Article Table Of Contents
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:
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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/10
Population: 10,317
% Asian: 6.31%
# Of Asian Residents: 651
Percent Change Since 2010: 110.68%
More on Pineville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
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*
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:
- Selma
- Bessemer City
- Aberdeen
For more North Carolina reading, check out:
- Safest Cities in North Carolina
- Best Places To Raise A Family In North Carolina
- Richest Cities In North Carolina
Table: Asian Population By City In North Carolina
| Rank | City | % Asian |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morrisville | 40.93% |
| 2 | Cary | 20.23% |
| 3 | Chapel Hill | 12.8% |
| 4 | Harrisburg | 10.84% |
| 5 | Apex | 9.81% |
| 6 | Carrboro | 8.48% |
| 7 | Oak Ridge | 7.85% |
| 8 | High Point | 7.12% |
| 9 | Charlotte | 6.47% |
| 10 | Pineville | 6.31% |
| 11 | Concord | 6.0% |
| 12 | Conover | 5.79% |
| 13 | Holly Springs | 5.57% |
| 14 | Weddington | 5.56% |
| 15 | Waxhaw | 5.52% |
| 16 | Hickory | 5.49% |
| 17 | Greensboro | 5.34% |
| 18 | Durham | 5.3% |
| 19 | New Bern | 5.18% |
| 20 | Clemmons | 5.15% |
| 21 | Mebane | 5.14% |
| 22 | Mount Holly | 4.98% |
| 23 | Mooresville | 4.74% |
| 24 | Raleigh | 4.74% |
| 25 | Matthews | 4.48% |
| 26 | Elon | 4.2% |
| 27 | Huntersville | 4.19% |
| 28 | Stallings | 4.0% |
| 29 | Archdale | 4.0% |
| 30 | Woodfin | 3.77% |
| 31 | Havelock | 3.57% |
| 32 | Mint Hill | 3.47% |
| 33 | Wesley Chapel | 3.43% |
| 34 | Lexington | 3.28% |
| 35 | Marion | 3.23% |
| 36 | Belmont | 3.19% |
| 37 | Summerfield | 3.17% |
| 38 | Newton | 3.1% |
| 39 | Fayetteville | 3.07% |
| 40 | Fletcher | 3.04% |
| 41 | Mills River | 3.02% |
| 42 | Jacksonville | 2.97% |
| 43 | Morganton | 2.67% |
| 44 | Trinity | 2.59% |
| 45 | Winston-Salem | 2.55% |
| 46 | Greenville | 2.54% |
| 47 | Spring Lake | 2.49% |
| 48 | Indian Trail | 2.48% |
| 49 | Albemarle | 2.43% |
| 50 | Southern Pines | 2.41% |
| 51 | Hillsborough | 2.35% |
| 52 | Burlington | 2.34% |
| 53 | Wake Forest | 2.27% |
| 54 | Kannapolis | 2.27% |
| 55 | Statesville | 2.21% |
| 56 | Clinton | 2.09% |
| 57 | Laurinburg | 2.02% |
| 58 | Cornelius | 2.02% |
| 59 | Pinehurst | 1.97% |
| 60 | Davidson | 1.81% |
| 61 | Mount Airy | 1.79% |
| 62 | Morehead City | 1.78% |
| 63 | Smithfield | 1.75% |
| 64 | Boone | 1.74% |
| 65 | Williamston | 1.74% |
| 66 | Sawmills | 1.72% |
| 67 | Fuquay-Varina | 1.7% |
| 68 | Elizabeth City | 1.69% |
| 69 | Knightdale | 1.68% |
| 70 | Lumberton | 1.65% |
| 71 | Henderson | 1.6% |
| 72 | Kings Mountain | 1.6% |
| 73 | Sanford | 1.59% |
| 74 | Goldsboro | 1.56% |
| 75 | Kernersville | 1.54% |
| 76 | Hendersonville | 1.49% |
| 77 | Roanoke Rapids | 1.41% |
| 78 | Hope Mills | 1.41% |
| 79 | Garner | 1.39% |
| 80 | Wilson | 1.36% |
| 81 | Forest City | 1.34% |
| 82 | Rocky Mount | 1.32% |
| 83 | Gastonia | 1.32% |
| 84 | Eden | 1.29% |
| 85 | Asheville | 1.28% |
| 86 | Wilmington | 1.23% |
| 87 | Wadesboro | 1.18% |
| 88 | Winterville | 1.17% |
| 89 | Hamlet | 1.07% |
| 90 | Rockingham | 1.05% |
| 91 | Asheboro | 1.05% |
| 92 | Clayton | 1.0% |
| 93 | Salisbury | 1.0% |
| 94 | Monroe | 0.95% |
| 95 | Oak Island | 0.95% |
| 96 | Washington | 0.91% |
| 97 | Kill Devil Hills | 0.88% |
| 98 | Shelby | 0.87% |
| 99 | Kinston | 0.82% |
| 100 | Thomasville | 0.71% |
| 101 | Leland | 0.65% |
| 102 | Oxford | 0.58% |
| 103 | Dunn | 0.53% |
| 104 | Wendell | 0.53% |
| 105 | Nashville | 0.52% |
| 106 | Roxboro | 0.51% |
| 107 | Butner | 0.48% |
| 108 | Gibsonville | 0.46% |
| 109 | Lewisville | 0.37% |
| 110 | Lenoir | 0.36% |
| 111 | Siler City | 0.32% |
| 112 | Reidsville | 0.29% |
| 113 | Cherryville | 0.23% |
| 114 | Tarboro | 0.2% |
| 115 | Carolina Beach | 0.15% |
| 116 | King | 0.14% |
| 117 | Lincolnton | 0.13% |
| 118 | Graham | 0.11% |
| 119 | Waynesville | 0.11% |
| 120 | Black Mountain | 0.11% |
| 121 | Brevard | 0.04% |
| 122 | Unionville | 0.02% |
| 123 | Aberdeen | 0.01% |
| 124 | Bessemer City | 0.0% |
| 125 | Selma | 0.0% |
