North Carolina statistical areas

The U.S. State of North Carolina currently has 48 statistical areas that have been delineated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). On July 21, 2023, the OMB delineated nine combined statistical areas, 15 metropolitan statistical areas, and 24 micropolitan statistical areas in North Carolina.^[1] As of 2023, the largest of these is the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC CSA, comprising the state's largest city of Charlotte and its suburbs.

Statistical areas

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has designated more than 1,000 statistical areas for the United States and Puerto Rico.^[2] These statistical areas are important geographic delineations of population clusters used by the OMB, the United States Census Bureau, planning organizations, and federal, state, and local government entities.

The OMB defines a core-based statistical area (commonly referred to as a CBSA) as the county or counties (or county-equivalents) surrounding at least one densely-settled core of at least 10,000 population,^[2] "plus adjacent counties having a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured through commuting ties with the counties containing the core".^[2] The OMB further divides core-based statistical areas based on population into metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for those with at least 50,000 and micropolitan statistical areas (μSAs) for those with 10,000 to 49,999 people.^[2]

The OMB defines a combined statistical area (CSA) as two or more adjacent core-based statistical areas where the employment interchange rate (% commuting from A to B plus % commuting from B to A) is at least 15%.^[2] The primary statistical areas (PSAs) include all combined statistical areas and any core-based statistical area that is not a constituent of a combined statistical area.

Table

The 48 United States statistical areas and 100 counties of the State of North Carolina^[a]

Combined statistical area[1]	2023 population (est.)[3]	Core-based statistical area[1]	2023 population (est.)[3]	County	2023 population (est.)[3]
Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC CSA	3,387,115 2,948,354 (NC)	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC MSA	2,805,115 2,366,354 (NC)	Mecklenburg County, North Carolina	1,163,701
				York County, South Carolina	298,320
				Union County, North Carolina	256,452
				Cabarrus County, North Carolina	240,016
				Gaston County, North Carolina	237,242
				Iredell County, North Carolina	199,710
				Rowan County, North Carolina	151,661
				Lancaster County, South Carolina	108,215
				Lincoln County, North Carolina	95,675
				Chester County, South Carolina	32,226
				Anson County, North Carolina	21,897
		Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA	370,030	Catawba County, North Carolina	164,645
				Burke County, North Carolina	88,338
				Caldwell County, North Carolina	80,574
				Alexander County, North Carolina	36,473
		Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC μSA	101,378	Cleveland County, North Carolina	101,378
		Albemarle, NC μSA	65,699	Stanly County, North Carolina	65,699
		Marion, NC μSA	44,893	McDowell County, North Carolina	44,893
Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC CSA	2,368,947	Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA	1,509,231	Wake County, North Carolina	1,190,275
				Johnston County, North Carolina	241,955
				Franklin County, North Carolina	77,001
		Durham-Chapel Hill, NC MSA	608,879	Durham County, North Carolina	336,892
				Orange County, North Carolina	150,626
				Chatham County, North Carolina	81,624
				Person County, North Carolina	39,737
		Anderson Creek, NC μSA	141,477	Harnett County, North Carolina	141,477
		Sanford, NC μSA	67,059	Lee County, North Carolina	67,059
		Henderson, NC μSA	42,301	Vance County, North Carolina	42,301
Greensboro–-Winston-Salem–-High Point, NC CSA	1,736,099	Greensboro-High Point, NC MSA	789,842	Guilford County, North Carolina	549,866
				Randolph County, North Carolina	147,458
				Rockingham County, North Carolina	92,518
		Winston-Salem, NC MSA	695,630	Forsyth County, North Carolina	392,921
				Davidson County, North Carolina	174,804
				Stokes County, North Carolina	45,532
				Davie County, North Carolina	44,599
				Yadkin County, North Carolina	37,774
		Burlington, NC MSA	179,165	Alamance County, North Carolina	179,165
		Mount Airy, NC μSA	71,462	Surry County, North Carolina	71,462
Fayetteville-Lumberton-Pinehurst, NC CSA	693,299	Fayetteville, NC MSA	392,336	Cumberland County, North Carolina	337,890
				Hoke County, North Carolina	54,446
		Lumberton, NC μSA	117,365	Robeson County, North Carolina	117,365
		Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC μSA	106,898	Moore County, North Carolina	106,898
		Rockingham, NC μSA	42,324	Richmond County, North Carolina	42,324
		Laurinburg, NC μSA	34,376	Scotland County, North Carolina	34,376
Asheville-Waynesville-Brevard, NC CSA	513,720	Asheville, NC MSA	417,202	Buncombe County, North Carolina	275,901
				Henderson County, North Carolina	119,230
				Madison County, North Carolina	22,071
		Waynesville, NC μSA	62,969	Haywood County, North Carolina	62,969
		Brevard, NC μSA	33,549	Transylvania County, North Carolina	33,549
none		Wilmington, NC MSA	467,337	New Hanover County, North Carolina	238,852
				Brunswick County, North Carolina	159,964
				Pender County, North Carolina	68,521
Rocky Mount-Wilson-Roanoke Rapids CSA	288,366	Rocky Mount, NC MSA	145,383	Nash County, North Carolina	96,551
				Edgecombe County, North Carolina	48,832
		Wilson, NC μSA	78,970	Wilson County, North Carolina	78,970
		Roanoke Rapids, NC μSA	64,013	Halifax County, North Carolina	47,298
				Northampton County, North Carolina	16,715
Greenville-Washington, NC CSA	219,600	Greenville, NC MSA	175,119	Pitt County, North Carolina	175,119
		Washington, NC μSA	44,481	Beaufort County, North Carolina	44,481
none		Jacksonville, NC MSA	213,676	Onslow County, North Carolina	213,676
New Bern-Morehead City, NC CSA	193,830	New Bern, NC μSA	124,215	Craven County, North Carolina	102,391
				Pamlico County, North Carolina	12,423
				Jones County, North Carolina	9,401
		Morehead City, NC μSA	69,615	Carteret County, North Carolina	69,615
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC CSA	1,866,723 132,627 (NC)	Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC MSA	1,787,169 53,073 (NC)	City of Virginia Beach, Virginia	453,649
				City of Chesapeake, Virginia	253,886
				City of Norfolk, Virginia	230,930
				City of Newport News, Virginia	183,118
				City of Hampton, Virginia	137,098
				City of Suffolk, Virginia	100,659
				City of Portsmouth, Virginia	96,793
				James City County, Virginia	82,654
				York County, Virginia	70,952
				Isle of Wight County, Virginia	40,711
				Gloucester County, Virginia	40,057
				Currituck County, North Carolina	31,593
				City of Williamsburg, Virginia	15,847
				City of Poquoson, Virginia	12,635
				Camden County, North Carolina	11,137
				Gates County, North Carolina	10,343
				Mathews County, Virginia	8,514
				Surry County, Virginia	6,593
		Elizabeth City, NC μSA	41,444	Pasquotank County, North Carolina	41,444
		Kill Devil Hills, NC μSA	38,110	Dare County, North Carolina	38,110
none		Goldsboro, NC MSA	118,686	Wayne County, North Carolina	118,686
		North Wilkesboro, NC μSA	66,013	Wilkes County, North Carolina	66,013
		Forest City, NC μSA	65,507	Rutherford County, North Carolina	65,507
		Kinston, NC μSA	54,895	Lenoir County, North Carolina	54,895
		Boone, NC μSA	54,748	Watauga County, North Carolina	54,748
		none		Granville County, North Carolina	62,192
				Sampson County, North Carolina	59,601
				Columbus County, North Carolina	50,121
				Duplin County, North Carolina	49,520
				Jackson County, North Carolina	44,574
				Macon County, North Carolina	38,412
				Cherokee County, North Carolina	29,959
				Bladen County, North Carolina	29,484
				Ashe County, North Carolina	27,063
				Montgomery County, North Carolina	26,085
				Caswell County, North Carolina	22,807
				Martin County, North Carolina	21,447
				Greene County, North Carolina	20,530
				Polk County, North Carolina	20,060
				Hertford County, North Carolina	19,453
				Yancey County, North Carolina	18,938
				Warren County, North Carolina	18,836
				Avery County, North Carolina	17,561
				Bertie County, North Carolina	16,922
				Mitchell County, North Carolina	14,999
				Swain County, North Carolina	13,916
				Chowan County, North Carolina	13,891
				Perquimans County, North Carolina	13,377
				Clay County, North Carolina	11,864
				Alleghany County, North Carolina	11,342
				Washington County, North Carolina	10,713
				Graham County, North Carolina	8,052
				Hyde County, North Carolina	4,607
				Tyrrell County, North Carolina	3,461
State of North Carolina					10,835,491

Core-based statistical areas

The following table provides the in-state population ranking of each CBSA along with its rate of population change over time.

The 39 core-based statistical areas of the State of North Carolina^[b]

2023 rank	Core-based statistical area[1]	Population
		2023 estimate[3]	Change	2020 Census[4]	Change	2010 Census[5]
1	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC MSA (NC)	2,366,354	+5.17%	2,249,929	+17.91%	1,908,095
2	Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA	1,509,231	+6.74%	1,413,982	+25.08%	1,130,490
3	Greensboro-High Point, NC MSA	789,842	+1.71%	776,566	+7.29%	723,801
4	Winston-Salem, NC MSA	695,630	+2.91%	675,966	+5.52%	640,595
5	Durham-Chapel Hill, NC MSA	608,879	+3.39%	588,911	+16.76%	504,357
6	Wilmington, NC MSA	467,337	+10.59%	422,598	+16.64%	362,315
7	Asheville, NC MSA	417,202	+2.53%	406,926	+11.24%	365,822
8	Fayetteville, NC MSA	392,336	+1.43%	386,810	+5.58%	366,383
9	Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA	370,030	+1.30%	365,276	−0.06%	365,497
10	Jacksonville, NC MSA	213,676	+4.45%	204,576	+15.08%	177,772
11	Burlington, NC MSA	179,165	+4.52%	171,415	+13.42%	151,131
12	Greenville, NC MSA	175,119	+2.86%	170,243	+1.25%	168,148
13	Rocky Mount, NC MSA	145,383	+1.05%	143,870	−5.59%	152,392
14	Anderson Creek, NC μSA	141,477	+5.92%	133,568	+16.47%	114,678
15	New Bern, NC μSA	124,215	+1.68%	122,168	−3.65%	126,802
16	Goldsboro, NC MSA	118,686	+1.15%	117,333	−4.31%	122,623
17	Lumberton, NC μSA	117,365	+0.72%	116,530	−13.15%	134,168
18	Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC μSA	106,898	+7.19%	99,727	+13.01%	88,247
19	Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC μSA	101,378	+1.87%	99,519	+1.47%	98,078
20	Wilson, NC μSA	78,970	+0.24%	78,784	−3.02%	81,234
21	Mount Airy, NC μSA	71,462	+0.14%	71,359	−3.14%	73,673
22	Morehead City, NC μSA	69,615	+2.85%	67,686	+1.83%	66,469
23	Sanford, NC μSA	67,059	+5.96%	63,285	+9.36%	57,866
24	North Wilkesboro, NC μSA	66,013	+0.07%	65,969	−4.86%	69,340
25	Albemarle, NC μSA	65,699	+5.11%	62,504	+3.17%	60,585
26	Forest City, NC μSA	65,507	+1.65%	64,444	−4.96%	67,810
27	Roanoke Rapids, NC μSA	64,013	−3.15%	66,093	−13.93%	76,790
28	Waynesville, NC μSA	62,969	+1.42%	62,089	+5.17%	59,036
29	Kinston, NC μSA	54,895	−0.41%	55,122	−7.35%	59,495
30	Boone, NC μSA	54,748	+1.22%	54,086	+5.89%	51,079
31	Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC MSA (NC)	53,073	+8.46%	48,933	+7.02%	45,724
32	Marion, NC μSA	44,893	+0.71%	44,578	−0.93%	44,996
33	Washington, NC μSA	44,481	−0.38%	44,652	−6.51%	47,759
34	Rockingham, NC μSA	42,324	−1.45%	42,946	−7.92%	46,639
35	Henderson, NC μSA	42,301	−0.65%	42,578	−6.26%	45,422
36	Elizabeth City, NC μSA	41,444	+2.16%	40,568	−0.23%	40,661
37	Kill Devil Hills, NC μSA	38,110	+3.24%	36,915	+8.83%	33,920
38	Laurinburg, NC μSA	34,376	+0.59%	34,174	−5.48%	36,157
39	Brevard, NC μSA	33,549	+1.71%	32,986	−0.31%	33,090
	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC MSA	2,805,115	+5.44%	2,660,329	+18.56%	2,243,960
	Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC MSA	1,787,169	+0.40%	1,780,059	+5.09%	1,693,860

Combined statistical areas

The following table provides the in-state population ranking of each CSA along with its rate of population change over time.

The nine combined statistical areas of the State of North Carolina^[c]

2023 rank	Combined statistical area[1]	Population
		2023 estimate[3]	Change	2020 Census[4]	Change	2010 Census[5]
1	Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC CSA (NC)	2,948,354	+4.48%	2,821,806	+13.91%	2,477,251
2	Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC CSA	2,368,947	+5.65%	2,242,324	+21.02%	1,852,813
3	Greensboro–-Winston-Salem–-High Point, NC CSA	1,736,099	+2.41%	1,695,306	+6.68%	1,589,200
4	Fayetteville-Lumberton-Pinehurst, NC CSA	693,299	+1.93%	680,187	+1.28%	671,594
5	Asheville-Waynesville-Brevard, NC CSA	513,720	+2.33%	502,001	+9.62%	457,948
6	Rocky Mount-Wilson-Roanoke Rapids, NC CSA	288,366	−0.13%	288,747	−6.98%	310,416
7	Greenville-Washington, NC CSA	219,600	+2.19%	214,895	−0.47%	215,907
8	New Bern-Morehead City, NC CSA	193,830	+2.09%	189,854	−1.77%	193,271
9	Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC CSA (NC)	132,627	+4.91%	126,416	+5.08%	120,305
	Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC CSA	3,387,115	+4.79%	3,232,206	+14.90%	2,813,116
	Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC CSA	1,866,723	+0.49%	1,857,542	+5.04%	1,768,441

See also

• Geography portal
• United States portal
• North Carolina portal

• List of metropolitan areas of North Carolina
• Geography of North Carolina
  • Demographics of North Carolina

Notes

1. An out-of-state area and its population are displayed in green. An area that extends into more than one state is displayed in purple. A purple population number over a black population number show the total population versus the in-state population. The state's abbreviation is also shown next to the in-state total.
2. For CBSAs comprising populations from multiple states, they are listed twice to show both their intrastate population within that CBSA as well as the CBSA's total population. Only the intrastate population is ranked.
3. For CSAs comprising populations from multiple states, they are listed twice to show both their intrastate population within that CSA as well as the CSA's total population. Only the intrastate population is ranked.