Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) in North Carolina

North Carolina counties and cities ranked by population change.

This page ranks the counties and cities of North Carolina by population change — which have the steepest population decline since 2019, according to the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Among counties, Tyrrell County leads at -17.6%.

Among cities & places, Hobucken leads at -84.2%.

Counties

Top 100.

#	Name	Population change 2019–2023
1	Tyrrell County	-17.6%
2	Duplin County	-16.8%
3	Hertford County	-14.7%
4	Northampton County	-13.7%
5	Anson County	-12.0%
6	Robeson County	-11.9%
7	Bladen County	-11.4%
8	Hyde County	-11.3%
9	Columbus County	-10.0%
10	Bertie County	-9.8%
11	Gates County	-9.6%
12	Washington County	-8.5%
13	Edgecombe County	-7.4%
14	Sampson County	-6.5%
15	Halifax County	-5.8%
16	Warren County	-5.8%
17	Graham County	-5.5%
18	Beaufort County	-5.5%
19	Montgomery County	-5.1%
20	Wayne County	-4.9%
21	Richmond County	-4.8%
22	Vance County	-4.8%
23	Martin County	-4.7%
24	Polk County	-4.2%
25	Jones County	-3.6%
26	Wilkes County	-3.6%
27	Pitt County	-3.4%
28	Wilson County	-3.4%
29	Lenoir County	-3.2%
30	Pamlico County	-3.0%
31	Greene County	-2.9%
32	Rutherford County	-2.6%
33	Burke County	-2.3%
34	Perquimans County	-2.1%
35	Alexander County	-2.1%
36	Scotland County	-2.1%
37	Chowan County	-2.0%
38	Stokes County	-1.9%
39	Hoke County	-1.6%
40	Transylvania County	-1.6%
41	Caldwell County	-1.5%
42	Craven County	-1.4%
43	Swain County	-1.4%
44	McDowell County	-1.2%
45	Surry County	-0.8%
46	Carteret County	-0.6%
47	Watauga County	-0.6%
48	Yadkin County	-0.5%
49	Mitchell County	-0.2%
50	Person County	-0.2%
51	Ashe County	-0.1%
52	Caswell County	+0.0%
53	Jackson County	+0.4%
54	Rockingham County	+0.6%
55	Alleghany County	+0.6%
56	Madison County	+0.7%
57	Avery County	+0.8%
58	Cumberland County	+1.2%
59	New Hanover County	+1.4%
60	Nash County	+1.5%
61	Randolph County	+1.5%
62	Orange County	+1.7%
63	Camden County	+1.8%
64	Henderson County	+2.2%
65	Haywood County	+2.3%
66	Catawba County	+2.8%
67	Guilford County	+2.9%
68	Cleveland County	+3.0%
69	Davie County	+3.0%
70	Forsyth County	+3.1%
71	Harnett County	+3.2%
72	Stanly County	+3.2%
73	Pasquotank County	+3.3%
74	Davidson County	+3.4%
75	Granville County	+3.6%
76	Dare County	+3.6%
77	Clay County	+4.1%
78	Cherokee County	+4.4%
79	Pender County	+5.1%
80	Yancey County	+5.2%
81	Mecklenburg County	+5.3%
82	Gaston County	+5.6%
83	Durham County	+5.6%
84	Moore County	+5.7%
85	Buncombe County	+5.8%
86	Rowan County	+5.8%
87	Union County	+6.0%
88	Alamance County	+6.7%
89	Lee County	+6.8%
90	Onslow County	+6.9%
91	Wake County	+7.7%
92	Macon County	+7.8%
93	Franklin County	+8.4%
94	Lincoln County	+9.0%
95	Iredell County	+9.3%
96	Chatham County	+9.8%
97	Brunswick County	+10.7%
98	Cabarrus County	+11.9%
99	Currituck County	+12.3%
100	Johnston County	+15.1%

Cities & places

Top 100.

#	Name	Population change 2019–2023
1	Hobucken	-84.2%
2	Seven Springs	-83.0%
3	Pinetown	-82.5%
4	Shannon	-77.1%
5	Stokes	-74.5%
6	Light Oak	-71.8%
7	Elrod	-70.3%
8	Kittrell	-70.2%
9	Hallsboro	-67.8%
10	Centerville	-62.1%
11	Butters	-61.3%
12	Caroleen	-60.9%
13	Belvoir	-59.6%
14	Fontana Dam	-59.3%
15	White Oak	-58.7%
16	Mooresboro	-54.8%
17	Pinnacle	-54.2%
18	Delco	-53.2%
19	Stonewall	-51.8%
20	Dundarrach	-49.3%
21	Bayview	-47.0%
22	Lowgap	-46.8%
23	Tar Heel	-46.7%
24	Old Hundred	-46.2%
25	Engelhard	-44.3%
26	Aquadale	-44.0%
27	Moravian Falls	-43.7%
28	Bennett	-42.6%
29	Coinjock	-41.7%
30	Trenton	-39.3%
31	Sims	-38.9%
32	Como	-38.5%
33	Rocky Point	-38.1%
34	Castalia	-38.1%
35	Faison	-37.5%
36	Waco	-37.2%
37	Franklinville	-37.2%
38	Whitakers	-36.7%
39	Gaston	-36.4%
40	Bayshore	-36.2%
41	Old Fort	-36.0%
42	Riegelwood	-35.8%
43	South Mills	-35.5%
44	Gerton	-35.3%
45	Bald Head Island	-35.2%
46	Rose Hill	-35.2%
47	Ashley Heights	-33.6%
48	Hamilton	-33.5%
49	Chadbourn	-32.8%
50	East Arcadia	-32.0%
51	Macon	-31.9%
52	Toast	-31.8%
53	Henrietta	-31.6%
54	Rennert	-30.8%
55	Taylortown	-29.8%
56	Littleton	-29.7%
57	McLeansville	-29.1%
58	Princeville	-29.1%
59	Bowmore	-28.6%
60	Horse Shoe	-28.3%
61	Ronda	-27.9%
62	Garysburg	-27.7%
63	Warrenton	-27.7%
64	Hightsville	-27.6%
65	Bolton	-27.6%
66	Woodland	-27.5%
67	Kelford	-27.5%
68	Cofield	-27.2%
69	Winton	-27.2%
70	Calypso	-27.1%
71	Blowing Rock	-27.1%
72	West Marion	-26.9%
73	Hertford	-26.6%
74	Hobgood	-26.1%
75	Chimney Rock Village	-26.0%
76	Saratoga	-25.9%
77	Askewville	-24.8%
78	Jamesville	-24.6%
79	Barker Heights	-24.3%
80	Saluda	-24.1%
81	Lawndale	-23.9%
82	Denver	-23.9%
83	Sharpsburg	-23.6%
84	Denton	-23.4%
85	Proctorville	-23.4%
86	Laurel Hill	-23.3%
87	Boardman	-23.3%
88	Broad Creek	-23.0%
89	Washington Park	-22.8%
90	Maury	-22.3%
91	Enfield	-22.1%
92	Roper	-22.0%
93	Stovall	-21.4%
94	Milton	-21.3%
95	Roseboro	-21.2%
96	Roxobel	-21.0%
97	Spring Hope	-20.9%
98	Ansonville	-20.8%
99	Morven	-20.6%
100	Macclesfield	-20.4%

Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) in North Carolina

Counties

Cities & places

Nationwide

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