Demographics of North Carolina

The Demographics of North Carolina show the many different kinds of people who live in North Carolina. This state has a rich mix of cultures and backgrounds, making it a interesting place to learn about diversity.

Over time, the number of people and the kinds of people living there have changed. Some groups have grown larger, while others have changed in size for different reasons.

Understanding these changes helps us see how the state is growing and what kinds of communities are forming. It shows the story of North Carolina’s people and how they live together today.

Center of population

The center of population for North Carolina is in Randolph County, in the town of Seagrove.

North Carolina has grown quickly over the years. As of July 1, 2009, the state had about 9.4 million people, which is about 16.7% more than in 2000. This growth happened because more babies were born than deaths, and many people moved into the state from other places. North Carolina became the 10th most populous state in the U.S. between 2005 and 2006.

The state has three big areas with lots of people: Charlotte Metro, The Triangle (Raleigh-Durham area), and the Piedmont Triad (Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point area). Some of the biggest cities include Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville, Cary, High Point, and Wilmington.

Main article: Center of population

Vital statistics

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Note: Births in table do not add up because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.

Since 2016, data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in one Hispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

Race and Ethnicity

According to the 2020 U.S. census, North Carolina's population includes 60.5% white non-Hispanic people, 20.2% Black non-Hispanic, 1.0% Native American/Alaska Native non-Hispanic, 3.3% Asian non-Hispanic, 0.1% Pacific Islander non-Hispanic, 0.4% Other race non-Hispanic, 3.9% Mixed race or Multiracial (non-Hispanic), and 10.7% Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

North Carolina changed from a mainly rural state to a more urban one, with many people now living in cities and suburban areas. Big cities like Charlotte and Raleigh have grown a lot, with many different people moving there. Most of this change came from people moving from places like Latin America, India, and Southeast Asia, as well as from the Northeastern United States, Florida and California.

African-American population

Main article: African Americans in North Carolina

African Americans make up nearly a quarter of North Carolina's people. Since the 1970s, the number of middle-class Black families has grown. African Americans mainly live in the eastern part of the state and in parts of the Piedmont Crescent. They also live in many rural areas and in big cities like Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Fayetteville, Wilmington, and Winston-Salem.

Asian American population

North Carolina has many more Asian Americans, especially people from India and Vietnam. These groups grew quickly between 1990 and 2002 because of new job opportunities. There are also many people from Vietnam called Montagnards who came to the U.S. after the Vietnam War. They mostly live in Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro. Other Asian groups, like Hmong from Laos, Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, and Koreans, have also settled in North Carolina over the years.

European-American population

North Carolina was first settled by people from England, including some who were servants. Later, many people from other European countries, like Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, and Switzerland, moved there. In areas like Winston-Salem, there are many people whose families came from Germany. There are also communities of people from Portugal, Spain, and Canada along the coast.

Latino-American population

Since 1990, many more Hispanics/Latinos have moved to North Carolina. Most come from Mexico, but some are from Puerto Rico and other Caribbean and Central American countries. Many live in neighborhoods like Eastland in Charlotte and in new areas around Raleigh.

Native-American population

North Carolina has the largest Native American population on the East Coast. There are eight tribes recognized by the state, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. These tribes live in different parts of the state, such as Swain County and Robeson County.

Ancestries

In 2020, about 8.3% of North Carolina’s people were born in other countries.

Languages

As of 2010, most people in North Carolina, about 89.66%, spoke English at home. Many others spoke different languages, like Spanish, which was spoken by about 6.93% of the population. Smaller groups spoke French, German, and Chinese, including Mandarin. In total, around 10.34% of people aged five and older spoke a language other than English at home.

Religion

North Carolina, like other Southern states, has traditionally had many Protestant people. By the late 1800s, the largest Protestant group were Southern Baptists. Recently, as more people from other places, like the northern United States and Latin America, have moved in, the number of Roman Catholics and Jewish people has grown. Baptists are still the largest church group in the state.

The variety of religions is most noticeable in bigger cities such as Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, where many new residents have settled. Even so, Southern Baptists remain the main Christian church statewide. The second-largest Protestant group is Methodists, especially in Guilford County. There are also Quakers in that area and in northeastern North Carolina. Presbyterians have a strong presence in Charlotte and Scotland County.

Jewish people first came to North Carolina in the 1800s, mostly from Germany, and settled in coastal cities like Wilmington and New Bern. Later, in the early 1900s, many Jewish people from Eastern Europe moved to cities such as Charlotte and Greensboro. Today, Jewish communities are mainly in cities like Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem. Recently, some have also moved to Western North Carolina, such as Asheville and Boone. There are about 30,000 Jewish people in North Carolina, making up around 0.3% of the state’s population.