Note: As defined by the US Census Bureau, a city's official boundaries often extend miles beyond the city itself and may even cross county lines. As such, several thousand US cities officially exist in two or more counties (and therefore appear on multiple counties' lists of cities.)
City | Rank | 2024 Pop. | 2020 Pop. | Change | Density (/mi²) | Area (mi²) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morganton | 1 | 17,776 | 17,502 | 0.38% | 925 | 19.2 | City |
| Valdese | 2 | 4,703 | 4,686 | 0.08% | 598 | 7.9 | Town |
| Gamewell | 3 | 3,705 | 3,700 | 0.03% | 457 | 8.1 | Town |
| Mountain View | 4 | 3,285 | 3,776 | -0.57% | 705 | 4.7 | CDP |
| Icard | 5 | 1,871 | 2,119 | -2.91% | 489 | 3.8 | CDP |
| Drexel | 6 | 1,760 | 1,754 | 0.06% | 1,274 | 1.4 | Town |
| Hildebran | 7 | 1,678 | 1,677 | 0% | 593 | 2.8 | Town |
| Connelly Springs | 8 | 1,543 | 1,522 | 0.33% | 309 | 5.0 | Town |
| Salem | 9 | 1,537 | 1,479 | -3.03% | 358 | 4.3 | CDP |
| Glen Alpine | 10 | 1,525 | 1,525 | 0% | 710 | 2.1 | Town |
| Rutherford College | 11 | 1,217 | 1,217 | 0% | 530 | 2.3 | Town |
| Belwood | 12 | 879 | 862 | 0.46% | 71 | 12.3 | Town |
| Brookford | 13 | 434 | 420 | 0.7% | 713 | 0.6 | Town |
| Cedar Rock | 14 | 297 | 300 | -0.34% | 260 | 1.1 | Village |
Note: City markers shown outside the county boundary mean that a part of the city extends into this county, but is primarily located in an adjacent county.
Morganton is the largest city in Burke County.
Cedar Rock is the smallest city in Burke County.
There are 14 cities in Burke County, North Carolina.