North Carolina County Area & Size Rankings

Understanding North Carolina’s county areas

The land-area range runs from Chowan County at 172.7 mi² to Robeson County at 947.3 mi². The largest has 5.5 times the land area of the smallest and accounts for 1.9% of the combined county land in North Carolina. Compare with every state’s largest county.

The median county-equivalent land area is 460.3 mi², below the national median of 604.5 mi². The median describes the middle of the county size distribution; it does not describe how people or development are distributed. A state with a few very large counties can have a much smaller median than its largest entry suggests.

Where water changes the picture

Dare County has the most assigned water area, at 1,158.5 mi². It also has the highest water share, with water making up 75.1% of its total area. Water area and water percentage answer different questions: the first measures an amount, while the second measures the mix of land and water.

Across all 100 entries, water accounts for 9.7% of the combined total area. This is calculated from the summed land and water measurements, rather than averaging county percentages, which would give each small and large county equal weight.

Where people live

An estimated 11,197,968 people lived in North Carolina on July 1, 2025 (+7.2% since 2020), or 3.2% of the national total in this dataset. Wake County is the most populous county equivalent, with 1,257,235 residents — 11.2% of the state. The largest by land, Robeson County, has 119,941.

Across the state there are 230 people per square mile of land. County densities range from 2,355 in Mecklenburg County to 7.4 in Hyde County; the median county equivalent has 116. Switch the map above to density to see where the state’s population concentrates.

Compare the largest and smallest county equivalents in North Carolina to see land, water, and total area on the same scale.

These calculations use the 2026 Census county records listed below. County-equivalent boundaries vary between states; area alone does not measure population, density, or usable land. See coverage and calculation rules.

#	County / equivalent	Land	Water	Water share	Population	Per mi²
1	Robeson CountyGEOID 37155	947.3 mi²	1.9 mi²	0.2%	119,941	127
2	Sampson CountyGEOID 37163	945.9 mi²	1.9 mi²	0.2%	61,504	65
3	Columbus CountyGEOID 37047	938.1 mi²	16.9 mi²	1.8%	50,487	54
4	Bladen CountyGEOID 37017	875 mi²	12.8 mi²	1.4%	30,007	34
5	Pender CountyGEOID 37141	871.3 mi²	62.9 mi²	6.7%	72,111	83
6	Brunswick CountyGEOID 37019	849.5 mi²	200 mi²	19.1%	174,702	206
7	Wake CountyGEOID 37183	834.8 mi²	22.2 mi²	2.6%	1,257,235	1,506
8	Beaufort CountyGEOID 37013	832.7 mi²	130.1 mi²	13.5%	44,670	54
9	Duplin CountyGEOID 37061	814.7 mi²	5.5 mi²	0.7%	51,571	63
10	Johnston CountyGEOID 37101	792 mi²	3.6 mi²	0.5%	256,448	324
11	Randolph CountyGEOID 37151	782.4 mi²	7.6 mi²	1%	149,516	191
12	Onslow CountyGEOID 37133	762.1 mi²	143.1 mi²	15.8%	217,175	285
13	Wilkes CountyGEOID 37193	753.7 mi²	2.6 mi²	0.3%	66,233	88
14	Halifax CountyGEOID 37083	723.7 mi²	6.5 mi²	0.9%	46,534	64
15	Craven CountyGEOID 37049	706.5 mi²	66.7 mi²	8.6%	105,025	149
16	Bertie CountyGEOID 37015	699.2 mi²	42.1 mi²	5.7%	17,086	24
17	Moore CountyGEOID 37125	697.6 mi²	8.1 mi²	1.1%	110,619	159
18	Chatham CountyGEOID 37037	681.5 mi²	27.3 mi²	3.8%	85,111	125
19	Buncombe CountyGEOID 37021	656.5 mi²	3.4 mi²	0.5%	277,417	423
20	Cumberland CountyGEOID 37051	652.6 mi²	5.9 mi²	0.9%	338,473	519
21	Pitt CountyGEOID 37147	652.4 mi²	3.2 mi²	0.5%	182,936	280
22	Guilford CountyGEOID 37081	646 mi²	11.7 mi²	1.8%	562,234	870
23	Union CountyGEOID 37179	632.7 mi²	6.9 mi²	1.1%	267,674	423
24	Hyde CountyGEOID 37095	612.3 mi²	846.7 mi²	58%	4,554	7.4
25	Harnett CountyGEOID 37085	595.1 mi²	6.3 mi²	1%	150,137	252
26	Iredell CountyGEOID 37097	574.5 mi²	22.9 mi²	3.8%	211,798	369
27	Rockingham CountyGEOID 37157	565.7 mi²	7.1 mi²	1.2%	94,195	167
28	Rutherford CountyGEOID 37161	565.4 mi²	1.8 mi²	0.3%	65,745	116
29	Wayne CountyGEOID 37191	553.9 mi²	3.8 mi²	0.7%	122,278	221
30	Haywood CountyGEOID 37087	553.6 mi²	0.9 mi²	0.2%	63,369	114
31	Davidson CountyGEOID 37057	553 mi²	14.5 mi²	2.6%	180,182	326
32	Nash CountyGEOID 37127	540.4 mi²	2.4 mi²	0.4%	99,365	184
33	Northampton CountyGEOID 37131	536.7 mi²	13.8 mi²	2.5%	16,491	31
34	Surry CountyGEOID 37171	532.6 mi²	4 mi²	0.7%	72,287	136
35	Granville CountyGEOID 37077	532 mi²	5.6 mi²	1%	61,421	115
36	Anson CountyGEOID 37007	531.5 mi²	5.6 mi²	1%	21,758	41
37	Swain CountyGEOID 37173	527.7 mi²	12.5 mi²	2.3%	14,024	27
38	Mecklenburg CountyGEOID 37119	523.6 mi²	22.4 mi²	4.1%	1,233,383	2,355
39	Macon CountyGEOID 37113	515.5 mi²	4.1 mi²	0.8%	39,232	76
40	Rowan CountyGEOID 37159	511.6 mi²	12.3 mi²	2.4%	155,096	303
41	Carteret CountyGEOID 37031	507.6 mi²	822.8 mi²	61.8%	70,469	139
42	Burke CountyGEOID 37023	506.3 mi²	8 mi²	1.6%	88,655	175
43	Edgecombe CountyGEOID 37065	505.4 mi²	1.4 mi²	0.3%	49,121	97
44	Franklin CountyGEOID 37069	491.9 mi²	2.7 mi²	0.5%	82,037	167
45	Montgomery CountyGEOID 37123	491.5 mi²	10 mi²	2%	26,403	54
46	Jackson CountyGEOID 37099	491.1 mi²	3.8 mi²	0.8%	45,039	92
47	Richmond CountyGEOID 37153	473.7 mi²	6 mi²	1.3%	42,041	89
48	Caldwell CountyGEOID 37027	471.9 mi²	2.7 mi²	0.6%	81,105	172
49	Jones CountyGEOID 37103	471.4 mi²	2.3 mi²	0.5%	9,575	20
50	Cleveland CountyGEOID 37045	464.3 mi²	3.9 mi²	0.8%	103,325	223
51	Martin CountyGEOID 37117	456.4 mi²	0.3 mi²	0.1%	21,601	47
52	Cherokee CountyGEOID 37039	455.5 mi²	11.1 mi²	2.4%	30,830	68
53	Madison CountyGEOID 37115	449.6 mi²	1.9 mi²	0.4%	22,553	50
54	Stokes CountyGEOID 37169	449.3 mi²	6.8 mi²	1.5%	46,126	103
55	McDowell CountyGEOID 37111	440 mi²	5.4 mi²	1.2%	45,198	103
56	Warren CountyGEOID 37185	429.4 mi²	14.9 mi²	3.4%	18,898	44
57	Ashe CountyGEOID 37009	426.3 mi²	3.1 mi²	0.7%	27,514	65
58	Caswell CountyGEOID 37033	425.5 mi²	3.2 mi²	0.7%	22,563	53
59	Alamance CountyGEOID 37001	423.5 mi²	10.8 mi²	2.5%	186,177	440
60	Forsyth CountyGEOID 37067	408 mi²	4.5 mi²	1.1%	401,718	984
61	Catawba CountyGEOID 37035	401.4 mi²	14.6 mi²	3.5%	170,172	424
62	Lenoir CountyGEOID 37107	399.1 mi²	2.3 mi²	0.6%	55,837	140
63	Orange CountyGEOID 37135	397.6 mi²	3.4 mi²	0.8%	152,498	384
64	Stanly CountyGEOID 37167	395.1 mi²	9.7 mi²	2.4%	68,830	174
65	Person CountyGEOID 37145	392.4 mi²	12 mi²	3%	40,636	104
66	Tyrrell CountyGEOID 37177	390.8 mi²	206.4 mi²	34.6%	3,537	9.1
67	Hoke CountyGEOID 37093	390.2 mi²	1.5 mi²	0.4%	56,939	146
68	Dare CountyGEOID 37055	383.2 mi²	1,158.5 mi²	75.1%	38,245	100
69	Transylvania CountyGEOID 37175	378.4 mi²	2 mi²	0.5%	34,211	90
70	Henderson CountyGEOID 37089	373 mi²	2.1 mi²	0.6%	122,375	328
71	Wilson CountyGEOID 37195	367.6 mi²	5.5 mi²	1.5%	81,150	221
72	Cabarrus CountyGEOID 37025	361.3 mi²	2.7 mi²	0.7%	249,725	691
73	Gaston CountyGEOID 37071	355.8 mi²	7.9 mi²	2.2%	246,558	693
74	Hertford CountyGEOID 37091	353.2 mi²	7.2 mi²	2%	19,015	54
75	Washington CountyGEOID 37187	346.5 mi²	75.4 mi²	17.9%	10,638	31
76	Gates CountyGEOID 37073	340.6 mi²	5.1 mi²	1.5%	10,234	30
77	Pamlico CountyGEOID 37137	336.5 mi²	225.1 mi²	40.1%	12,758	38
78	Yadkin CountyGEOID 37197	334.9 mi²	2.8 mi²	0.8%	38,325	114
79	Scotland CountyGEOID 37165	319.1 mi²	1.5 mi²	0.5%	33,322	104
80	Yancey CountyGEOID 37199	312.6 mi²	0.6 mi²	0.2%	19,084	61
81	Watauga CountyGEOID 37189	312.4 mi²	0.9 mi²	0.3%	54,786	175
82	Lincoln CountyGEOID 37109	295.9 mi²	9 mi²	3%	98,654	333
83	Graham CountyGEOID 37075	292 mi²	9.7 mi²	3.2%	8,190	28
84	Durham CountyGEOID 37063	287.6 mi²	10.3 mi²	3.5%	347,240	1,208
85	Greene CountyGEOID 37079	266.7 mi²	0.5 mi²	0.2%	20,700	78
86	Davie CountyGEOID 37059	263.7 mi²	2.9 mi²	1.1%	45,855	174
87	Currituck CountyGEOID 37053	261.9 mi²	264.5 mi²	50.2%	33,158	127
88	Alexander CountyGEOID 37003	260 mi²	3.6 mi²	1.4%	36,958	142
89	Lee CountyGEOID 37105	255.1 mi²	4.1 mi²	1.6%	70,258	275
90	Vance CountyGEOID 37181	252.4 mi²	16.3 mi²	6.1%	42,638	169
91	Avery CountyGEOID 37011	247.3 mi²	0.2 mi²	0.1%	18,110	73
92	Perquimans CountyGEOID 37143	247.2 mi²	81.8 mi²	24.9%	13,490	55
93	Camden CountyGEOID 37029	240.3 mi²	69.9 mi²	22.5%	11,315	47
94	Polk CountyGEOID 37149	237.7 mi²	0.8 mi²	0.3%	20,533	86
95	Alleghany CountyGEOID 37005	234.8 mi²	1.4 mi²	0.6%	11,479	49
96	Pasquotank CountyGEOID 37139	226.9 mi²	62.5 mi²	21.6%	42,201	186
97	Mitchell CountyGEOID 37121	221.3 mi²	0.6 mi²	0.3%	15,062	68
98	Clay CountyGEOID 37043	215 mi²	5.8 mi²	2.6%	12,239	57
99	New Hanover CountyGEOID 37129	192.3 mi²	136.6 mi²	41.5%	245,959	1,279
100	Chowan CountyGEOID 37041	172.7 mi²	61 mi²	26.1%	14,082	82

County / equivalent

Land

Water

Water share

Population

Per mi²

Robeson CountyGEOID 37155

947.3 mi²

1.9 mi²

0.2%

119,941

127

Sampson CountyGEOID 37163

945.9 mi²

1.9 mi²

0.2%

61,504

Columbus CountyGEOID 37047

938.1 mi²

16.9 mi²

1.8%

50,487

Bladen CountyGEOID 37017

875 mi²

12.8 mi²

1.4%

30,007

Pender CountyGEOID 37141

871.3 mi²

62.9 mi²

6.7%

72,111

Brunswick CountyGEOID 37019

849.5 mi²

200 mi²

19.1%

174,702

206

Wake CountyGEOID 37183

834.8 mi²

22.2 mi²

2.6%

1,257,235

1,506

Beaufort CountyGEOID 37013

832.7 mi²

130.1 mi²

13.5%

44,670

Duplin CountyGEOID 37061

814.7 mi²

5.5 mi²

0.7%

51,571

Johnston CountyGEOID 37101

792 mi²

3.6 mi²

0.5%

256,448

324

Randolph CountyGEOID 37151

782.4 mi²

7.6 mi²

149,516

191

Onslow CountyGEOID 37133

762.1 mi²

143.1 mi²

15.8%

217,175

285

Wilkes CountyGEOID 37193

753.7 mi²

2.6 mi²

0.3%

66,233

Halifax CountyGEOID 37083

723.7 mi²

6.5 mi²

0.9%

46,534

Craven CountyGEOID 37049

706.5 mi²

66.7 mi²

8.6%

105,025

149

Bertie CountyGEOID 37015

699.2 mi²

42.1 mi²

5.7%

17,086

Moore CountyGEOID 37125

697.6 mi²

8.1 mi²

1.1%

110,619

159

Chatham CountyGEOID 37037

681.5 mi²

27.3 mi²

3.8%

85,111

125

Buncombe CountyGEOID 37021

656.5 mi²

3.4 mi²

0.5%

277,417

423

Cumberland CountyGEOID 37051

652.6 mi²

5.9 mi²

0.9%

338,473

519

Pitt CountyGEOID 37147

652.4 mi²

3.2 mi²

0.5%

182,936

280

Guilford CountyGEOID 37081

646 mi²

11.7 mi²

1.8%

562,234

870

Union CountyGEOID 37179

632.7 mi²

6.9 mi²

1.1%

267,674

423

Hyde CountyGEOID 37095

612.3 mi²

846.7 mi²

58%

4,554

7.4

Harnett CountyGEOID 37085

595.1 mi²

6.3 mi²

150,137

252

Iredell CountyGEOID 37097

574.5 mi²

22.9 mi²

3.8%

211,798

369

Rockingham CountyGEOID 37157

565.7 mi²

7.1 mi²

1.2%

94,195

167

Rutherford CountyGEOID 37161

565.4 mi²

1.8 mi²

0.3%

65,745

116

Wayne CountyGEOID 37191

553.9 mi²

3.8 mi²

0.7%

122,278

221

Haywood CountyGEOID 37087

553.6 mi²

0.9 mi²

0.2%

63,369

114

Davidson CountyGEOID 37057

553 mi²

14.5 mi²

2.6%

180,182

326

Nash CountyGEOID 37127

540.4 mi²

2.4 mi²

0.4%

99,365

184

Northampton CountyGEOID 37131

536.7 mi²

13.8 mi²

2.5%

16,491

Surry CountyGEOID 37171

532.6 mi²

4 mi²

0.7%

72,287

136

Granville CountyGEOID 37077

532 mi²

5.6 mi²

61,421

115

Anson CountyGEOID 37007

531.5 mi²

5.6 mi²

21,758

Swain CountyGEOID 37173

527.7 mi²

12.5 mi²

2.3%

14,024

Mecklenburg CountyGEOID 37119

523.6 mi²

22.4 mi²

4.1%

1,233,383

2,355

Macon CountyGEOID 37113

515.5 mi²

4.1 mi²

0.8%

39,232

Rowan CountyGEOID 37159

511.6 mi²

12.3 mi²

2.4%

155,096

303

Carteret CountyGEOID 37031

507.6 mi²

822.8 mi²

61.8%

70,469

139

Burke CountyGEOID 37023

506.3 mi²

8 mi²

1.6%

88,655

175

Edgecombe CountyGEOID 37065

505.4 mi²

1.4 mi²

0.3%

49,121

Franklin CountyGEOID 37069

491.9 mi²

2.7 mi²

0.5%

82,037

167

Montgomery CountyGEOID 37123

491.5 mi²

10 mi²

26,403

Jackson CountyGEOID 37099

491.1 mi²

3.8 mi²

0.8%

45,039

Richmond CountyGEOID 37153

473.7 mi²

6 mi²

1.3%

42,041

Caldwell CountyGEOID 37027

471.9 mi²

2.7 mi²

0.6%

81,105

172

Jones CountyGEOID 37103

471.4 mi²

2.3 mi²

0.5%

9,575

Cleveland CountyGEOID 37045

464.3 mi²

3.9 mi²

0.8%

103,325

223

Martin CountyGEOID 37117

456.4 mi²

0.3 mi²

0.1%

21,601

Cherokee CountyGEOID 37039

455.5 mi²

11.1 mi²

2.4%

30,830

Madison CountyGEOID 37115

449.6 mi²

1.9 mi²

0.4%

22,553

Stokes CountyGEOID 37169

449.3 mi²

6.8 mi²

1.5%

46,126

103

McDowell CountyGEOID 37111

440 mi²

5.4 mi²

1.2%

45,198

103

Warren CountyGEOID 37185

429.4 mi²

14.9 mi²

3.4%

18,898

Ashe CountyGEOID 37009

426.3 mi²

3.1 mi²

0.7%

27,514

Caswell CountyGEOID 37033

425.5 mi²

3.2 mi²

0.7%

22,563

Alamance CountyGEOID 37001

423.5 mi²

10.8 mi²

2.5%

186,177

440

Forsyth CountyGEOID 37067

408 mi²

4.5 mi²

1.1%

401,718

984

Catawba CountyGEOID 37035

401.4 mi²

14.6 mi²

3.5%

170,172

424

Lenoir CountyGEOID 37107

399.1 mi²

2.3 mi²

0.6%

55,837

140

Orange CountyGEOID 37135

397.6 mi²

3.4 mi²

0.8%

152,498

384

Stanly CountyGEOID 37167

395.1 mi²

9.7 mi²

2.4%

68,830

174

Person CountyGEOID 37145

392.4 mi²

12 mi²

40,636

104

Tyrrell CountyGEOID 37177

390.8 mi²

206.4 mi²

34.6%

3,537

9.1

Hoke CountyGEOID 37093

390.2 mi²

1.5 mi²

0.4%

56,939

146

Dare CountyGEOID 37055

383.2 mi²

1,158.5 mi²

75.1%

38,245

100

Transylvania CountyGEOID 37175

378.4 mi²

2 mi²

0.5%

34,211

Henderson CountyGEOID 37089

373 mi²

2.1 mi²

0.6%

122,375

328

Wilson CountyGEOID 37195

367.6 mi²

5.5 mi²

1.5%

81,150

221

Cabarrus CountyGEOID 37025

361.3 mi²

2.7 mi²

0.7%

249,725

691

Gaston CountyGEOID 37071

355.8 mi²

7.9 mi²

2.2%

246,558

693

Hertford CountyGEOID 37091

353.2 mi²

7.2 mi²

19,015

Washington CountyGEOID 37187

346.5 mi²

75.4 mi²

17.9%

10,638

Gates CountyGEOID 37073

340.6 mi²

5.1 mi²

1.5%

10,234

Pamlico CountyGEOID 37137

336.5 mi²

225.1 mi²

40.1%

12,758

Yadkin CountyGEOID 37197

334.9 mi²

2.8 mi²

0.8%

38,325

114

Scotland CountyGEOID 37165

319.1 mi²

1.5 mi²

0.5%

33,322

104

Yancey CountyGEOID 37199

312.6 mi²

0.6 mi²

0.2%

19,084

Watauga CountyGEOID 37189

312.4 mi²

0.9 mi²

0.3%

54,786

175

Lincoln CountyGEOID 37109

295.9 mi²

9 mi²

98,654

333

Graham CountyGEOID 37075

292 mi²

9.7 mi²

3.2%

8,190

Durham CountyGEOID 37063

287.6 mi²

10.3 mi²

3.5%

347,240

1,208

Greene CountyGEOID 37079

266.7 mi²

0.5 mi²

0.2%

20,700

Davie CountyGEOID 37059

263.7 mi²

2.9 mi²

1.1%

45,855

174

Currituck CountyGEOID 37053

261.9 mi²

264.5 mi²

50.2%

33,158

127

Alexander CountyGEOID 37003

260 mi²

3.6 mi²

1.4%

36,958

142

Lee CountyGEOID 37105

255.1 mi²

4.1 mi²

1.6%

70,258

275

Vance CountyGEOID 37181

252.4 mi²

16.3 mi²

6.1%

42,638

169

Avery CountyGEOID 37011

247.3 mi²

0.2 mi²

0.1%

18,110

Perquimans CountyGEOID 37143

247.2 mi²

81.8 mi²

24.9%

13,490

Camden CountyGEOID 37029

240.3 mi²

69.9 mi²

22.5%

11,315

Polk CountyGEOID 37149

237.7 mi²

0.8 mi²

0.3%

20,533

Alleghany CountyGEOID 37005

234.8 mi²

1.4 mi²

0.6%

11,479

Pasquotank CountyGEOID 37139

226.9 mi²

62.5 mi²

21.6%

42,201

186

Mitchell CountyGEOID 37121

221.3 mi²

0.6 mi²

0.3%

15,062

Clay CountyGEOID 37043

215 mi²

5.8 mi²

2.6%

12,239

New Hanover CountyGEOID 37129

192.3 mi²

136.6 mi²

41.5%

245,959

1,279

100

Chowan CountyGEOID 37041

172.7 mi²

61 mi²

26.1%

14,082

North Carolina counties by area

Understanding North Carolina’s county areas

Where water changes the picture

Where people live

Complete area table