Demographics of North Carolina covers the varieties of ethnic groups who reside inNorth Carolina and relevant trends.

Thecenter of population of North Carolina is located inRandolph County, in the town ofSeagrove.^[3]

TheUnited States Census Bureau, as of July 1, 2009, estimated North Carolina's population at 9,380,884^[4] which represents an increase of 1,340,334, or 16.7%, since the last census in 2000.^[5] This exceeds the rate of growth for the United States as a whole. The growth comprises a natural increase since the last census of 412,906 people (1,015,065 births minus 602,159 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 783,382 people into the state.^[5]Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 192,099 people, and migration within the country produced a net gain of 591,283 people.^[5] Between 2005 and 2006, North Carolina passedNew Jersey to become the 10th most populous state.^[6] The state's population reported as under 5 years old was 6.7%, 24.4% were under 18, and 12.0% were 65 or older. Women made up approximately 51% of the population.

North Carolina has three majorMetropolitanCombined Statistical Areas with populations of more than 1 million:^[7]

• Charlotte Metro:Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, North Carolina-South Carolina - population 2,402,623
• The Triangle:Raleigh-Durham-Cary-Chapel Hill, North Carolina - population 2,156,253^{[8][circular reference]}
• Piedmont Triad:Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, North Carolina - population 1,589,200

North Carolina has nine municipalities with populations of more than 100,000, with 16 municipalities with populations over 50,000 (U.S. Census Bureau 2010 figures):^[9]

• Charlotte:Mecklenburg County - population 731,424
• Raleigh:Wake and Durham Counties - population 403,892
• Greensboro:Guilford County - population 269,666
• Winston-Salem:Forsyth County - population 229,617
• Durham:Durham and Wake Counties - population 228,330
• Fayetteville:Cumberland County - population 200,564
• Cary:Wake and Chatham Counties - population 135,234
• High Point:Guilford, Davidson, Randolph and Forsyth Counties - population 104,371
• Wilmington:New Hanover County - population 106,456

Officially, as drawn from verified US Census Department Statistics, the 15 largest cities in North Carolina are:
1Charlotte:Mecklenburg County - population 731,424
2Raleigh:Wake County - population 403,892
3Greensboro:Guilford County - population 269,666
4Durham:Durham and Wake Counties - population 256,330
5Winston-Salem:Forsyth County - population 233,123
6Fayetteville:Cumberland County - population 200,564
7Cary:Wake and Chatham Counties - population 135,234
8Wilmington:New Hanover County - population 106,476
9High Point:Guilford, Davidson, Randolph and Forsyth Counties - population 104,371
10Greenville:Pitt County - population 86,017
11Asheville:Buncombe County - population 83,393
12Concord:Cabarrus County - population 79,066
13Gastonia:Gaston County - population 71,059
14Jacksonville:Onslow County - population 70,145
15Chapel Hill:Durham andOrange Counties - population 57,477

These figures may differ from local estimates, chamber of commerce estimates, or other unofficial sources.

• 
  Charlotte
• 
  Raleigh
• 
  Greensboro
• 
  Durham
• 
  Fayetteville
• 
  Cary
• 
  High Point
• 
  Wilmington
• 
  Charlotte
• 
  Greensboro
• 
  Wilmington
• 
  Asheville
• 
  Gastonia

Source:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)^[10][11]

Note: Births in table do not add up because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.

• Since 2016, data for births ofWhite Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in oneHispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

Per the2020 U.S. census, the racial and ethnic distribution of North Carolina's population was 60.5%white non-Hispanic, 20.2%Black non-Hispanic, 1.0%Native American/Alaska Native non-Hispanic, 3.3%Asian non-Hispanic, 0.1%Pacific Islander non-Hispanic, 0.4%Other race non-Hispanic, 3.9%Mixed race or Multiracial (non-Hispanic), and 10.7%Hispanic or Latino (of any race).^[26]

North Carolina has historically been arural state, with most of the population living on farms or in small towns. However, from the late 20th century onward, the state has undergone rapidurbanization, leading to most of North Carolina's residents living inurban andsuburban areas, as is the case within most of the United States. In particular, the cities ofCharlotte andRaleigh have become major urban centers, with large, diverse, mainly affluent and rapidly growing populations. Most of this growth indiversity has been fueled byimmigrants fromLatin America,India, andSoutheast Asia.^[27]

In addition, large numbers of people from theNortheastern United States,Florida andCalifornia have moved to the state in recent years. North Carolina was one of the country's fastest growing states in the 1980s and 1990s. The growth rate subsided in the first decade of the 21st century due to changed economic conditions, but it continued to attract new residents.^{[citation needed]}

African Americans make up nearly a quarter of North Carolina's population. The number of middle-class Black residents has increased since the 1970s. African Americans are concentrated in the state's eastern Coastal Plain and in parts of thePiedmont Crescent, where they had historically worked and where the most new job opportunities have been. African-American communities number by the hundreds in rural counties in the south-central and northeast North Carolina, and in predominantly Black neighborhoods in the cities of Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Fayetteville, Wilmington, and Winston-Salem.

Until the mid-1820s, North Carolina had more small farms and fewer plantations than the adjacent states of South Carolina and Virginia. These "yeoman" farmers were non-slave-holding (or owning few slaves), private land owners of tracts of approximately 500 acres (2 km²) or less. Relatively few Black people live in the state's mountains and rural areas of the western Piedmont. In some mountain counties, the Black population has historically numbered in the few dozens at most.

Free African Americans migrated in the colonial and post-Revolutionary period to frontier areas of North Carolina from Virginia. Detailed family histories of 80% of those counted as "all other free persons" in the 1790–1810 federal census show they were descendants of African Americans free in Virginia during the colonial period. As boundaries were then more permeable, most free African families descended from unions between white women (free or servant) and African men (free, servant or slave). Indians who adopted English customs became part of free African American communities and married into the families. Some of the lighter-skinned descendants formed their own distinct communities, often identifying themselves as Indian or Portuguese to escape effects of the color line.^[29]

The state has a rapidly growing proportion ofAsian Americans, specificallyIndian andVietnamese; these groups nearly quintupled and tripled, respectively, between 1990 and 2002, as people arrived in the state for new jobs in the growing economy. Recent estimates suggest that the state's Asian-American population has increased significantly since 2000. Indian Americans are one of the most highly educated groups in the US.

North Carolina has the largest population ofMontagnards, perhaps 10,000, living in the US. These refugees originate from the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The first group arrived in 1986 as former fighters allied with US Special Forces during the Vietnam War. Today, most of the population lives in Charlotte, Raleigh, and especially Greensboro. Until the 2010 Census, their number has never been accurately identified or counted.

Events during the 1980s in Laos spurredHmong immigration to North Carolina, as refugees fled wars andCommunist rule. They now number 12,000 in the state.^[30] A small Hmong farming colony can be found nearMarion.

The earliest record of Asian immigration to North Carolina goes back to the mid-19th century when the firstChinese were hired as miners and agricultural workers. The famous Thai "Siamese" twins –Eng and Chang Bunker, conjoined together at their chests – settled inMt Airy, North Carolina in 1839. Smaller numbers ofJapanese,Filipinos, andKoreans arrived to work as farmers, but many also worked in the Atlantic fishing industries in the early and mid-20th century.

Settled first, the coastal region attracted primarilyEnglish immigrants of the early migrations, including indentured servants transported to the colonies and descendants of English who migrated from Virginia. In addition, there were waves of Protestant European immigration, including theBritish,Irish,FrenchHuguenots,^[31] andSwiss Germans who settledNew Bern. A concentration ofWelsh (usually included with others fromBritain andIreland) settled east of presentFayetteville in the 18th century. For a long time, the wealthier, educated planters of the coastal region dominated the state government.

North Carolinians ofScots-Irish,Scottish andEnglish ancestry are spread across the state. Historically Scots-Irish and Northern English settled mostly in the Piedmont andbackcountry. They were the last and most numerous of the immigrant groups from Britain and Ireland before theAmerican Revolution, and settled throughout theAppalachian South, where they could continue their own culture.^[32] They were fiercely independent and mostly yeoman farmers.

In theWinston-Salem area, there is a substantial population of ethnicGerman ancestry (from the modern area of theCzech Republic), descended from immigration of members of theProtestantMoravian Church during the mid-18th century. The Moravians of Winston-Salem are not primarily ofCzech ancestry, but mostly of German descent, and members of theMoravian Church in America, a Protestant denomination takes its name from a spiritual movement that began in 15th centuryMoravia and nearbyBohemia. North Carolina is home to more than 10,000Bosnian Americans.^[33] TheGreeks have been around since the early 20th century with 7 Greek Orthodox churches in North Carolina.^{[citation needed]} During the early 20th century, a small group of Orthodox immigrants fromUkraine settled inPender County.^[34]

There is somewhat of a long history ofPortuguese settlement along the state's Atlantic coast whose families were fishermen originated from theAzores islands and the country ofPortugal, and there are over 50,000 residents of Portuguese descent.^{[citation needed]} The North Carolina coast also attractedBasque fishermen from their homeland in NorthernSpain and southwestFrance.^{[citation needed]} Seasonal residents, known as "snowbirds", live in coastal sections and beach towns every winter. The majority areCanadians, either English andFrench speaking.

Since 1990, the state has seen an increase in the number ofHispanics/Latinos. Once chiefly employed as migrant labor, Hispanic residents of the 1990s and early 21st century have been attracted to low-skilled jobs as the first step on the economic ladder. As a result, growing numbers of Hispanic immigrants are settling in the state. The majority of these are fromMexico, but also fromPuerto Rico, and to a lesser degree from otherCaribbean andCentral American countries. There are also significant amounts of Hispanics moving to North Carolina from other states, such as Puerto Ricans from theNortheast. In Hispanic neighborhoods such asEastland in Charlotte,Mexican Americans have become the ethnic majority. Newly formedbarrios in theRaleigh area continue a transplanted Latin American culture. In 2005, thePew Hispanic Center estimated that 300,000 — roughly 65 percent of North Carolina's Latino population — areundocumented immigrants, based on the Census Bureau's population estimates.^[35] The population has grown from 77,726 in 1990 to 517,617 in 2005, an average increase of 13.5% per year.^[35]

North Carolina has the highest American Indian population on the East Coast. The estimated population figures forNative Americans in North Carolina (as of 2004) is 110,198. To date, North Carolina recognizes eight Native American tribal nations within its state borders:^[36]

• TheEastern Band of Cherokee Indians were federally recognized in 1868 and received state recognition in 1889. The Eastern Cherokee live in easternSwain County, as well asGraham andJackson counties, and have roughly 13,400 enrolled members, most of whom live on a reservation properly called theQualla Boundary. The Reservation is slightly more than 56,000 acres (230 km²), and is held in trust by the federal government specifically for theEastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
• TheLumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the largest in the state with more than 55,000 members, was recognized by the state in 1885. In 1956, Congress recognized the Lumbee but denied them benefits received by other federally recognized tribes. Since the 1980s, the Lumbee have been seeking full federal recognition. The Lumbee are concentrated chiefly in the southeastern portions of the state in Robeson, Scotland, Hoke and Cumberland counties.
• TheHaliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe received state recognition in 1965. The tribe comprises a little more than 3,800 enrolled members who reside in northeastern North Carolina'sHalifax andWarren counties.
• TheWaccamaw-Siouan Tribe received state recognition in 1971. The almost 2,000 members are located in the mid-Atlantic North Carolina counties ofBladen andColumbus.
• TheCroatan Indians of Samson County first received state recognition in 1911.^[37] North Carolina rescinded recognition in 1913 but formally recognized theCoharie Intra-tribal Council, Inc. in 1971. The population of 1,781 enrolled members is located inSampson andHarnett counties.
• TheSappony received state recognition in 1911 as the Indians ofPerson County. In 2003 they officially received state permission to change their name to the Sappony Tribe. They have 850 enrolled members.
• TheOccaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation received state recognition in 2002. They have a population of 800 members who reside inOrange andAlamance counties.
• TheMeherrin Nation are a tribe ofIroquoian-descent located primarily in rural northeasternHertford,Bertie, andGates counties, with a population of 557 enrolled members.

Only five states: (California,Arizona,Oklahoma,New Mexico, andTexas), have larger Native American populations than North Carolina.^[38] The total Native American and Alaska Native population in the United States is 2,824,751, or 0.95% of the total.

In 2020, the state's foreign born population was 8.3%.^[39]

As of 2010, 89.66% (7,750,904) of North Carolina residents age 5 and older spokeEnglish at home as aprimary language, while 6.93% (598,756) spokeSpanish, 0.32% (27,310)French, 0.27% (23,204)German, andChinese (includingMandarin) was spoken as amain language by 0.27% (23,072) of the population over the age of five. In total, 10.34% (893,735) of North Carolina's population age 5 and older spoke afirst language other than English.^[41]

North Carolina, like otherSouthern states, has traditionally been overwhelminglyProtestant. By the late 19th century, the largest Protestant denomination wereSouthern Baptists. In recent times, the rapid influx ofnortherners and immigrants fromLatin America, is steadily increasing the number ofRoman Catholics andJews in the state. Baptists still remain the single largest church within the state.

The growing diversity of religious groups in North Carolina is most visible in the state's larger urban areas, such as Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham. It is in these cities and suburbs, that most of the state's new immigrants and residents have settled. However, statewide, Southern Baptists remain the dominant Christian church. The second-largest Protestant church in North Carolina areMethodists, who are strong in the northern Piedmont, and especially in populousGuilford County. There are also substantial numbers ofQuakers inGuilford County, and northeastern North Carolina.

ThePresbyterians, historicallyScots-Irish, have had a strong presence inCharlotte, the state's largest city, and inScotland County.

Jews began arriving inNorth Carolina in the early to mid-19th century. PrimarilyGerman Jews, these early immigrants established centers in the coastal cities ofWilmington andNew Bern. It was not until the late 19th to early 20th century thatEastern European Jews began to arrive in large numbers to Piedmont cities such asCharlotte andGreensboro. Today, most Jewish communities inNorth Carolina are centered around large Piedmont cities such asCharlotte,Raleigh,Greensboro, andWinston-Salem. In recent years,Western North Carolina has also seen an influx of Jews, who have relocated to places such asAsheville andBoone fromFlorida and the Northeast United States. It is estimated there are approximately 30,000 Jewish residents inNorth Carolina, who constitute around 0.3% of the state's population.

The religious affiliations of the people of North Carolina, as of 2001, are shown below:^[42]

• Christian: 79%
  • Protestant: 57%
    • Baptist: 38%
    • Methodist: 9%
    • Presbyterian: 3%
    • Lutheran: 2%
    • Other Protestant: 5%
  • Roman Catholic: 10%
  • Other Christian such asNon-denominational,Pentecostal, andMormon: 12%
• Judaism: 1%
• Muslim: 1%
• Other religions: 3%
• Non-religious: 10%
• Refused to answer: 7%

• "General Statute Sections - North Carolina General Assembly".ncleg.gov.

• Demographics of North Carolina
• Economy of North Carolina
• Demographics of the United States by state

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