State profile · NC

Largest Cities in North Carolina

Name: North Carolina Cities: Population, Income & Housing Data
Creator: PlainCities
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Ranked by resident population across 746 tracked cities and towns in North Carolina, using Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023). This compares cities and Census-designated places, not metropolitan areas, and carries the same rows into the chart, table, and downloadable CSV below.

Compiled by PlainCities

746
Cities: 6.6M
Combined city pop.: $64,514
Avg median income: 12.4%
Avg poverty rate

Data updated August 2026

The headline finding

Charlotte is the largest of 746 tracked cities in North Carolina, which ranks #40 of 52 nationally on avg median income.

Charlotte
largest tracked city (886,283 people): #40
national rank, avg median income: 746
cities tracked in this state

Every figure here is read live from the same table rendered below.

87% of North Carolina's 746 tracked cities are small towns under 10,000 people -- none crosses the 1-million-resident mark.

<10K

650
10K-99K

86
100K-999K

10

What this shows Small towns under 10,000 residents are the largest group in PlainCities' North Carolina coverage, with 650 of 746 tracked places. This is a count of profiled places, not a share of the state's population.

How we calculate this mix & the national home-value percentile below

Every tracked city in North Carolina is bucketed by population: small town under 10,000; mid-size 10,000–99,999; large 100,000–999,999; megacity 1,000,000+. The national home-value comparison below plots North Carolina's average tracked-city home value against all 52 US states/territories, ranked the same way as the per-city percentiles: the state's percentile is the share of states with a lower average home value. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

Charlotte

886,283
Raleigh

470,763
Greensboro

298,564
Durham

288,465
Winston-Salem

250,887
Fayetteville

209,692
Cary

176,686
Wilmington

118,578
High Point

115,263
Concord

106,518
Asheville

94,369
Greenville

88,540

What this shows Charlotte, NC is the most populous city profiled in North Carolina; the top 100 rows are listed below and the complete 746-row record is available as a CSV.

How North Carolina ranks nationally

Avg median income

$64,514

#40 of 52 · highest income

Avg home value

$229,870

#26 of 52 · highest values

Avg poverty rate

12.4%

#36 of 52 · lowest poverty

Tracked cities

746

#13 of 52 · most tracked cities

North Carolina ranks #40 of 52 nationally on average median income and #36 of 52 on average poverty rate, derived live by comparing it against every other tracked state. Averages are computed only across the cities PlainCities tracks in each state, not full state populations.

How North Carolina's home values compare nationally

Average tracked-city home value vs. all 52 US states/territories

$229,870 Among the most affordable more affordable than 50% of 52 US states

Show national distribution

Each bar is a $50K-wide band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Largest cities in North Carolina

Showing the 100 most-populous tracked places, ordered by population. Download the CSV for every one of the 746 city records and their source-backed fields.

#	City	Population	Median Income	Home Value	Poverty
1	Charlotte	886,283	$78,438	$351,500	8.4%
2	Raleigh	470,763	$82,424	$377,800	6.9%
3	Greensboro	298,564	$58,884	$221,300	13.6%
4	Durham	288,465	$79,234	$355,300	8.1%
5	Winston-Salem	250,887	$57,673	$208,200	13.0%
6	Fayetteville	209,692	$56,395	$171,900	14.5%
7	Cary	176,686	$129,399	$525,200	3.5%
8	Wilmington	118,578	$63,900	$350,300	8.9%
9	High Point	115,263	$61,228	$212,400	9.9%
10	Concord	106,518	$84,752	$327,600	6.1%
11	Asheville	94,369	$67,221	$411,000	7.3%
12	Greenville	88,540	$50,564	$213,100	13.5%
13	Gastonia	81,632	$60,554	$250,000	11.2%
14	Jacksonville	73,507	$54,069	$191,700	10.0%
15	Apex	67,765	$138,442	$514,800	1.7%
16	Huntersville	62,458	$119,951	$439,300	2.3%
17	Chapel Hill	59,889	$85,825	$576,500	6.6%
18	Burlington	58,599	$54,941	$188,700	15.4%
19	Kannapolis	56,470	$70,691	$245,500	8.0%
20	Rocky Mount	54,175	$52,927	$148,300	16.7%
21	Mooresville	51,447	$88,592	$348,500	6.8%
22	Wake Forest	51,199	$120,777	$435,000	1.7%
23	Wilson	47,740	$47,294	$192,000	19.2%
24	Hickory	43,747	$63,361	$248,300	11.9%
25	Holly Springs	43,429	$132,435	$485,500	2.7%
26	Indian Trail	41,146	$99,073	$343,500	5.3%
27	Fuquay-Varina	37,749	$111,447	$410,600	5.3%
28	Salisbury	35,730	$51,058	$215,200	19.1%
29	Monroe	35,596	$67,265	$270,600	11.0%
30	Goldsboro	33,448	$47,005	$173,700	15.6%
31	Garner	32,543	$77,496	$320,300	2.9%
32	Cornelius	32,009	$114,688	$512,400	3.8%
33	New Bern	31,563	$56,893	$211,500	11.5%
34	Sanford	30,833	$54,294	$222,000	16.8%
35	Morrisville	30,471	$125,404	$481,800	4.1%
36	Matthews	29,959	$105,579	$406,800	3.6%
37	Statesville	29,161	$55,492	$226,100	15.0%
38	Clayton	28,043	$73,348	$292,400	6.5%
39	Kernersville	27,439	$69,923	$264,000	7.1%
40	Asheboro	27,353	$48,628	$162,800	15.6%
41	Thomasville	27,261	$58,246	$163,200	16.0%
42	Mint Hill	26,954	$99,272	$386,900	7.5%
43	Leland	26,307	$88,576	$358,800	4.3%
44	Shelby	21,868	$50,705	$185,400	15.0%
45	Clemmons	21,574	$84,326	$306,900	4.7%
46	Waxhaw	21,565	$128,115	$506,300	3.8%
47	Carrboro	21,170	$85,927	$507,100	5.2%
48	Lexington	19,691	$41,775	$158,100	23.2%
49	Kinston	19,576	$35,250	$108,300	22.6%
50	Boone	19,534	$28,633	$373,600	13.7%
51	Knightdale	19,532	$91,638	$331,900	5.5%
52	Lumberton	19,220	$43,114	$140,100	23.3%
53	Harrisburg	19,203	$143,393	$431,900	3.3%
54	Mebane	18,899	$84,312	$295,600	5.7%
55	Elizabeth City	18,740	$50,947	$202,100	11.5%
56	Lenoir	18,282	$48,889	$165,200	8.4%
57	Pinehurst	17,992	$104,955	$423,300	1.8%
58	Mount Holly	17,928	$75,928	$286,400	8.5%
59	Hope Mills	17,823	$60,671	$176,300	13.6%
60	Morganton	17,541	$49,434	$208,300	24.3%
61	Graham	17,537	$54,783	$200,600	14.8%
62	Murraysville	17,307	$75,720	$281,600	3.1%
63	Albemarle	16,527	$52,825	$186,100	18.0%
64	Stallings	16,495	$106,074	$381,700	3.0%
65	Havelock	16,471	$64,433	$186,800	12.9%
66	Southern Pines	16,052	$83,681	$416,300	6.8%
67	Eden	15,353	$50,959	$122,800	17.2%
68	Hendersonville	15,253	$52,337	$282,500	11.2%
69	Belmont	15,140	$86,442	$349,700	3.6%
70	Laurinburg	15,079	$39,258	$121,500	29.0%
71	Roanoke Rapids	15,024	$53,981	$129,400	20.7%
72	Henderson	14,922	$38,780	$116,800	21.6%
73	Davidson	14,852	$152,969	$626,000	5.7%
74	Reidsville	14,547	$42,702	$139,000	21.4%
75	Piney Green	14,205	$65,179	$220,000	9.4%
76	Anderson Creek	14,021	$86,661	$251,600	11.4%
77	Lewisville	13,655	$84,424	$284,300	4.7%
78	Weddington	13,468	$196,159	$730,200	4.1%
79	Newton	13,223	$56,869	$169,300	8.4%
80	Lake Norman of Iredell	12,496	$194,519	$839,900	1.6%
81	Myrtle Grove	12,404	$112,139	$398,600	1.5%
82	Archdale	11,992	$64,984	$188,200	4.1%
83	Smithfield	11,798	$37,827	$217,000	24.3%
84	Spring Lake	11,613	$50,497	$101,300	18.6%
85	Wendell	11,585	$93,848	$316,700	3.3%
86	Lincolnton	11,503	$43,294	$224,600	15.7%
87	Kings Mountain	11,472	$45,507	$177,700	16.4%
88	Elon	11,325	$82,717	$355,800	4.6%
89	Spout Springs	11,073	$87,905	$310,100	7.0%
90	Summerfield	11,031	$151,131	$490,100	6.5%
91	Pineville	10,780	$64,257	$344,700	9.9%
92	Tarboro	10,705	$49,386	$155,500	19.7%
93	Mount Airy	10,631	$39,873	$176,600	24.4%
94	Winterville	10,624	$82,783	$226,600	6.9%
95	Waynesville	10,408	$50,554	$254,800	10.3%
96	Rolesville	10,200	$148,250	$467,400	0.8%
97	Washington	9,754	$41,723	$193,800	14.3%
98	Morehead City	9,696	$53,718	$330,900	14.6%
99	Hillsborough	9,656	$98,467	$430,100	4.0%
100	St. Stephens	9,409	$57,882	$187,500	13.9%

What to do with North Carolina's city data

746 cities is a lot to browse, here's where to start.

Charlotte is North Carolina's largest tracked city by population, start there if you want the fullest picture of a major NC metro. Charlotte profile
The highest published median in North Carolina sits on the Census ACS top-code of $250,000 or more, a bound rather than an exact figure. Browse the city table by income column instead of trusting a single crown. All North Carolina cities
See how North Carolina's cities stack up nationally, not just against each other. National rankings

City counts and averages on this page cover only the 746 places with sufficient Census ACS data, smaller towns below the reporting threshold are not included.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide similar states

Other states closest to North Carolina on two ACS statewide axes: tracked-city population sum and mean of city median household incomes. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a claim that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar statewide population

Nearest 50-state peers by ACS population of tracked cities. This state: 6,594,310.

4 peers

Similar mean household income

Nearest peers by mean of city median household incomes. This state: $64,514. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

National city rankings →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cities does PlainCities track in North Carolina?

PlainCities profiles 746 cities and towns in North Carolina, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2023).

What is the largest city in North Carolina?

Charlotte is the largest tracked city in North Carolina, with a population of 886,283.

What is the average household income in North Carolina?

Across the 746 tracked cities in North Carolina, the average median household income is $64,514. Individual cities vary widely - the highest published median in North Carolina sits on the Census ACS top-code of $250,000 or more, a bound rather than an exact figure.

What is the average poverty rate in North Carolina?

The average poverty rate across North Carolina's tracked cities is 12.4%, based on Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).

Browse all city profiles → | Explore city rankings →

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Largest Cities in North Carolina

North Carolina's city-size mix

Largest cities in North Carolina

How North Carolina ranks nationally

Largest cities in North Carolina

Nationwide similar states

Similar statewide population

Similar mean household income

Frequently Asked Questions

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