• county
  • FIPS 37119
  • Largest town: Charlotte

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

Mecklenburg County had 1,206,285 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 523.6 square miles of land. It ranks 2nd of 100 in North Carolina by population and 38th by land area.

Population
1,206,285
#2 of 100 in North Carolina · #40 in US
Area
523.6 sq mi
#38 of 100 in North Carolina · #1,995 in US
Density
2,304 / sq mi
#1 of 100 in North Carolina · #60 in US
Median household income
$84,796
#7 of 100 in North Carolina · #332 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Mecklenburg County within North Carolina. Pin: Raleigh.

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Tools and pages that start from Mecklenburg County

Mecklenburg County population, land area and income

Mecklenburg County had 1,206,285 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 523.6 square miles of land. It ranks 2nd of 100 in North Carolina by population and 38th by land area. That works out to 2,303.8 people per square mile, 23.9 times the US average of 96.3, and in the top tenth nationally.

The median county-equivalent in North Carolina has 52,768 residents, so Mecklenburg County is 22.9 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $84,796 is in the top quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

1,206,285

3144th1st

40th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

524 sq mi

3144th1st

1995th of 3,144 (US)

Density

2,303.8 / sq mi

3144th1st

60th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$84,796

3143rd1st

332nd of 3,143 (US)

Rank within North Carolina (100)

Population

1,206,285

100th1st

2nd of 100 (NC)

Land area

524 sq mi

100th1st

38th of 100 (NC)

Density

2,303.8 / sq mi

100th1st

1st of 100 (NC)

Median household income

$84,796

100th1st

7th of 100 (NC)

How Mecklenburg County's population changed since 2020

Mecklenburg County gained 90,022 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 8.1%. That ranks 15th of 100 in North Carolina for growth. The median North Carolina county changed by +2.7%, and the state as a whole by +5.7%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Mecklenburg County recorded 63,441 births and 31,883 deaths, a natural change of +31,558. Net international migration added +52,154 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +6,256. The largest single component was international migration, which added 52,154 people.

1.12M20201.13M20211.15M20221.18M20231.21M2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
63,441
Deaths
31,883
Net international migration
+52,154
Net domestic migration
+6,256
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+30,057

Where Mecklenburg County is

The Census internal point of Mecklenburg County is at 35.246900, -80.833800. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades North Carolina's 100 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Mecklenburg County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Scotland County: +1.4%Rockingham County: +2.5%Franklin County: +15.6%Caswell County: -0.5%Stokes County: +2.9%Granville County: +2.3%Edgecombe County: +0.7%Randolph County: +2.8%Alexander County: +0.8%Person County: +2.4%Cherokee County: +5.2%Ashe County: +2.5%Davidson County: +5.2%Cabarrus County: +7.8%Mecklenburg County: +8.1%Burke County: +1.5%Cumberland County: +0.4%Northampton County: -4.9%Buncombe County: +3.5%Wilson County: +0.8%Bladen County: +0.5%Pitt County: +4.1%Yancey County: +2.7%Stanly County: +7.4%Harnett County: +9.3%Wilkes County: +0.5%Tyrrell County: +8.8%Pamlico County: +1.9%Hoke County: +6.0%Transylvania County: +2.5%Carteret County: +3.8%Durham County: +6.5%Anson County: +1.8%Pender County: +15.6%Alamance County: +6.7%Polk County: +4.9%Lenoir County: +0.5%Washington County: -3.0%Avery County: -0.0%Hyde County: +1.5%Gates County: -1.4%Davie County: +5.8%Jackson County: +7.4%Montgomery County: +2.5%Martin County: -2.0%Pasquotank County: +2.9%Perquimans County: +3.4%Cleveland County: +2.3%Sampson County: +2.3%Catawba County: +3.8%Alleghany County: +4.5%Robeson County: +2.3%Macon County: +4.4%Clay County: +8.0%Haywood County: +1.3%Duplin County: +3.8%Henderson County: +3.6%Craven County: +2.6%Warren County: +2.6%Graham County: +1.7%Union County: +9.9%Wayne County: +2.2%Gaston County: +5.9%Guilford County: +3.7%Yadkin County: +2.0%Watauga County: +1.0%Rowan County: +4.4%Swain County: -1.1%Chatham County: +9.4%Bertie County: -4.4%Halifax County: -2.9%Forsyth County: +4.1%Onslow County: +3.8%Dare County: +3.1%Chowan County: +1.3%Brunswick County: +20.9%Johnston County: +14.9%Orange County: +6.4%Currituck County: +13.6%New Hanover County: +7.5%Richmond County: -1.7%Vance County: -0.5%Iredell County: +9.9%Lincoln County: +12.0%Caldwell County: +0.2%McDowell County: +1.6%Rutherford County: +1.9%Mitchell County: +0.9%Moore County: +8.1%Columbus County: -0.8%Lee County: +8.1%Greene County: +1.1%Madison County: +5.0%Camden County: +7.5%Hertford County: -12.0%Beaufort County: -0.3%Jones County: +3.5%Wake County: +9.0%Nash County: +3.0%Surry County: +0.2%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < +0.5%
  2. < +2.3%
  3. < +3.7%
  4. < +7.4%
  5. ≥ +7.4%
no data

Orange pin: Mecklenburg County internal point. Dark pin: Raleigh.

Internal point

Decimal
35.246900, -80.833800
DMS
35°14'48.84"N 80°50'1.68"W
UTM
17N 515120.3E 3900436.6N
Geohash
dnq888d85
Plus code
867X65W8+QF

Towns in Mecklenburg County

9 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Mecklenburg County, 1,133,714 people together, or 94% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Mecklenburg County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Charlotte with 943,476.

  1. 01Charlotte943,476
  2. 02Huntersville67,087
  3. 03Cornelius34,366
  4. 04Matthews32,048
  5. 05Mint Hill28,825
  6. 06Davidson (part)15,869
  7. 07Pineville11,567
  8. 08Stallings (part)468
  9. 09Weddington (part)8
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Mecklenburg County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for Mecklenburg County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is York County, SC, with 303,001 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Raleigh and the nearest big city

Raleigh is 128.8 miles ENE of Mecklenburg County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Charlotte, NC (population 943,476), 2.6 miles away.

Mecklenburg County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Mecklenburg County is 37119: state code 37 for North Carolina plus county code 119. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $84,796.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 1,206,285. That is up 90,022 people (8.1%) from the July 2020 estimate of 1,116,263.

What is the FIPS code of Mecklenburg County?

37119. The first two digits (37) are North Carolina; the last three (119) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Mecklenburg County?

Charlotte, with 943,476 residents inside Mecklenburg County in 2024.

Which counties border Mecklenburg County?

7 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: York County, SC; Union County, NC; Cabarrus County, NC; Gaston County, NC; Iredell County, NC; Lancaster County, SC; Lincoln County, NC.

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.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.