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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory | 1 | 44,678 | 43,624 | 0.59% | 1,401 | 31.9 | City |
| Newton | 2 | 13,477 | 13,163 | 0.58% | 977 | 13.8 | City |
| Lake Norman Catawba | 3 | 10,498 | 8,701 | 7.69% | 435 | 24.1 | CDP |
| Conover | 4 | 8,700 | 8,440 | 0.75% | 762 | 11.4 | City |
| Westport | 5 | 4,661 | 4,153 | 1% | 1,270 | 3.7 | CDP |
| Maiden | 6 | 3,875 | 3,754 | 0.78% | 583 | 6.6 | Town |
| Lowesville | 7 | 3,671 | 3,180 | 1.44% | 540 | 6.8 | CDP |
| Claremont | 8 | 1,740 | 1,694 | 0.64% | 609 | 2.9 | City |
| Catawba | 9 | 723 | 707 | 0.56% | 156 | 4.6 | Town |
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.
Hickory is the largest city in Catawba County.
Catawba is the smallest city in Catawba County.
There are 9 cities in Catawba County, North Carolina.