The 10 North Carolina Cities With The Largest Asian Population For 2023


We used data and science to determine the cities in North Carolina with the largest Asian population.

Across most of America, the African American and Hispanic communities comprise "most of the minority". We're not totally sure that's a term, but it's an accurate reflection of the state of race in America.

Asians are a "minority of the minority", generally. But not everywhere.

There are now over 17 million people who identify as Asian living in America, making up 5.6% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Asian population in North Carolina is 312,111 - at 3.0% of the total population of North Carolina.

And, unlike African Americans that fall under one group in the Census, Asian Americans have many sub-groups -- Chinese, Filipino, and Indian being the three largest sub-groups.

So, what how does the Asian population stratify across North Carolina? Which cities and towns in North Carolina have seen the greatest increase in their Asian population?

Here are the cities in North Carolina with the largest Asian population in 2023:

  1. Morrisville
  2. Cary
  3. Chapel Hill
  4. Harrisburg
  5. Apex
  6. Carrboro
  7. Oak Ridge
  8. High Point
  9. Charlotte
  10. Pineville

Which city in North Carolina had the largest Asian population? Morrisville took the number one over all spot for the largest Asian in North Carolina for 2023. 40.93% of Morrisville identify as Asian.

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.

To see where North Carolina ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in America.

And if you already knew these places were Asian, check out the best places to live in North Carolina or the most diverse places in North Carolina.

The 10 Most Asian Cities In North Carolina For 2023

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 28,824
% Asian: 40.93%
# Of Asian Residents: 11,798
Percent Change Since 2010: 168.56%
More on Morrisville: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Morrisville, NC

Source: Town of Morrisville
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 171,603
% Asian: 20.23%
# Of Asian Residents: 34,707
Percent Change Since 2010: 133.64%
More on Cary: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Cary, NC

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 60,920
% Asian: 12.8%
# Of Asian Residents: 7,796
Percent Change Since 2010: 29.37%
More on Chapel Hill: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Chapel Hill, NC

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 18,415
% Asian: 10.84%
# Of Asian Residents: 1,997
Percent Change Since 2010: 213.5%
More on Harrisburg: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Harrisburg, NC

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 58,066
% Asian: 9.81%
# Of Asian Residents: 5,698
Percent Change Since 2010: 140.32%
More on Apex: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Apex, NC

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 21,237
% Asian: 8.48%
# Of Asian Residents: 1,800
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.67%
More on Carrboro: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Carrboro, NC

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 7,461
% Asian: 7.85%
# Of Asian Residents: 586
Percent Change Since 2010: 551.11%
More on Oak Ridge: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Oak Ridge, NC

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 113,148
% Asian: 7.12%
# Of Asian Residents: 8,051
Percent Change Since 2010: 41.49%
More on High Point: Real Estate | Data | Photos

High Point, NC

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 864,871
% Asian: 6.47%
# Of Asian Residents: 55,951
Percent Change Since 2010: 65.02%
More on Charlotte: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Charlotte, NC

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 10,317
% Asian: 6.31%
# Of Asian Residents: 651
Percent Change Since 2010: 110.68%
More on Pineville: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Pineville, NC

Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In North Carolina With The Largest Asian Population For 2023

We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across North Carolina.

That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2017-2021 American Community Survey data from the US Census.

Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:

  • Hispanic or Latino
  • White alone*
  • Black or African American alone*
  • American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
  • Asian alone*
  • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
  • Some other race alone*
  • Two or more races*
* Not Hispanic or latino

Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as Asian alone.

We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 125 cities.

We then calculated the percent of residents that are Asian. The percentages ranked from 40.9% to 0.0%.

Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Asian population with a higher score being more Asian than a lower score. Morrisville took the distinction of being the most Asian, while Selma was the least Asian city. You can download the data here.

Read on for more information on how the cities in North Carolina ranked by population of Asian residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.

Summary: Asian Populations Across North Carolina

If you're looking for a breakdown of Asian populations across North Carolina according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.

If you're curious enough, here are the least Asian places in North Carolina:

  1. Selma
  2. Bessemer City
  3. Aberdeen

For more North Carolina reading, check out:

Table: Asian Population By City In North Carolina

Rank City % Asian Population
1 Morrisville 40.93% 28,824
2 Cary 20.23% 171,603
3 Chapel Hill 12.8% 60,920
4 Harrisburg 10.84% 18,415
5 Apex 9.81% 58,066
6 Carrboro 8.48% 21,237
7 Oak Ridge 7.85% 7,461
8 High Point 7.12% 113,148
9 Charlotte 6.47% 864,871
10 Pineville 6.31% 10,317
11 Concord 6.0% 102,566
12 Conover 5.79% 8,393
13 Holly Springs 5.57% 40,198
14 Weddington 5.56% 12,851
15 Waxhaw 5.52% 19,645
16 Hickory 5.49% 42,831
17 Greensboro 5.34% 295,483
18 Durham 5.3% 279,106
19 New Bern 5.18% 31,058
20 Clemmons 5.15% 21,032
21 Mebane 5.14% 17,192
22 Mount Holly 4.98% 17,315
23 Mooresville 4.74% 48,431
24 Raleigh 4.74% 462,219
25 Matthews 4.48% 29,417
26 Elon 4.2% 11,059
27 Huntersville 4.19% 60,166
28 Stallings 4.0% 15,932
29 Archdale 4.0% 12,117
30 Woodfin 3.77% 7,771
31 Havelock 3.57% 17,570
32 Mint Hill 3.47% 26,236
33 Wesley Chapel 3.43% 8,661
34 Lexington 3.28% 19,347
35 Marion 3.23% 7,703
36 Belmont 3.19% 14,442
37 Summerfield 3.17% 11,026
38 Newton 3.1% 13,081
39 Fayetteville 3.07% 208,497
40 Fletcher 3.04% 7,935
41 Mills River 3.02% 7,082
42 Jacksonville 2.97% 73,224
43 Morganton 2.67% 17,389
44 Trinity 2.59% 6,981
45 Winston-Salem 2.55% 247,917
46 Greenville 2.54% 87,815
47 Spring Lake 2.49% 11,629
48 Indian Trail 2.48% 39,603
49 Albemarle 2.43% 16,318
50 Southern Pines 2.41% 15,156
51 Hillsborough 2.35% 9,342
52 Burlington 2.34% 56,563
53 Wake Forest 2.27% 46,387
54 Kannapolis 2.27% 52,173
55 Statesville 2.21% 27,777
56 Clinton 2.09% 8,124
57 Laurinburg 2.02% 15,242
58 Cornelius 2.02% 30,925
59 Pinehurst 1.97% 17,250
60 Davidson 1.81% 14,644
61 Mount Airy 1.79% 10,547
62 Morehead City 1.78% 9,535
63 Smithfield 1.75% 11,168
64 Boone 1.74% 18,055
65 Williamston 1.74% 5,221
66 Sawmills 1.72% 5,053
67 Fuquay-Varina 1.7% 33,135
68 Elizabeth City 1.69% 18,466
69 Knightdale 1.68% 18,614
70 Lumberton 1.65% 19,186
71 Henderson 1.6% 15,084
72 Kings Mountain 1.6% 10,775
73 Sanford 1.59% 30,024
74 Goldsboro 1.56% 33,214
75 Kernersville 1.54% 26,376
76 Hendersonville 1.49% 14,878
77 Roanoke Rapids 1.41% 15,294
78 Hope Mills 1.41% 17,421
79 Garner 1.39% 30,859
80 Wilson 1.36% 47,914
81 Forest City 1.34% 7,330
82 Rocky Mount 1.32% 54,375
83 Gastonia 1.32% 79,483
84 Eden 1.29% 15,317
85 Asheville 1.28% 93,272
86 Wilmington 1.23% 115,976
87 Wadesboro 1.18% 5,079
88 Winterville 1.17% 10,336
89 Hamlet 1.07% 6,098
90 Rockingham 1.05% 9,200
91 Asheboro 1.05% 26,729
92 Clayton 1.0% 25,486
93 Salisbury 1.0% 35,258
94 Monroe 0.95% 34,464
95 Oak Island 0.95% 8,252
96 Washington 0.91% 9,754
97 Kill Devil Hills 0.88% 7,541
98 Shelby 0.87% 21,564
99 Kinston 0.82% 19,888
100 Thomasville 0.71% 26,941
101 Leland 0.65% 22,794
102 Oxford 0.58% 8,658
103 Dunn 0.53% 8,616
104 Wendell 0.53% 9,847
105 Nashville 0.52% 5,626
106 Roxboro 0.51% 8,097
107 Butner 0.48% 8,295
108 Gibsonville 0.46% 8,684
109 Lewisville 0.37% 13,413
110 Lenoir 0.36% 18,205
111 Siler City 0.32% 7,742
112 Reidsville 0.29% 14,463
113 Cherryville 0.23% 6,044
114 Tarboro 0.2% 10,733
115 Carolina Beach 0.15% 6,456
116 King 0.14% 7,258
117 Lincolnton 0.13% 10,926
118 Graham 0.11% 16,793
119 Waynesville 0.11% 10,087
120 Black Mountain 0.11% 8,386
121 Brevard 0.04% 7,712
122 Unionville 0.02% 6,634
123 Aberdeen 0.01% 8,333
124 Bessemer City 0.0% 5,452
125 Selma 0.0% 6,317

How Is The Area In ?

Editor's Note: We updated this article for 2023. This is our tenth time ranking the cities in North Carolina with the largest Asian population.
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.