The North Carolina population statistics make for very interesting reading as a whole, but how do the numbers stack up in recent years? North Carolina currently has a very healthy growth rate of 1.13%, which ranks 14th in the nation.
It's essential to look at the last set of confirmed figures which were declared at the time of the official US census of 2010. At the time, it was reported that there were 9,535,483 people living in the state, and that represented a significant rise of 18.5% from the numbers declared in 2000.
Situated on the east coast of the United States, North Carolina is just the 28th largest state in the country in terms of area but it has a relatively high population density.
North Carolina may only rank in the lower middle half of the US in terms of size but it more than makes up for those statistics with its population density. The total surface area is 53,819 square miles (139,390 square kilometers) and there is an average of 196 people for every square mile. This makes North Carolina the 15th most densely populated state in the US.
North Carolina has three major Combined Statistical Areas with populations over 1.6 million, as of 2016. This includes:
Charlotte is by far the largest city in North Carolina, claiming 827,097 residents out of the total population of over 10 million. While North Carolina has historically been a rural area, the past thirty years have seen a rapid increase in urbanization, like most of the United States. Today, most of the residents of North Carolina live in urban and suburban areas.
The most populated counties in North Carolina are Mecklenburg (1,076,837), Wake (1,072,203), and Guilford (526,953) counties.
The median age of the population in North Carolina is approximately 38.3 years of age. The ratio of females to males in the state is about 51.4% females to 48.6% males.
In terms of religious preferences across the state, 77% of the population report affiliation with a Christian based faith, 3% are affiliated with non-Christian based faiths, and 20% are unaffiliated with any faith in particular.
North Carolina was one of the 13 original States and by the time of the 1790 census had essentially its current boundaries. In 1790 census coverage included most of the State, except for areas at the western end, parts of which were not enumerated until 1840. The population for 1810 includes Walton County, enumerated as part of Georgia although actually within North Carolina.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of North Carolina was:
North Carolina has seen a large growth in diversity, mostly fueled by immigrants from India, Southeast Asia and Latin America. There have also been high numbers of people moving from the Northeastern area of the US, Florida and even as far away as California.
North Carolina has a large African American population that makes up almost a quarter of its total population. Since the 1970s, the number of middle-class black residents has increased, and most African Americans live on the eastern Coastal Plain and in areas of the Piedmont Plateau. Many free black people migrated to the frontier areas of the state from Virginia during the colonial and post-Revolutionary period, with 80% counted as "all other free persons" in the 1790-1810 census.
The state also has a large and growing population of Asian Americans, especially those from India and Vietnam. North Carolina has the largest population of Montagnards (about 10,000) in the United States. These refugees from Vietnam's Central Highlands first arrived in the 1980s, and most live in Greensboro, Raleigh and Charlotte. North Carolina is also home to the largest American Indian population on the East Coast with an estimated population of 110,000 with 8 tribal nations recognized.
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400K
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600K
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1M
1.1M
1.2M
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 6,800,460 | 64.95% |
Black or African American | 2,192,454 | 20.94% |
Two or more races | 613,129 | 5.86% |
Other race | 421,954 | 4.03% |
Asian | 325,670 | 3.11% |
Native American | 109,600 | 1.05% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 6,948 | 0.07% |
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Other race
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 4,105,230 | 2.48 | 66.2 | 33.8 |
Married | 1,952,440 | 3.1 | 82.8 | 17.2 |
Non Family | 1,451,800 | 1.25 | 52.2 | 47.8 |
Female | 519,027 | 3.34 | 46.7 | 53.3 |
Male | 181,966 | 3.26 | 56 | 44 |
3.08
Average Family Size
2.48
Average Household Size
66.2%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 471,586 | 6.58% |
Associates Degree | 720,557 | 10.05% |
Bachelors Degree | 1,533,550 | 21.38% |
Graduate Degree | 895,338 | 12.48% |
High School Graduate | 1,804,410 | 25.16% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 286,553 | 4% |
Some College | 1,460,120 | 20.36% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 4,746,380 | 4,398,340 | 1,786,670 |
Black | 1,456,430 | 1,281,360 | 344,536 |
Hispanic | 525,927 | 342,406 | 94,847 |
2+ Races | 283,722 | 236,737 | 85,132 |
Other Race | 221,270 | 129,788 | 31,762 |
Asian | 219,657 | 193,336 | 134,518 |
Native American | 70,678 | 53,476 | 10,028 |
Islander | 4,413 | 4,018 | 1,153 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 92.67%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 61.24%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $58,730 | $74,386 | $50,206 |
Graduate Degree | $75,410 | $100,011 | $63,491 |
High School Graduate | $34,303 | $40,000 | $28,124 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $28,425 | $32,231 | $21,739 |
Overall | $45,069 | $51,244 | $38,862 |
Some College | $40,221 | $47,539 | $34,167 |
$45,069
Average Earnings
$51,244
Average Male
$38,862
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
87.69% of North Carolina residents speak only English, while 12.31% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 7.84% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 6,303,110 | 594,248 | 9.43% |
Black | 2,110,860 | 433,360 | 20.53% |
Hispanic | 1,024,470 | 225,906 | 22.05% |
Multiple | 593,042 | 105,386 | 17.77% |
Other | 413,922 | 95,716 | 23.12% |
Asian | 316,585 | 27,095 | 8.56% |
Native | 106,179 | 24,826 | 23.38% |
Islander | 6,442 | 1,318 | 20.46% |
13.33%
Overall Poverty Rate
11.99%
Male Poverty Rate
14.59%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in North Carolina is Native, with 23.38% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in North Carolina is Asian, with 8.56% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.75%. Among those working part-time, it was 16.65%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 20.89%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 26.3% |
High School | 14.85% |
Some College | 9.72% |
Bachelors or Greater | 4.11% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 32.99% |
Male Unemployed | 27.37% |
Female Employed | 7.45% |
Male Employed | 5.24% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $82,890 | $110,687 |
Households | $66,186 | $92,878 |
Married Families | $100,085 | $129,567 |
Non Families | $40,251 | $56,797 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
48.4%
Overall Marriage Rate
50.7%
Male Marriage Rate
46.3%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
632,989
Number of Veterans
561,884
Male Veterans
71,105
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 209,372 |
First Gulf War | 165,339 |
Second Gulf War | 163,441 |
Korea | 30,948 |
World War II | 8,166 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
35 to 54 | 160,749 |
65 to 74 | 154,701 |
75+ | 131,972 |
55 to 64 | 122,483 |
18 to 34 | 63,084 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 454,878 | 8.34% |
Black | 138,253 | 8.24% |
Hispanic | 23,950 | 3.74% |
2+ Races | 20,822 | 5.93% |
Other Race | 8,390 | 3.12% |
Native American | 5,141 | 6.29% |
Asian | 4,675 | 1.88% |
Islander | 830 | 17.39% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
7.16%
Veteran Poverty Rate
29.24%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
62.6%
Labor Force Participation
58.3%
Employment Rate
5.1%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
54.89%
Born in North Carolina
91.71%
Native Born
8.29%
Foreign Born
4.78%
Non Citizen
3.51%
Naturalized
91.71% of North Carolina residents were born in the United States, with 54.89% having been born in North Carolina. 4.78% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.