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Where are people moving in North Carolina?

Brunswick County (49.1 per 1,000 residents), Clay County (26.5 per 1,000 residents) and Pender County (26.1 per 1,000 residents) drew the most people from other U.S. counties for their size in North Carolina in 2025.

Data as of 2025 · updated

See the rankingAll North Carolina counties

All 100 ranked North Carolina counties

North Carolina counties ranked by net domestic migration per 1,000 residents
RankCountyPer 1,000 residents, 2025Net movers 2025Residents
1Brunswick County49.1+8,582174,702
2Clay County26.5+32412,239
3Pender County26.1+1,88172,111
4Iredell County24.1+5,094211,798
5Currituck County22.4+74233,158
6Johnston County21.2+5,446256,448
7Franklin County21.2+1,73882,037
8Moore County19.9+2,206110,619
9Harnett County18.5+2,783150,137
10Catawba County17.6+2,989170,172
11Stanly County17.4+1,19568,830
12Polk County16.6+34120,533
13Cherokee County16.6+51130,830
14Macon County15.5+60739,232
15Pasquotank County14.5+61442,201
16Pamlico County14.3+18312,758
17Chatham County13.9+1,18285,111
18Davidson County13.6+2,447180,182
19Stokes County13.5+62146,126
20Hoke County12.9+73756,939
21Lee County12.9+90570,258
22Tyrrell County11.6+413,537
23Perquimans County11.6+15613,490
24Anson County11.4+24921,758
25Alleghany County11.4+13111,479
26Jones County11.1+1069,575
27Alamance County10.9+2,024186,177
28Davie County10.8+49445,855
29Gaston County10.6+2,610246,558
30Wake County10.2+12,7901,257,235
31Lincoln County10.1+99798,654
32Carteret County10.1+71270,469
33Lenoir County10.1+56355,837
34Ashe County10.0+27527,514
35Graham County9.8+808,190
36Martin County9.7+20921,601
37Caswell County9.4+21222,563
38Henderson County9.4+1,145122,375
39Cleveland County9.2+952103,325
40New Hanover County9.2+2,256245,959
41Rockingham County9.0+84694,195
42Person County8.9+36340,636
43Cabarrus County8.9+2,218249,725
44Rutherford County8.6+56565,745
45Alexander County8.5+31536,958
46Northampton County8.1+13416,491
47Caldwell County8.1+65681,105
48Union County7.9+2,111267,674
49Madison County7.8+17722,553
50Rowan County7.8+1,211155,096
51Haywood County7.7+48963,369
52Craven County7.6+799105,025
53Pitt County6.4+1,162182,936
54Chowan County5.9+8314,082
55Montgomery County5.8+15426,403
56Nash County5.5+55099,365
57Burke County5.5+48788,655
58Washington County5.4+5710,638
59Columbus County5.3+27050,487
60Camden County5.0+5711,315
61Yancey County5.0+9619,084
62Edgecombe County4.9+24349,121
63Forsyth County4.6+1,836401,718
64Mecklenburg County4.0+4,9311,233,383
65Randolph County3.9+576149,516
66Beaufort County3.9+17244,670
67Transylvania County3.8+12934,211
68Surry County3.2+22872,287
69Gates County3.1+3210,234
70Swain County2.9+4114,024
71Wilkes County2.6+17166,233
72Dare County2.4+9238,245
73McDowell County2.4+10745,198
74Wilson County2.3+18681,150
75Yadkin County2.1+7938,325
76Guilford County2.0+1,115562,234
77Greene County2.0+4120,700
78Wayne County1.4+173122,278
79Bladen County1.2+3630,007
80Jackson County1.1+5145,039
81Sampson County1.1+6961,504
82Avery County0.9+1718,110
83Duplin County0.9+4551,571
84Richmond County0.8+3442,041
85Mitchell County0.5+815,062
86Onslow County0.3+55217,175
87Durham County−1.2−430347,240
88Vance County−1.4−6042,638
89Robeson County−1.4−171119,941
90Warren County−1.7−3218,898
91Bertie County−1.9−3217,086
92Orange County−3.0−452152,498
93Hertford County−3.0−5719,015
94Watauga County−3.1−17254,786
95Granville County−3.5−21461,421
96Hyde County−5.3−244,554
97Halifax County−5.5−25746,534
98Cumberland County−6.3−2,118338,473
99Buncombe County−7.4−2,056277,417
100Scotland County−7.7−25833,322

How this is ranked

Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from other U.S. counties minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves from and to other countries are not included. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents, or without a figure for the same period as the others, are not ranked.

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. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

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Questions

Which county in North Carolina gains the most people from other counties?

Brunswick County: 49.1 per 1,000 residents, ahead of Clay County (26.5 per 1,000 residents) and Pender County (26.1 per 1,000 residents), of 100 North Carolina counties ranked.

How is this ranking calculated?

Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from other U.S. counties minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves from and to other countries are not included. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents, or without a figure for the same period as the others, are not ranked.

More county rankings for North Carolina

Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents in other states

Across the U.S.