Is being in an area of North Carolina that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Charlotte and Raleigh, while others want peace and quiet like in Long View and Carolina Shores, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in North Carolina have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Tar Heel State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
227.3% growth since 2010 · 7,477 net new residents
Located in
Wake County, North Carolina
Rolesville is a town and suburb in northeastern Wake County, North Carolina, United States, just outside the capital city of Raleigh. It is the second oldest town in Wake County and has been one of the fastest growing towns in the state of North Carolina for the past several years. The population was 6,074 in 2015.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
154.5% growth since 2010 · 13,521 net new residents
Located in
Union County, North Carolina
Waxhaw is a town located in Union County, North Carolina. The population was 9,859 according to the 2010 Census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
153.5% growth since 2010 · 4,282 net new residents
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
150.7% growth since 2010 · 24,333 net new residents
Located in
Wake County, North Carolina
Fuquay-Varina is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 18,644 in 2012. The population was 17,937 at the 2010 census, up from 7,898 at the 2000 census. The town is a 25-minute drive south of Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina. The hyphenated name attests to the town’s history as two separate towns. Fuquay Springs and Varina merged in 1963 to create the modern town. Economically, the town initially grew due to tobacco trade and agriculture, but has seen recent population growth and real estate development due to its proximity to Research Triangle Park.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
148.3% growth since 2010 · 17,682 net new residents
Located in
Brunswick County, North Carolina
Leland is a town in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 13,527 at the 2010 census, up from 1,938 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Myrtle Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area. A number of movies, such as Maximum Overdrive, Domestic Disturbance, and We’re the Millers have been shot in or around Leland.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
134.8% growth since 2010 · 7,501 net new residents
Located in
Wake County, North Carolina
Wendell is a town in Wake County, North Carolina United States. It is a satellite town of Raleigh, the state capital. The population was 5,845 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
106.0% growth since 2010 · 23,280 net new residents
Located in
Wake County, North Carolina
Holly Springs is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 24,661, over 2 times its population in 2000.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
105.2% growth since 2010 · 36,203 net new residents
Located in
Wake County, North Carolina
Apex is a town in Wake County, North Carolina and a suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the town’s population to be 43,907 as of July 1, 2014.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
99.4% growth since 2010 · 4,343 net new residents
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
99.3% growth since 2010 · 14,606 net new residents
Located in
Wake County, North Carolina
Clayton is a town in Johnston County, North Carolina, and considered a satellite town of Raleigh. As of 2010, Clayton’s population was 16,116 people. Much of that growth can be attributed to the town’s close proximity to the Research Triangle area and access to major highways such as I-40, U.S. 70, and NC 42.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is North Carolina’s statewide median.
On the map
Where North Carolina’s growth is happening
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Tar Heel State for 2026
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (the latest available data, which came out in Dec 2024)
We ranked all 142 North Carolina cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Tar Heel State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula: [Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010].
The data has been updated for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the fastest growing cities in North Carolina.
The full plate
Fastest Growing Places In North Carolina For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rolesville | 10,766 | 3,289 | 227.3% | 7,477 |
| 2 | Waxhaw | 22,275 | 8,754 | 154.5% | 13,521 |
| 3 | St. James | 7,072 | 2,790 | 153.5% | 4,282 |
| 4 | Fuquay-Varina | 40,485 | 16,152 | 150.7% | 24,333 |
| 5 | Leland | 29,607 | 11,925 | 148.3% | 17,682 |
| 6 | Wendell | 13,064 | 5,563 | 134.8% | 7,501 |
| 7 | Holly Springs | 45,248 | 21,968 | 106.0% | 23,280 |
| 8 | Apex | 70,630 | 34,427 | 105.2% | 36,203 |
| 9 | Zebulon | 8,711 | 4,368 | 99.4% | 4,343 |
| 10 | Clayton | 29,320 | 14,714 | 99.3% | 14,606 |
| 11 | Locust | 5,840 | 2,959 | 97.4% | 2,881 |
| 12 | Wake Forest | 52,844 | 26,790 | 97.3% | 26,054 |
| 13 | Morrisville | 31,422 | 16,147 | 94.6% | 15,275 |
| 14 | Knightdale | 20,214 | 10,477 | 92.9% | 9,737 |
| 15 | Harrisburg | 19,633 | 10,328 | 90.1% | 9,305 |
| 16 | Whispering Pines | 5,211 | 2,772 | 88.0% | 2,439 |
| 17 | Mebane | 19,538 | 10,401 | 87.8% | 9,137 |
| 18 | Carolina Shores | 5,017 | 2,863 | 75.2% | 2,154 |
| 19 | Mooresville | 52,381 | 30,582 | 71.3% | 21,799 |
| 20 | Hillsborough | 9,724 | 5,972 | 62.8% | 3,752 |
| 21 | Belmont | 15,546 | 9,829 | 58.2% | 5,717 |
| 22 | Aberdeen | 9,228 | 5,884 | 56.8% | 3,344 |
| 23 | Gibsonville | 9,467 | 6,063 | 56.1% | 3,404 |
| 24 | Pineville | 11,055 | 7,251 | 52.5% | 3,804 |
| 25 | Davidson | 15,660 | 10,320 | 51.7% | 5,340 |
| 26 | Angier | 6,241 | 4,140 | 50.7% | 2,101 |
| 27 | Weddington | 13,805 | 9,207 | 49.9% | 4,598 |
| 28 | Huntersville | 63,969 | 43,106 | 48.4% | 20,863 |
| 29 | Pinehurst | 18,256 | 12,521 | 45.8% | 5,735 |
| 30 | Concord | 108,719 | 75,172 | 44.6% | 33,547 |
| 31 | Cornelius | 32,783 | 22,970 | 42.7% | 9,813 |
| 32 | Garner | 34,473 | 24,417 | 41.2% | 10,056 |
| 33 | Mount Holly | 18,208 | 12,914 | 41.0% | 5,294 |
| 34 | Cary | 179,306 | 127,587 | 40.5% | 51,719 |
| 35 | Dallas | 6,104 | 4,352 | 40.3% | 1,752 |
| 36 | Kannapolis | 57,890 | 41,663 | 38.9% | 16,227 |
| 37 | Indian Trail | 42,036 | 30,362 | 38.4% | 11,674 |
| 38 | Cramerton | 5,450 | 3,945 | 38.1% | 1,505 |
| 39 | Marvin | 6,692 | 4,889 | 36.9% | 1,803 |
| 40 | Woodfin | 8,048 | 5,913 | 36.1% | 2,135 |
| 41 | Wesley Chapel | 9,090 | 6,702 | 35.6% | 2,388 |
| 42 | Southern Pines | 16,420 | 12,116 | 35.5% | 4,304 |
| 43 | Oak Ridge | 7,744 | 5,805 | 33.4% | 1,939 |
| 44 | Stallings | 16,886 | 12,682 | 33.1% | 4,204 |
| 45 | Oak Island | 9,030 | 6,818 | 32.4% | 2,212 |
| 46 | Durham | 291,467 | 220,324 | 32.3% | 71,143 |
| 47 | Graham | 18,048 | 13,921 | 29.6% | 4,127 |
| 48 | Walke | 5,873 | 4,581 | 28.2% | 1,292 |
| 49 | Archer Lodge | 5,186 | 4,049 | 28.1% | 1,137 |
| 50 | Charlotte | 903,844 | 705,896 | 28.0% | 197,948 |
| 51 | Boiling Spring Lakes | 6,347 | 4,982 | 27.4% | 1,365 |
| 52 | Stokesdale | 6,004 | 4,732 | 26.9% | 1,272 |
| 53 | Winterville | 10,725 | 8,462 | 26.7% | 2,263 |
| 54 | Raleigh | 481,031 | 382,729 | 25.7% | 98,302 |
| 55 | Mint Hill | 27,556 | 21,940 | 25.6% | 5,616 |
| 56 | Kernersville | 27,830 | 22,337 | 24.6% | 5,493 |
| 57 | Hope Mills | 17,939 | 14,416 | 24.4% | 3,523 |
| 58 | Elon | 11,032 | 8,933 | 23.5% | 2,099 |
| 59 | Mocksville | 6,068 | 4,952 | 22.5% | 1,116 |
| 60 | Burlington | 59,610 | 48,736 | 22.3% | 10,874 |
| 61 | Statesville | 29,894 | 24,619 | 21.4% | 5,275 |
| 62 | Fletcher | 8,098 | 6,688 | 21.1% | 1,410 |
| 63 | Boone | 20,032 | 16,566 | 20.9% | 3,466 |
| 64 | Clemmons | 21,871 | 18,145 | 20.5% | 3,726 |
| 65 | Hendersonville | 15,408 | 12,900 | 19.4% | 2,508 |
| 66 | Carolina Beach | 6,745 | 5,665 | 19.1% | 1,080 |
| 67 | Unionville | 6,954 | 5,853 | 18.8% | 1,101 |
| 68 | Gastonia | 82,884 | 70,709 | 17.2% | 12,175 |
| 69 | Kill Devil Hills | 7,761 | 6,630 | 17.1% | 1,131 |
| 70 | Sanford | 31,478 | 26,897 | 17.0% | 4,581 |
| 71 | New Bern | 32,734 | 28,073 | 16.6% | 4,661 |
| 72 | Summerfield | 11,116 | 9,615 | 15.6% | 1,501 |
| 73 | Greenville | 92,857 | 80,439 | 15.4% | 12,418 |
| 74 | Wilmington | 120,805 | 104,730 | 15.3% | 16,075 |
| 75 | Asheville | 94,535 | 81,970 | 15.3% | 12,565 |
| 76 | High Point | 116,245 | 100,903 | 15.2% | 15,342 |
| 77 | Matthews | 30,577 | 26,556 | 15.1% | 4,021 |
| 78 | Morehead City | 9,806 | 8,523 | 15.1% | 1,283 |
| 79 | Greensboro | 301,198 | 263,358 | 14.4% | 37,840 |
| 80 | Monroe | 36,759 | 32,297 | 13.8% | 4,462 |
| 81 | Kings Mountain | 12,039 | 10,631 | 13.2% | 1,408 |
| 82 | Lincolnton | 11,783 | 10,440 | 12.9% | 1,343 |
| 83 | Asheboro | 27,580 | 24,478 | 12.7% | 3,102 |
| 84 | Selma | 6,817 | 6,072 | 12.3% | 745 |
| 85 | Winston-Salem | 252,037 | 224,769 | 12.1% | 27,268 |
| 86 | Pleasant Garden | 5,060 | 4,531 | 11.7% | 529 |
| 87 | Chapel Hill | 61,607 | 55,180 | 11.6% | 6,427 |
| 88 | King | 7,408 | 6,660 | 11.2% | 748 |
| 89 | Carrboro | 21,204 | 19,074 | 11.2% | 2,130 |
| 90 | Hickory | 44,258 | 39,932 | 10.8% | 4,326 |
| 91 | Lewisville | 13,828 | 12,518 | 10.5% | 1,310 |
| 92 | Smithfield | 12,116 | 10,972 | 10.4% | 1,144 |
| 93 | Archdale | 12,087 | 10,964 | 10.2% | 1,123 |
| 94 | Nashville | 5,729 | 5,210 | 10.0% | 519 |
| 95 | Mills River | 7,281 | 6,633 | 9.8% | 648 |
| 96 | Cherryville | 6,226 | 5,697 | 9.3% | 529 |
| 97 | Black Mountain | 8,513 | 7,809 | 9.0% | 704 |
| 98 | Butner | 8,065 | 7,414 | 8.8% | 651 |
| 99 | Salisbury | 35,825 | 33,018 | 8.5% | 2,807 |
| 100 | Shelby | 22,100 | 20,417 | 8.2% | 1,683 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS, 2010-current. 142 North Carolina cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In North Carolina, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in North Carolina are led by Rolesville which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in North Carolina are Rolesville, Waxhaw, St. James, Fuquay-Varina, Leland, Wendell, Holly Springs, Apex, Zebulon, and Clayton.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
