First in flight
Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first powered, controlled airplane flight at Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903.
Capital: RaleighLargest city: CharlotteNickname: The Tar Heel StateStatehood: 1789
North Carolina at a glance
The state’s essential figures from the latest official data
Area
139,389 km²
28th largest state
Population
11,046,024
87.7 people/km² of land
July 1, 2024 · 9th in the U.S.
Foreign-born population
8.7%
Share of all residents
ACS 2019–2023
GDP
$896 billion
$68,274 personal income per capita
2025 · BEA
Births
121,281
July 2023–June 2024
Deaths
108,649
July 2023–June 2024
Natural increase
+12,632
Births minus deaths
Population change
+164,835
July 2023–June 2024
North Carolina data modules
Official information organized by subject
Population
How many people live here, how it's changing and who they are.
Housing
Home prices, rents, supply and how affordable it is to live here.
Economy
GDP, income, output and the industries that drive the economy.
Cost of Living
What it really costs to live here: housing, food, utilities and more.
Jobs & Employment
Employment, unemployment, salaries and the labor force.
Crime & Safety
Crime rates, violent and property crime, and public safety.
Education
Schools, universities, attainment and graduation rates.
Health
Life expectancy, healthcare access, hospitals and insurance.
Taxes
Income, property and sales taxes, plus overall tax burden.
Immigration
Foreign-born population, origins and migration flows.
Energy
Electricity prices, production, renewables and consumption.
Environment
Air quality, wildfires, drought, water and emissions.
Transportation
Vehicles, public transit, airports, traffic and commuting.
Politics & Elections
Election results, representatives and voting trends.
Poverty & Welfare
Poverty, food assistance, Medicaid and social safety net programs.
Retirement & Seniors
Older population, Social Security, retirees and senior living.
Agriculture & Farming
Farms, farmland, crop and livestock output and agricultural exports.
Tourism & Parks
Visitors, tourism spending, national and state parks.
Innovation & Patents
Patents, R&D spending, venture capital and tech employment.
Culture, Media & Gaming
Film, TV, music, theaters, museums and the video game industry.
Pets & Animal Welfare
Pet ownership, shelters, adoptions and veterinary services.
Explore North Carolina
100 counties, one interactive atlas
Select a county to compare population, income, housing and territory using official U.S. Census Bureau data.
Population (residents)
< 50,000> 3,000,000
North Carolina, United States
Mecklenburg County
County seat: Charlotte
1,130,906
Population
$51,490
Income per capita
$371,200
Median home value
4.2%
Unemployment
- Land area
- 524 mi²
- Population density
- 2,160 /mi²
ACS 2023 5-year estimates · Census Gazetteer 2023. Unemployment is calculated from the ACS civilian labor force.
Counties
100 counties · choose how to order them
Wake
1,232,444 residents
Mecklenburg
1,206,285 residents
Guilford
558,816 residents
Forsyth
398,143 residents
Durham
343,628 residents
Cumberland
338,430 residents
Buncombe
279,210 residents
Union
263,386 residents
Johnston
249,794 residents
Cabarrus
244,925 residents
New Hanover
243,333 residents
Gaston
242,010 residents
Did you know?
Curious facts about North Carolina
The largest private home in the U.S.
Biltmore, built by George Vanderbilt in Asheville and completed in 1895, has about 250 rooms.
The lost colony
The English settlement on Roanoke Island, founded in 1587, vanished by 1590 — one of America's oldest unsolved mysteries.
Highest peak in the East
Mount Mitchell, at 2,037 m (6,684 ft), is the highest point east of the Mississippi River.