
| 102 | Dunn | 8,754 | +3.7% | Harnett County |
| 103 | Black Mountain | 8,572 | +1.6% | Buncombe County |
| 104 | Clinton | 8,317 | -0.6% | Sampson County |
| 105 | Roxboro | 8,289 | +1.8% | Person County |
| 106 | Angier | 8,284 | +45.3% | Harnett County +1 |
| 107 | Fletcher | 8,251 | +3.5% | Henderson County |
| 108 | Woodfin | 8,158 | +2.3% | Buncombe County |
| 109 | Butner | 8,134 | +2.1% | Granville County |
| 110 | Siler City | 8,087 | +4.2% | Chatham County |
| 111 | Brevard | 7,973 | +2.0% | Transylvania County |
| 112 | Oak Ridge | 7,900 | +3.4% | Guilford County |
| 113 | King | 7,764 | +7.6% | Stokes County +1 |
| 114 | Kill Devil Hills | 7,742 | +1.1% | Dare County |
| 115 | Marion | 7,534 | -2.2% | McDowell County |
| 116 | Mills River | 7,426 | +3.9% | Henderson County |
| 117 | Forest City | 7,397 | +0.4% | Rutherford County |
| 118 | St. James | 7,315 | +11.7% | Brunswick County |
| 119 | Unionville | 7,258 | +8.7% | Union County |
| 120 | Selma | 7,228 | +13.6% | Johnston County |
| 121 | Trinity | 7,190 | +2.2% | Randolph County |
| 122 | Marvin | 6,985 | +8.9% | Union County |
| 123 | Carolina Beach | 6,864 | +4.7% | New Hanover County |
| 124 | Boiling Spring Lakes | 6,738 | +14.1% | Brunswick County |
| 125 | Cherryville | 6,385 | +4.8% | Gaston County |
| 126 | Dallas | 6,270 | +5.4% | Gaston County |
| 127 | Mocksville | 6,224 | +5.2% | Davie County |
| 128 | Stokesdale | 6,111 | +3.3% | Guilford County |
| 129 | Walkertown | 6,027 | +5.6% | Forsyth County |
| 130 | Locust | 5,992 | +23.6% | Stanly County +1 |
| 131 | Hamlet | 5,888 | -2.2% | Richmond County |
| 132 | Nashville | 5,850 | +3.5% | Nash County |
| 133 | Holly Ridge | 5,766 | +35.9% | Onslow County |
| 134 | Bessemer City | 5,730 | +5.1% | Gaston County |
| 135 | Cramerton | 5,604 | +5.2% | Gaston County |
| 136 | Archer Lodge | 5,522 | +14.3% | Johnston County |
| 137 | Carolina Shores | 5,463 | +19.6% | Brunswick County |
| 138 | Whispering Pines | 5,416 | +8.3% | Moore County |
| 139 | Long View | 5,289 | +3.8% | Catawba County +1 |
| 140 | Ayden | 5,190 | +2.5% | Pitt County |
| 141 | Shallotte | 5,161 | +24.0% | Brunswick County |
| 142 | Pleasant Garden | 5,151 | +3.1% | Guilford County |
| 143 | Williamston | 5,066 | -3.0% | Martin County |
| 144 | Sawmills | 5,059 | +0.7% | Caldwell County |
| 145 | Midway | 5,053 | +6.3% | Davidson County |
| 146 | Creedmoor | 5,049 | +2.7% | Granville County |
| 147 | Midland | 5,027 | +7.4% | Cabarrus County |
Questions people ask
What is the largest city in North Carolina?
Charlotte, with 943,476 residents on July 1, 2024 in the Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
What is the second largest city in North Carolina?
Raleigh, with 499,825 residents, 443,651 fewer than Charlotte.
How many cities in North Carolina have more than 100,000 people?
10: Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville, Cary, Wilmington, High Point, Concord.
How is city size measured here?
By the Census Bureau's July 1, 2024 population estimate for each incorporated place, inside its legal city limits. Metro areas and census-designated places are not ranked.
Sources and data as of
Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.
How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.