What are the fastest-growing metro areas in North Carolina?
Wilmington, NC (+15.9%), Raleigh-Cary, NC (+12.6%) and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC (+10.1%) grew fastest among North Carolina metro areas between 2020 and 2025.
Data as of 2025 · updated
All 10 ranked North Carolina metro areas
| Rank | Metro area | Change 2020–25 | People added | Residents 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilmington, NC | +15.9% | +67,574 | 492,772 |
| 2 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | +12.6% | +178,338 | 1,595,720 |
| 3 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | +10.1% | +270,488 | 2,938,830 |
| 4 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | +7.5% | +43,425 | 625,485 |
| 5 | Winston-Salem, NC | +5.3% | +35,835 | 712,206 |
| 6 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | +4.1% | +31,617 | 805,945 |
| 7 | Asheville, NC | +3.6% | +14,786 | 422,345 |
| 8 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | +3.2% | +11,748 | 376,890 |
| 9 | Rocky Mount, NC | +2.8% | +4,072 | 148,486 |
| 10 | Fayetteville, NC | +1.6% | +6,182 | 395,412 |
How this is ranked
The percentage change in the Census Bureau's July 1 resident population estimates between 2020 and 2025, with the number of people added. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025). Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built.
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Questions
Which metro area in North Carolina is growing fastest?
Wilmington, NC: +15.9%, ahead of Raleigh-Cary, NC (+12.6%) and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC (+10.1%), of 10 North Carolina metro areas ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
The percentage change in the Census Bureau's July 1 resident population estimates between 2020 and 2025, with the number of people added. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.