Last month, the U.S. Census Bureau released its 2025 county population estimates. The annual estimates show the population as of July 1 of the year and it also tells us how the population has changed from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025. In North Carolina, the total state population increased by 145,907 people, an increase of 1.3% from 2024 to 2025.
Out of North Carolina’s 100 counties, 78 counties’ population grew between 2024 and 2025. Twenty-three counties had higher population growth than the state overall (1.3%). In Brunswick County, the population grew by 4.7%, the largest percentage increase in the state – and the 7th-largest increase among all counties nationwide – followed by Iredell, Johnston, and Pender Counties (all 2.8%), and Franklin County (2.6%). Counties in the Raleigh and Charlotte metropolitan areas saw higher growth than the state overall.
Twelve counties in North Carolina experienced population decreases between 2024 and 2025. Halifax County experienced a loss of 1% of its population, followed by Scotland (-0.9%), Hyde, and Warren Counties (both -0.8%), and Buncombe County (-0.6%). Overall, Population loss was mainly concentrated in the Northeast (e.g., Halifax and Warren) and West (e.g., Buncombe and McDowell), the latter of which was due to Hurricane Helene.
Most counties in North Carolina had a positive net-migration from 2024 to 2025, meaning that more people moved into the county than moved out of the county. In Buncombe, Cumberland, Halifax, Scotland, Granville, Watauga, Hyde, and Warren Counties, more people moved out than in. Except for Cumberland County, all counties that experienced negative net-migration also experienced a decrease in their total population between 2024 and 2025. Only 14 other counties grew in part because of natural change, meaning that the number of births was larger than the number of deaths, including counties in the Charlotte and Wake metropolitan areas (e.g., Union and Lee).
Notably, net-migration has substantially decreased between 2024 and 2025. Seventy-five counties had lower net-migration in 2025 (difference between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025) compared to 2024 (difference between July 1, 2023, and July 1, 2024). All counties had lower net international migration in 2025 compared to 2024, and in most of them, the net international migration was half of what it was in the year prior.
Domestic migration was also lower in 70 counties in 2025 compared to 2024. If net migration continues to decline, the population growth in North Carolina might be considerably slower moving forward than previously projected. This is something we are keeping our eye on as new data becomes available next year and beyond.
Need help understanding population change and its impacts on your community or business? Carolina Demography offers demographic research tailored to your needs.
Contact us today for a free initial consultation.
Contact UsCategories: Carolina Demographics, NC in Focus, Uncategorized
The Center for Women’s Health Research (CWHR) at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine released the 12th edition of our North Carolina Women’s Health Report Card on May 9, 2022. This document is a progress report on the…
Dr. Krista Perreira is a health economist who studies disparities in health, education, and economic well-being. In collaboration with the Urban Institute, she recently co-led a study funded by the Kate B. Reynolds Foundation to study barriers to access to…
Our material helped the NC Local News Lab Fund better understand and then prioritize their funding to better serve existing and future grant recipients in North Carolina. The North Carolina Local News Lab Fund was established in 2017 to strengthen…
Your support is critical to our mission of measuring, understanding, and predicting population change and its impact. Donate to Carolina Demography today.
