Largest Cities in North Carolina – By Population and Size

Want to know which is the biggest city in North Carolina? Here’s an updated list of the largest cities in North Carolina by population and size in 2019.

North Carolina is one of the original Thirteen Colonies and is today the 9th most populated state in the U.S with a total population of 10,383,620 people. Despite that, none of the cities in North Carolina has more than 1 million residents. 

Charlotte

Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina by population and size. The city is home to 826,060 residents, making it the 17th most populous city in the United States. 

Charlotte is the county seat of Mecklenburg County and was first inhabited by the Catawba Native Americans before Scots-Irish and Ulster-Scots settlers came to the area. The city is also home to the headquarters of the Bank of America. 

It’s also one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S and will likely reach more than 1 million residents in a few years. The locals are referred to as Charlotteans. 

Raleigh

Raleigh is the state capital of North Carolina and the second-largest city within the state. It’s known as “The City of Oaks” due to the many oak trees. 

The city has a population of 449,477 residents, which is increasing by about 2 percentage per year. Raleigh is an early example of a planned city in America and was incorporated as the State capital already in 1792. The locals are referred to as Raleighites.

Greensboro

Greensboro, formerly Greensborough is the third-largest city in North Carolina with a total population of 284,816 people. The city is located in the county of Guilford County.

In the early 1900s, it was noted for its textile industry with big productions of flannel and denim. During this time period, Greensboro grew from a smaller village to a major city.

Durham

Durham is home to the well-renowned North Carolina Central University and Duke University and has a total population of 257,232 people. It’s the county seat of Durham County and the city is considered a national leader when it comes to health-related activities. 

Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem is the second-largest city in the Piedmont Triad region with a population of 246,328 residents. A lot of small businesses are starting up here and recently, it was listed as one of the most livable downtowns in the U.S.

Winston-Salem is the county seat of Forsyth County and came to be after the merging of Winston and Salem in 1913, who by then were two independent neighborhoods. 

Fayetteville

Fayetteville is the second biggest city in North Carolina by size with a total area of 147.7 sq mi (382.6 km²). The city is home to 210,324 people and it has been ranked as one of the best cities in the U.S to retire. 

In 2015, the city of Fayetteville also broke the Guinness World Record for having the biggest Christmas stocking with a total weight of 1,600 pounds (730 kg).

Other major cities in North Carolina

Cary, Wilmington and High Point are the other three major cities in North Carolina with a population of more than 100 000 residents. Furthermore, there are 9 additional cities that have a population of 50.000. 

List of the most populated cities in North Carolina

Rank	City	Current Population
1	Charlotte	826,060
2	Raleigh	449,477
3	Greensboro	284,816
4	Durham	257,232
5	Winston-Salem	246,328
6	Fayetteville	210,324
7	Cary	159,715
8	Wilmington	115,261
9	High Point	109,849
10	Greenville	90,347
11	Asheville	89,318
12	Concord	87,607
13	Gastonia	74,381
14	Jacksonville	73,661
15	Chapel Hill	59,234
16	Rocky Mount	55,373
17	Huntersville	53,302
18	Burlington	52,813
19	Wilson	49,237
20	Kannapolis	46,498
21	Apex	45,899
22	Hickory	40,157
23	Wake Forest	38,473
24	Indian Trail	37,191
25	Mooresville	36,577

List of the biggest cities in North Carolina by area

Rank	City	Area
1	Charlotte	308.6 sq mi (799.2 km2)
2	Fayetteville	147.7 sq mi (382.6 km2)
3	Raleigh	144.8 sq mi (375 km2)
4	Winston-Salem	133.7 sq mi (346.3 km2)
5	Greensboro	131.8 sq mi (341.4 km2)
6	Durham	108.3 sq mi (280.4 km2)
7	Concord	60.30 sq mi (156.18 km2)
8	Cary	59.42 sq mi (153.90 km2)
9	High Point	55.4 sq mi (143.6 km2)
10	Gastonia	50.7 sq mi (131.4 km2)

How many cities are there in North Carolina?

North Carolina has a total of 439 cities across the state. 

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How many of the largest cities in North Carolina did you know about? Leave a comment below!