Fastest-Shrinking Cities in North Carolina
The top 25 of 51 North Carolina cities on GIS Map, ranked by the largest percent population decline from April 2020 to July 2024.
| # | City | Population change 2020-2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacksonville | -2.6% |
| 2 | Lumberton | -2.2% |
| 3 | Nags Head | -2.2% |
| 4 | Kitty Hawk | -0.3% |
| 5 | Manteo | 0.0% |
| 6 | Asheville | +0.3% |
| 7 | Rocky Mount | +0.3% |
| 8 | Wilson | +0.3% |
| 9 | Fayetteville | +0.5% |
| 10 | Goldsboro | +1.1% |
| 11 | Kill Devil Hills | +1.3% |
| 12 | Lexington | +1.4% |
| 13 | Thomasville | +1.8% |
| 14 | Elizabeth City | +2.0% |
| 15 | Winston-Salem | +2.5% |
| 16 | Greensboro | +2.7% |
| 17 | Chapel Hill | +2.8% |
| 18 | Salisbury | +2.9% |
| 19 | Hendersonville | +3.1% |
| 20 | Hickory | +3.4% |
| 21 | High Point | +3.9% |
| 22 | Shelby | +4.0% |
| 23 | Cary | +4.5% |
| 24 | Boone | +5.1% |
| 25 | Mooresville | +5.1% |
Top North Carolina Counties
Counties ranked by the largest percent population decline from April 2020 to July 2024.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census and Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2024: April 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2024 estimate). Only cities covered by GIS Map with at least 1,000 residents are ranked. Estimates carry margins of error.
Citing this page: GIS Map, “Fastest-Shrinking Cities in North Carolina”, https://gismap.land/rankings/north-carolina/fastest-shrinking-cities. Figures from U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census and Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2024: April 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2024 estimate).