United States · state

North Carolina population 2026

Q: What is the population of North Carolina in 2026?

The latest official figure is 11,197,968, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, North Carolina would have about 11.3 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

North Carolina has 11,197,968 people on the latest official figure, for 1 July 2025, 145,907 more than a year earlier (+1.32%). It is 9th of the US’s 50 states and DC by population, home to 3.3% of the US’s people.

If last year’s change continues: about 11.3 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.

North Carolina in numbers

Population: 11.2 million 1 July 2025
Change in a year: +1.32% +145,907 people
Change since 2020: +7.16% from 10.5 million
Share of the US: 3.3% 9th of 50 states and DC
Population density: 89per km² 125,936 km²
Births in the year: 123 thousand deaths: 108 thousand
International migration: +47 thousand net arrivals from abroad
Moves within the US: +84 thousand more people moved in than left

In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 15,129, 46,890 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 84,064 more people moved in from the rest of the US than moved out.

That is about as many people as Honduras (11.2 million).

Population of North Carolina by year

11.2M

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Population
2010	9,574,586
2011	9,658,913
2012	9,751,810
2013	9,846,717
2014	9,937,295
2015	10,037,218
2016	10,161,802
2017	10,275,758
2018	10,391,358
2019	10,501,384
2020	10,450,215
2021	10,565,503
2022	10,705,768
2023	10,871,849
2024	11,052,061
2025	11,197,968

Year	Population	Change	%
2025	11,197,968	+145,907	+1.32%
2024	11,052,061	+180,212	+1.66%
2023	10,871,849	+166,081	+1.55%
2022	10,705,768	+140,265	+1.33%
2021	10,565,503	+115,288	+1.10%
2020	10,450,215	−51,169	−0.49%
2019	10,501,384	+110,026	+1.06%
2018	10,391,358	+115,600	+1.12%
2017	10,275,758	+113,956	+1.12%
2016	10,161,802	+124,584	+1.24%
2015	10,037,218	+99,923	+1.01%
2014	9,937,295	+90,578	+0.92%
2013	9,846,717	+94,907	+0.97%
2012	9,751,810	+92,897	+0.96%
2011	9,658,913	+84,327	+0.88%

2010–2019 are Vintage 2020 estimates and 2020–2025 are Vintage 2025, so the step between 2019 and 2020 is partly a change of base.

North Carolina among the US’s states

Full ranking →

States of the US by population
#
1	California	39,355,309	−0.02%	11.5%	98
2	Texas	31,709,821	+1.25%	9.3%	47
3	Florida	23,462,518	+0.84%	6.9%	169
4	New York State	20,002,427	+0.01%	5.9%	164
5	Pennsylvania	13,059,432	+0.10%	3.8%	113
6	Illinois	12,719,141	+0.13%	3.7%	89
7	Ohio	11,900,510	+0.34%	3.5%	113
8	Georgia (US State)	11,302,748	+0.88%	3.3%	76
9	North Carolina	11,197,968	+1.32%	3.3%	89
10	Michigan	10,127,884	+0.28%	3.0%	69
11	New Jersey	9,548,215	+0.44%	2.8%	501
12	Virginia	8,880,107	+0.69%	2.6%	87
13	Washington State	8,001,020	+0.92%	2.3%	47
14	Arizona	7,623,818	+0.89%	2.2%	26
15	Tennessee	7,315,076	+0.88%	2.1%	69
16	Massachusetts	7,154,084	+0.22%	2.1%	354
17	Indiana	6,973,333	+0.56%	2.0%	75
18	Missouri	6,270,541	+0.43%	1.8%	35
19	Maryland	6,265,347	+0.32%	1.8%	249
20	Colorado	6,012,561	+0.40%	1.8%	22
21	Wisconsin	5,972,787	+0.26%	1.7%	43
22	Minnesota	5,830,405	+0.57%	1.7%	28
23	South Carolina	5,570,274	+1.46%	1.6%	72
24	Alabama	5,193,088	+0.58%	1.5%	40
25	Louisiana	4,618,189	+0.07%	1.4%	41
26	Kentucky	4,606,864	+0.50%	1.3%	45
27	Oregon	4,273,586	+0.19%	1.3%	17
28	Oklahoma	4,123,288	+0.62%	1.2%	23
29	Connecticut	3,688,496	+0.38%	1.1%	294
30	Utah	3,538,904	+1.02%	1.0%	17
31	Nevada	3,282,188	+0.88%	1.0%	12
32	Iowa	3,238,387	+0.25%	0.9%	22
33	Arkansas	3,114,791	+0.60%	0.9%	23
34	Kansas	2,977,220	+0.40%	0.9%	14
35	Mississippi	2,954,160	+0.14%	0.9%	24
36	New Mexico	2,125,498	−0.06%	0.6%	7
37	Idaho	2,029,733	+1.44%	0.6%	10
38	Nebraska	2,018,006	+0.62%	0.6%	10
39	West Virginia	1,766,147	−0.07%	0.5%	28
40	Hawaii	1,432,820	−0.15%	0.4%	86
41	New Hampshire	1,415,342	+0.48%	0.4%	61
42	Maine	1,414,874	+0.46%	0.4%	18
43	Montana	1,144,694	+0.63%	0.3%	3
44	Rhode Island	1,114,521	+0.37%	0.3%	416
45	Delaware	1,059,952	+0.94%	0.3%	210
46	South Dakota	935,094	+0.86%	0.3%	5
47	North Dakota	799,358	+0.75%	0.2%	5
48	Alaska	737,270	+0.10%	0.2%	1
49	District of Columbia	693,645	+0.34%	0.2%	4,381
50	Vermont	644,663	−0.29%	0.2%	27
51	Wyoming	588,753	+0.35%	0.2%	2

Largest cities in North Carolina

City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.

Charlotte911,311
Raleigh482,295
Greensboro285,342
Durham257,636
Winston-Salem241,218
Fayetteville201,963

Air quality in North Carolina today

Hourly AQI and a 48-hour forecast.

Charlotte

Questions

What is the population of North Carolina in 2026?

The latest official figure is 11,197,968, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, North Carolina would have about 11.3 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Is North Carolina’s population growing or shrinking?

It grew by 145,907 people (+1.32%) in the latest year, and has changed +7.16% since 2020. In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 15,129, 46,890 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 84,064 more people moved in from the rest of the US than moved out.

How does North Carolina rank in the US?

North Carolina is 9th of the US’s 50 states and DC, with 3.3% of the people. California is the largest, with 39.4 million.

What is the population density of North Carolina?

About 89 people per km², on 125,936 km². Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer.

What is the largest city in North Carolina?

Charlotte, with about 911 thousand people in the city proper. Metro areas are larger, and years differ (GeoNames).

Source and method

US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. US government work, public domain. Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for the US, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.

Cite this page: North Carolina population, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/united-states/north-carolina/

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