Ranking · North Carolina
Fastest-growing and fastest-shrinking places in North Carolina
Wendell has the highest population change, 2020 to 2025 of North Carolina's 331 ranked places (+100.1%); Polkton has the lowest (−23.3%). Ranked: places with 1,000 or more residents in the 2020 Census that are incorporated (the Census Bureau estimates only those each year).
Which are the fastest-growing places?
Fastest-growing places in North Carolina, first to fifth: Wendell (+100.1%), Angier (+75.4%), Zebulon (+72.6%), Calabash (+54.4%) and Leland (+52.9%).
| Rank | Place | Population change, 2020 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wendell | +100.1% |
| 2 | Angier | +75.4% |
| 3 | Zebulon | +72.6% |
| 4 | Calabash | +54.4% |
| 5 | Leland | +52.9% |
| 6 | Holly Ridge | +41.6% |
| 7 | Fuquay-Varina | +41.6% |
| 8 | Navassa | +37.8% |
| 9 | Locust | +34.4% |
| 10 | Belville | +33.5% |
| 11 | Four Oaks | +33.3% |
| 12 | Surf City | +32.9% |
| 13 | Rolesville | +32.9% |
| 14 | Garner | +32.1% |
| 15 | Shallotte | +27.1% |
| 16 | Apex | +24.9% |
| 17 | Clayton | +24.0% |
| 18 | Mebane | +23.7% |
| 19 | Monroe | +23.1% |
| 20 | Holly Springs | +21.9% |
| 21 | Wake Forest | +21.1% |
| 22 | Carolina Shores | +20.9% |
| 23 | Knightdale | +18.6% |
| 24 | Youngsville | +18.2% |
| 25 | Aberdeen | +18.1% |
Source: Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025) · Census population estimates
Which are the fastest-shrinking places?
Fastest-shrinking places in North Carolina, first to fifth: Polkton (−23.3%), Murfreesboro (−14.2%), Badin (−5.7%), Roanoke Rapids (−5.6%) and Ahoskie (−5.5%).
| Rank | Place | Population change, 2020 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 331 | Polkton | −23.3% |
| 330 | Murfreesboro | −14.2% |
| 329 | Badin | −5.7% |
| 328 | Roanoke Rapids | −5.6% |
| 327 | Ahoskie | −5.5% |
| 326 | Gaston | −5.4% |
| 325 | Weldon | −5.0% |
| 324 | Enfield | −4.7% |
| 323 | Rockingham | −4.7% |
| 322 | Plymouth | −4.4% |
| 321 | Lake Waccamaw | −4.3% |
| 320 | Scotland Neck | −4.0% |
| 319 | Spring Lake | −3.7% |
| 318 | Blowing Rock | −3.6% |
| 317 | Wrightsville Beach | −3.2% |
| 316 | Yanceyville | −3.1% |
| 315 | Marion | −3.1% |
| 314 | Robersonville | −3.1% |
| 313 | Williamston | −3.0% |
| 312 | Windsor | −3.0% |
| 311 | Laurinburg | −2.6% |
| 310 | Hamlet | −2.6% |
| 309 | North Wilkesboro | −2.3% |
| 308 | Kure Beach | −2.0% |
| 307 | Nags Head | −1.9% |
Source: Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025) · Census population estimates
How is this ranking made?
Each place's population change, 2020 to 2025 is read from the Census Bureau's April 1, 2020 estimates base and its July 1, 2025 estimate. A place enters the ranking if it had 1,000 or more residents in the 2020 Census and is incorporated. Ties in the published figure share a rank. This is a measurement of one figure, not a judgment of a place.
Source: PlainCities ranking method applied to the Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025) · How ranks are computed
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections