List of municipalities in North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the Southern United States. According to the 2020 United States Census, North Carolina is the ninth most populous state with 10,439,388 inhabitants, but the 28th largest by land area spanning 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²) of land.^[1][2] North Carolina is divided into 100 counties and contains 532 municipalities consisting of cities, towns, or villages.^[3] The three different terms have no legal distinction.

Map of the United States with North Carolina highlighted

Table of contents: Largest - - See also

Largest municipalities

•  

  Charlotte, largest city in North Carolina

•  

  Raleigh, capital of North Carolina

•  

  Greensboro

•  

  Durham

•  

  Winston-Salem

•  

  Fayetteville

•  

  Cary

•  

  Wilmington

•  

  High Point

•  

  Concord

•  

  Asheville

•  

  Greenville

 †  County seat
 ††  State capital and county seat

Below is a list of the 50 largest municipalities in North Carolina according to the 2020 census.

Rank	Name	Population (2021)	Population (2020)	Change	Type	County
1	Charlotte †	879,709	874,579	+0.59%	City	Mecklenburg
2	Raleigh ††	469,124	467,665	+0.31%	City	Wake (seat), Durham
3	Greensboro †	298,263	299,035	−0.26%	City	Guilford
4	Durham †	285,527	283,506	+0.71%	City	Durham (seat), Wake, Orange
5	Winston-Salem †	250,320	249,545	+0.31%	City	Forsyth
6	Fayetteville †	208,778	208,501	+0.13%	City	Cumberland
7	Cary	176,987	174,721	+1.30%	Town	Wake, Chatham
8	Wilmington †	117,643	115,451	+1.90%	City	New Hanover
9	High Point	114,086	114,059	+0.02%	City	Guilford, Randolph, Davidson, Forsyth
10	Concord †	107,697	105,240	+2.33%	City	Cabarrus
11	Asheville †	94,067	94,589	−0.55%	City	Buncombe
12	Greenville †	88,728	87,521	+1.38%	City	Pitt
13	Gastonia †	81,161	80,411	+0.93%	City	Gaston
14	Jacksonville †	72,876	72,723	+0.21%	City	Onslow
15	Apex	62,911	58,780	+7.03%	Town	Wake
16	Huntersville	61,839	61,376	+0.75%	Town	Mecklenburg
17	Chapel Hill	61,128	61,960	−1.34%	Town	Orange, Durham
18	Burlington	58,818	55,481	+6.01%	City	Alamance
19	Kannapolis	54,446	53,114	+2.51%	City	Cabarrus, Rowan
20	Rocky Mount	53,957	54,341	−0.71%	City	Edgecombe, Nash
21	Mooresville	51,594	50,193	+2.79%	Town	Iredell
22	Wake Forest	49,657	47,601	+4.32%	Town	Wake, Franklin
23	Wilson †	47,731	47,851	−0.25%	City	Wilson
24	Hickory	43,532	43,490	+0.10%	City	Catawba, Burke, Caldwell
25	Holly Springs	43,524	41,239	+5.54%	Town	Wake
26	Indian Trail	40,953	39,997	+2.39%	Town	Union
27	Fuquay-Varina	36,736	34,152	+7.57%	Town	Wake
28	Salisbury †	35,760	35,540	+0.62%	City	Rowan
29	Monroe †	34,888	34,562	+0.94%	City	Union
30	Goldsboro †	32,749	33,657	−2.70%	City	Wayne
31	Garner	31,935	31,159	+2.49%	Town	Wake
32	Cornelius	31,650	31,412	+0.76%	Town	Mecklenburg
33	New Bern †	31,346	31,291	+0.18%	City	Craven
34	Morrisville	31,278	29,630	+5.56%	Town	Wake, Durham
35	Sanford †	30,678	30,261	+1.38%	City	Lee
36	Matthews	29,623	29,435	+0.64%	Town	Mecklenburg
37	Statesville †	28,844	28,419	+1.50%	City	Iredell
38	Clayton	28,306	26,307	+7.60%	Town	Johnston, Wake
39	Thomasville	27,203	27,183	+0.07%	City	Davidson, Randolph
40	Asheboro †	27,124	27,156	−0.12%	City	Randolph
41	Kernersville	26,793	26,449	+1.30%	Town	Forsyth, Guilford
42	Mint Hill	26,633	26,450	+0.69%	Town	Mecklenburg, Union
43	Leland	25,974	22,908	+13.38%	Town	Brunswick
44	Shelby †	21,947	21,918	+0.13%	City	Cleveland
45	Waxhaw	21,673	20,534	+5.55%	Town	Union
46	Clemmons	21,517	21,163	+1.67%	Village	Forsyth
47	Carrboro	21,312	21,295	+0.08%	Town	Orange
48	Knightdale	19,576	19,435	+0.73%	Town	Wake
49	Kinston †	19,546	19,900	−1.78%	City	Lenoir
50	Lexington †	19,516	19,632	−0.59%	City	Davidson

A

• Aberdeen—town, Moore County
• Ahoskie—town, Hertford County
• Alamance—village, Alamance County
• Albemarle—city, Stanly County
• Alliance—town, Pamlico County
• Andrews—town, Cherokee County
• Angier—town, Harnett County
• Ansonville—town, Anson County
• Apex—town, Wake County
• Arapahoe—town, Pamlico County
• Archdale—city, Randolph County
• Archer Lodge—town, Johnston County
• Arlington—town, Yadkin County
• Asheboro-city, Randolph County
• Asheville—city, Buncombe County
• Askewville—town, Bertie County
• Atkinson—town, Pender County
• Atlantic Beach—town, Carteret County
• Aulander—town, Bertie County
• Aurora—town, Beaufort County
• Autryville—town, Sampson County
• Ayden—town, Pitt County

B

• Badin—town, Stanly County
• Bailey—town, Nash County
• Bakersville—town, Mitchell County
• Bald Head Island—village, Brunswick County
• Banner Elk—town, Avery County
• Bath—town, Beaufort County
• Bayboro—town, Pamlico County
• Bear Grass—town, Martin County
• Beaufort—town, Carteret County
• Beech Mountain—town, Avery County
• Belhaven—town, Beaufort County
• Belmont—city, Gaston County
• Belville—town, Brunswick County
• Belwood—town, Cleveland County
• Benson—town, Johnston County
• Bermuda Run—town Bertie County
• Bessemer City—city, Gaston County
• Bethania—town, Forsyth County
• Bethel—town, Pitt County
• Beulaville—town, Duplin County
• Biltmore Forest—town, Buncombe County
• Biscoe—town, Montgomery County
• Black Creek—town, Wilson County
• Black Mountain—town, Buncombe County
• Bladenboro—town, Bladen County
• Blowing Rock—town, Watauga County
• Boardman—town, Columbus County
• Bogue—town, Carteret County
• Boiling Spring Lakes—city, Brunswick County
• Boiling Springs—town, Cleveland County
• Bolivia—town, Brunswick County
• Bolton—town, Columbus County
• Boone—town, Watauga County
• Boonville—town, Yadkin County
• Bostic—town, Rutherford County
• Brevard—city, Transylvania County
• Bridgeton—town, Craven County
• Broadway—town, Lee County
• Brookford—town, Catawba County
• Brunswick—town, Columbus County
• Bryson City—town, Swain County
• Bunn—town, Franklin County
• Burgaw—town, Pender County
• Burlington—city, Alamance County
• Burnsville—town, Yancey County
• Butner—town, Granville County

C

• Cajah's Mountain—town, Caldwell County
• Calabash—town, Brunswick County
• Calypso—town, Duplin County
• Camden—town, Camden County
• Cameron—town, Moore County
• Candor—town, Montgomery County
• Canton—town, Haywood County
• Cape Carteret—town, Carteret County
• Carolina Beach—town, New Hanover County
• Carolina Shores—town, Brunswick County
• Carrboro—town, Orange County
• Carthage—town, Moore County
• Cary—town, Wake County & Chatham County
• Casar—town, Cleveland County
• Castalia—town, Nash County
• Caswell Beach—town, Brunswick County
• Catawba—town, Catawba County
• Cedar Grove—village, Orange County
• Cedar Point—town, Carteret County
• Cedar Rock—village, Caldwell County
• Cerro Gordo—town, Columbus County
• Chadbourn—town, Columbus County
• Chapel Hill—town, Orange County
• Charlotte—city, Mecklenburg County
• Cherryville—town, Gaston County
• Chimney Rock—village, Rutherford County
• China Grove—town, Rowan County
• Chocowinity—town, Beaufort County
• Claremont—city, Catawba County
• Clarkton—town, Bladen County
• Clayton—town, Johnston County
• Clemmons—village, Forsyth County
• Cleveland—town, Rowan County
• Clinton—town, Sampson County
• Clyde—town, Haywood County
• Coats—town, Harnett County
• Cofield—village, Hertford County
• Colerain—town, Bertie County
• Columbia—town , Tyrrell County
• Columbus—town, Polk County
• Como—town, Hertford County
• Concord—city, Cabarrus County
• Conetoe—town, Edgecombe County
• Connelly Springs—town, Burke County
• Conover—city, Catawba County
• Conway—town, Northampton County
• Cooleemee—town, Davie County
• Cornelius—town, Mecklenburg County
• Cove City—town, Craven County
• Cramerton—town, Gaston County
• Creedmoor—town, Granville County
• Creswell—town, Washington County
• Crossnore—town, Avery County

D

• Dallas—town, Gaston County
• Danbury—city, Stokes County
• Davidson—town, Mecklenburg County
• Denton—town, Davidson County
• Dillsboro—town, Jackson County
• Dobbins Heights—town, Richmond County
• Dobson—town, Surry County
• Dortches—town, Nash County
• Dover—town, Craven County
• Drexel—town, Burke County
• Dublin—town, Bladen County
• Duck—town, Dare County
• Dunn—town, Harnett County
• Durham—city, Durham County

E

• Earl—town, Cleveland County
• East Arcadia—town, Bladen County
• East Bend—town, Yadkin County
• East Spencer—town, Rowan County
• Eastover—town, Cumberland County
• Eden—town, Rockingham County
• Edenton—town, Chowan County
• Efland—town, Orange County
• Elizabeth City—city, Pasquotank County
• Elizabethtown—town, Bladen County
• Elk Park—town, Avery County
• Elkin—town, Surry County
• Ellenboro—town, Rutherford County
• Ellerbe—town, Richmond County
• Elm City—town, Wilson County
• Elon—town, Alamance County
• Emerald Isle—town, Carteret County
• Enfield—town, Halifax County
• Erwin—town, Harnett County
• Eureka—town, Wayne County
• Everetts—town, Martin County

F

• Fair Bluff—town, Columbus County
• Fairmont—town, Robeson County
• Fairview—town, Union County
• Faison—town, Duplin County
• Faith—town, Rowan County
• Falcon—town, Cumberland County & Sampson County
• Falkland—town, Pitt County
• Fallston—hamlet, Cleveland County
• Farmville—town, Pitt County
• Fayetteville—city, Cumberland County
• Flat Rock—village, Henderson County
• Fletcher—town, Henderson County
• Forest City—town, Rutherford County
• Forest Hills—village, Jackson County
• Fountain—town, Pitt County
• Four Oaks—town, Johnston County
• Foxfire—village, Moore County
• Franklin—town, Macon County
• Franklinton—town, Franklin County
• Franklinville—town, Randolph County
• Fremont—town, Wayne County
• Fuquay-Varina—town, Wake County

G

• Gamewell—town, Caldwell County
• Garland—town, Sampson County
• Garner—town, Wake County
• Garysburg—town, Northampton County
• Gaston—town, Northampton County
• Gastonia—city, Gaston County
• Gatesville—town, Gates County
• Gibson—town, Scotland County
• Gibsonville—town, Alamance County & Guilford County
• Glen Alpine—town, Burke County
• Godwin—town, Cumberland County
• Goldsboro—city, Wayne County
• Graham—town, Alamance County
• Grandfather—village, Avery County
• Granite Falls—town, Caldwell County
• Granite Quarry—town, Rowan County
• Grantsboro—town, Pamlico County
• Green Level—town, Alamance County
• Greenevers—town, Duplin County
• Greensboro—city, Guilford County
• Greenville—city, Pitt County
• Grifton—town, Pitt County & Lenoir County
• Grimesland—town, Pitt County
• Grover—town, Cleveland County

H

• Halifax—town, Halifax County
• Hamilton—town, Martin County
• Hamlet—city, Richmond County
• Harmony—town, Iredell County
• Harrells—town
• Harrellsville—town, Hertford County
• Harrisburg—city, Cabarrus County
• Hassell—town, Martin County
• Havelock—city, Craven County
• Haw River—town, Alamance County
• Hayesville—town, Clay
• Hemby Bridge—town, Union County
• Henderson—town, Vance County
• Hendersonville—town, Henderson County
• Hertford—town, Perquimans County
• Hickory—city, Catawba County
• High Point—city
• High Shoals—town, Gaston County
• Highlands—town, Macon County
• Hildebran—town, Burke County
• Hillsborough—town, Orange County
• Hobgood—town, Halifax County
• Hoffman—town, Richmond County
• Holden Beach—town, Brunswick County
• Holly Ridge—town, Onslow County
• Holly Springs—town, Wake County
• Hookerton—town, Greene County
• Hope Mills—town, Cumberland County
• Hot Springs—town, Madison County
• Hudson—town, Caldwell County
• Huntersville—town, Mecklenburg County

I

• Indian Beach—town, Carteret County
• Indian Trail—town, Union County

J

• Jackson—town, Northampton County
• Jacksonville—city, Onslow County
• Jamestown—town, Guilford County
• Jamesville—town, Martin County
• Jefferson—town, Ashe County
• Jonesville—town, Yadkin County

K

• Kannapolis—city
• Kelford—town, Bertie County
• Kenansville—town, Duplin County
• Kenly—town
• Kernersville—town, Forsyth County
• Kill Devil Hills—town, Dare County
• King—town, Stokes County
• Kings Mountain—city
• Kingstown—town, Cleveland County
• Kinston—city, Lenoir County
• Kittrell—village, Vance County
• Kitty Hawk—town, Dare County
• Knightdale—town, Wake County
• Kure Beach—town, New Hanover County

L

• La Grange
• Lake Lure
• Lake Park
• Lake Santeetlah
• Lake Waccamaw
• Landis
• Lansing
• Lasker
• Lattimore
• Laurel Park
• Laurinburg—town, Scotland County
• Lawndale
• Leggett
• Leland
• Lenoir—city, Caldwell County
• Lewiston Woodville
• Lewisville
• Lexington—city, Davidson County
• Liberty
• Lilesville
• Lillington
• Lincolnton—city, Lincoln County
• Linden
• Littleton—town, Halifax County
• Locust
• Long View
• Louisburg—town, Franklin County
• Love Valley
• Lowell
• Lucama
• Lumber Bridge
• Lumberton—city, Robeson County

M

• Macclesfield
• Macon—town, Warren County
• Madison
• Maggie Valley
• Magnolia
• Maiden—town, Catawba County
• Manteo—town, Dare County
• Marietta
• Marion—town, McDowell County
• Marshville
• Mars Hill—town, Madison County
• Marshall—town, Madison County
• Marvin
• Matthews—town, Mecklenburg County
• Maxton
• Mayodan—town, Rockingham County
• Maysville
• McAdenville
• McDonald
• McFarlan
• Mebane
• Mesic
• Micro—town, Johnston County
• Middleburg—town, Vance County
• Middlesex
• Midland
• Midway
• Mills River
• Milton
• Mineral Springs
• Minnesott Beach
• Mint Hill
• Misenheimer
• Mocksville—town, Davie County
• Momeyer
• Monroe—town, Union County
• Montreat
• Mooresboro
• Mooresville—town, Iredell County
• Morehead City—town, Carteret County
• Morganton—city, Burke County
• Morrisville
• Morven
• Mount Airy—town, Surry County
• Mount Gilead
• Mount Holly
• Mount Olive
• Mount Pleasant
• Murfreesboro—town, Hertford County
• Murphy—town, Cherokee County

N

• Nags Head
• Nashville—town, Nash County
• Navassa
• New Bern—city, Craven County
• New London
• Newland—town, Avery County
• Newport
• Newton—city,seat, Catawba County
• Newton Grove
• Norlina—town, Warren County
• Norman
• North Topsail Beach
• North Wilkesboro—town, Wilkes County
• Northwest
• Norwood

O

• Oak City
• Oak Island
• Oak Ridge
• Oakboro
• Ocean Isle Beach
• Old Fort
• Oriental
• Orrum
• Ossipee
• Oxford—town, Granville County

P

• Pantego
• Parkton
• Parmele
• Patterson Springs
• Peachland
• Peletier
• Pembroke
• Pikeville
• Pilot Mountain
• Pine Knoll Shores—town, Carteret County
• Pine Level
• Pinebluff
• Pinehurst—town, Moore County
• Pinetops—town, Edgecombe County
• Pineville
• Pink Hill
• Pittsboro
• Pleasant Garden
• Plymouth—town, Washington County
• Polkton
• Polkville
• Pollocksville
• Powellsville
• Princeton
• Princeville
• Proctorville

R

• Raeford—town, Hoke County
• Raleigh—city, Wake County
• Ramseur
• Randleman
• Ranlo
• Raynham
• Red Cross
• Red Oak—town, Nash County
• Red Springs—town, Robeson County
• Reidsville—city, Rockingham County
• Rennert
• Rhodhiss
• Rich Square
• Richfield
• Richlands
• River Bend
• Roanoke Rapids—city, Halifax County
• Robbins
• Robbinsville
• Robersonville
• Rockingham—city, Richmond County
• Rockwell
• Rocky Mount
• Rolesville—town, Wake County
• Ronda
• Roper
• Rose Hill—city, Duplin County
• Roseboro
• Rosman
• Rowland
• Roxboro—city, Person County
• Roxobel
• Rural Hall
• Ruth
• Rutherford College
• Rutherfordton—town, Rutherford County

S

• Salemburg
• Salisbury—town, Rowan County
• Saluda
• Sandy Creek
• Sandyfield
• Sanford—city, Lee County
• Saratoga
• Sawmills
• Scotland Neck—town, Halifax County
• Seaboard
• Seagrove
• Sedalia
• Selma—town, Johnston County
• Seven Devils
• Seven Springs
• Severn
• Shallotte—town, Brunswick County
• Sharpsburg
• Shelby—city, Cleveland County
• Siler City—town, Chatham County
• Simpson
• Sims
• Smithfield
• Snow Hill—town, Greene County
• Southern Pines
• Southern Shores—town, Dare County
• Southport—town, Brunswick County
• Sparta—town, Alleghany County
• Speed
• Spencer
• Spencer Mountain—town, Gaston County
• Spindale
• Spring Hope
• Spring Lake
• Spruce Pine—town, Mitchell County
• St. Helena
• St. James
• St. Pauls—town, Robeson County
• Staley
• Stallings
• Stanfield
• Stanley
• Stantonsburg
• Star
• Statesville—city,seat, Iredell County
• Stedman
• Stem
• Stokesdale
• Stoneville
• Stonewall
• Stovall
• Sugar Mountain
• Summerfield
• Sunset Beach
• Surf City
• Swansboro—town, Onslow County
• Swepsonville
• Sylva—city, Jackson County
• Salzburg—city, Jackson County

T

• Tabor City—town, Columbus County
• Tar Heel
• Tarboro—town, Edgecombe County
• Taylorsville—town, Alexander County
• Taylortown
• Teachey
• Thomasville
• Tobaccoville
• Topsail Beach—town, Pender County
• Trent Woods
• Trenton
• Trinity—city, Randolph County
• Troutman
• Troy—town, Montgomery County
• Tryon—town, Polk County
• Turkey

U

• Unionville

V

• Valdese
• Vanceboro
• Vandemere
• Varnamtown
• Vass
• Vienna

W

• Waco
• Wade
• Wadesboro—town, Anson County
• Wagram
• Wake Forest—town, Wake County
• Walkertown
• Wallace
• Wallburg—town, Davidson County
• Walnut Cove
• Walnut Creek
• Walstonburg
• Wanchese—village, Dare County
• Warrenton—town, Warren County
• Warsaw—town, Duplin County
• Washington—city, Beaufort County
• Washington Park
• Watha
• Waxhaw—town, Union County
• Waynesville—city, Haywood County
• Weaverville
• Webster
• Weddington
• Weldon—town, Halifax County
• Wendell—town, Wake County
• Wentworth
• Wesley Chapel
• West Jefferson—town, Ashe County
• Whispering Pines
• Whitakers
• White Lake
• Whiteville—city, Columbus County
• Whitsett
• Wilkesboro—town, Wilkes County
• Williamston
• Wilmington—city, New Hanover County
• Wilson—city, Wilson County
• Wilson's Mills
• Windsor—town, Bertie County
• Winfall
• Wingate
• Winston-Salem—city, Forsyth County
• Winterville
• Winton
• Woodfin
• Woodland
• Wrightsville Beach—town, New Hanover County

Y

• Yadkinville—town, Yadkin County
• Yanceyville—town, Caswell County
• Youngsville—town, Franklin County

Z

• Zebulon, North Carolina – town, Wake County, North Carolina
• Zionville, North Carolina – town, Watauga County, North Carolina

See also

• North Carolina
• List of counties in North Carolina
• List of unincorporated communities in North Carolina

References

1. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: North Carolina". www.census.gov. US Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
2. "North Carolina | Capital, Map, History, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
3. "North Carolina: 2010 Population and Housing Unit Counts 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). 2010 census. United States Census Bureau. September 2012. p. 18. Retrieved August 7, 2016.