The 10 Most Diverse Cities In North Carolina For 2022


We used data and science to determine the most diverse cities in North Carolina.

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Most Diverse Cities In North Carolina

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Race relations in America seem to be hitting a tipping point.

While we still haven't dealt with racism as a society, the election of Donald Trump to the presidency has only flamed the tensions that have been mounting for years.

Part of the reason for that tension? The country as a whole continues to self segregate across race, income, and party lines. But it's not all bad on the race relations front.

There are parts of North Carolina where there's a high level of diversity -- where people of all walks of life come together. We decided to shine a light on those places today.

Using a standard measure of diversity, we ranked all 138 cities in North Carolina from most to least diverse.

Here are the 10 most diverse places in North Carolina for 2022:

  1. Spring Lake
  2. Lumberton
  3. Charlotte
  4. Lexington
  5. Morrisville
  6. Durham
  7. Sanford
  8. Fayetteville
  9. Pineville
  10. Clinton

So what city is the most diverse in North Carolina? According to the most Census data, Spring Lake took the number one over all spot for diversity in North Carolina.

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. To see where North Carolina ranked as a state, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in Ameria.

And if you already knew these places were diverse, check out:

The 10 Most Diverse Places In North Carolina For 2022

1. Spring Lake

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 12,093

HHI: 2,854
% White: 37.1%
% African American: 33.7%
% Asian: 2.7%
More on Spring Lake: Data

2. Lumberton

Lumberton, NC

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 20,704

HHI: 3,104
% White: 38.4%
% African American: 37.2%
% Asian: 1.0%
More on Lumberton: Photos | Data

3. Charlotte

Charlotte, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Greengrass090 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 873,570

HHI: 3,139
% White: 40.7%
% African American: 34.9%
% Asian: 6.6%
More on Charlotte: Photos | Data

4. Lexington

Lexington, NC

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 18,970

HHI: 3,181
% White: 44.2%
% African American: 30.0%
% Asian: 2.7%
More on Lexington: Photos | Data

5. Morrisville

Morrisville, NC

Source: Town of Morrisville
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 27,582

HHI: 3,184
% White: 38.1%
% African American: 12.4%
% Asian: 39.3%
More on Morrisville: Photos | Data

6. Durham

Durham, NC

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 276,341

HHI: 3,200
% White: 40.0%
% African American: 37.1%
% Asian: 5.3%
More on Durham: Photos | Data

7. Sanford

Sanford, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Bigbird78 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 29,758

HHI: 3,201
% White: 41.4%
% African American: 26.8%
% Asian: 2.1%
More on Sanford: Photos | Data

8. Fayetteville

Fayetteville, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Hegemanc | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 211,201

HHI: 3,234
% White: 36.1%
% African American: 41.6%
% Asian: 2.9%
More on Fayetteville: Photos | Data

9. Pineville

Pineville, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Deshort | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 8,923

HHI: 3,252
% White: 48.7%
% African American: 23.6%
% Asian: 6.6%
More on Pineville: Photos | Data

10. Clinton

Clinton, NC

Source: Flickr User Gerry Dincher | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 8,480

HHI: 3,270
% White: 37.9%
% African American: 39.0%
% Asian: 2.2%
More on Clinton: Photos | Data

Methodology: How we determined the most diverse cities in North Carolina for 2022

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 2016-2020 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:

  • 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*
  • Hispanic or Latino
* Not hispanic or latino
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We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 138 cities.

We then calculated the HHI for each city by finding the racial breakdown of a city in percent terms, squaring them, and then adding the squares together. This left us with scores ranging from 2,854 (Spring Lake) to 9,408 (Oak Island).

Finally, we ranked each city based on the HHI with a lower score being more diverse than a high score. Spring Lake took the distinction of being the most diverse, while Oak Island was the least diverse city. You can download the data here.

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

Summary: Diversity Across North Carolina

If you're looking for a scientific breakdown of diversity across North Carolina, this is an accurate list.

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

  1. Oak Island
  2. Carolina Beach
  3. St. James

For more North Carolina reading, check out:

Detailed List Of Race By City In North Carolina For 2022

Rank City Population HHI
1 Spring Lake, NC 12,093 2,854
2 Lumberton, NC 20,704 3,104
3 Charlotte, NC 873,570 3,139
4 Lexington, NC 18,970 3,181
5 Morrisville, NC 27,582 3,184
6 Durham, NC 276,341 3,200
7 Sanford, NC 29,758 3,201
8 Fayetteville, NC 211,201 3,234
9 Pineville, NC 8,923 3,252
10 Clinton, NC 8,480 3,270
11 Siler City, NC 8,159 3,315
12 Hope Mills, NC 15,972 3,325
13 Monroe, NC 35,339 3,335
14 High Point, NC 112,434 3,340
15 Zebulon, NC 5,712 3,394
16 Roxboro, NC 8,323 3,436
17 Winston-Salem, NC 245,787 3,443
18 Burlington, NC 54,534 3,488
19 Greensboro, NC 294,395 3,537
20 Butner, NC 7,779 3,610
21 Graham, NC 15,168 3,693
22 Knightdale, NC 16,798 3,711
23 Jacksonville, NC 74,313 3,723
24 Statesville, NC 27,114 3,735
25 Salisbury, NC 33,961 3,743
26 Raleigh, NC 469,698 3,750
27 Wendell, NC 7,962 3,781
28 Selma, NC 6,950 3,804
29 Smithfield, NC 12,697 3,819
30 Havelock, NC 19,927 3,836
31 Concord, NC 94,147 3,839
32 New Bern, NC 29,985 3,853
33 Wilson, NC 49,310 3,856
34 Laurinburg, NC 15,118 3,864
35 Angier, NC 5,748 3,889
36 Asheboro, NC 25,877 3,905
37 Williamston, NC 5,251 3,968
38 Goldsboro, NC 34,610 4,007
39 Clayton, NC 23,179 4,010
40 Washington, NC 9,555 4,027
41 Gastonia, NC 76,635 4,034
42 Roanoke Rapids, NC 14,562 4,048
43 Elizabeth City, NC 17,725 4,055
44 Ayden, NC 5,138 4,099
45 Harrisburg, NC 16,073 4,112
46 Marion, NC 7,853 4,133
47 Greenville, NC 92,826 4,136
48 Dunn, NC 9,738 4,205
49 Garner, NC 30,345 4,242
50 Cary, NC 169,177 4,242
51 Tarboro, NC 10,806 4,304
52 Morganton, NC 16,517 4,309
53 Whiteville, NC 5,348 4,333
54 Kannapolis, NC 49,788 4,336
55 Rolesville, NC 8,002 4,366
56 Lincolnton, NC 11,099 4,393
57 Hamlet, NC 6,366 4,461
58 Oxford, NC 8,812 4,473
59 Reidsville, NC 13,928 4,476
60 Shelby, NC 20,046 4,479
61 Forest City, NC 7,150 4,484
62 Mebane, NC 15,564 4,493
63 Erwin, NC 5,104 4,506
64 Eden, NC 14,986 4,529
65 Winterville, NC 10,062 4,537
66 Rockingham, NC 8,771 4,569
67 Thomasville, NC 26,834 4,578
68 Henderson, NC 15,127 4,650
69 Chapel Hill, NC 61,912 4,679
70 Carrboro, NC 21,254 4,692
71 Hickory, NC 41,067 4,741
72 Nashville, NC 5,521 4,772
73 Rocky Mount, NC 54,330 4,875
74 Gibsonville, NC 7,232 4,937
75 Albemarle, NC 16,073 4,938
76 Marvin, NC 6,672 4,965
77 Mocksville, NC 5,241 4,997
78 Fuquay-Varina, NC 29,110 5,078
79 Conover, NC 8,488 5,158
80 Newton, NC 13,106 5,159
81 Kernersville, NC 24,876 5,174
82 Kinston, NC 20,173 5,196
83 Stokesdale, NC 5,451 5,297
84 Waxhaw, NC 16,165 5,336
85 Wake Forest, NC 44,068 5,345
86 Hillsborough, NC 7,162 5,355
87 Stallings, NC 15,781 5,421
88 Mount Holly, NC 15,947 5,493
89 Wilmington, NC 122,162 5,497
90 Kings Mountain, NC 10,885 5,545
91 Walke, NC 5,166 5,572
92 Huntersville, NC 57,288 5,586
93 Lenoir, NC 17,909 5,599
94 Holly Springs, NC 36,595 5,611
95 Apex, NC 55,220 5,621
96 Matthews, NC 32,682 5,661
97 Mint Hill, NC 27,258 5,683
98 Southern Pines, NC 14,347 5,707
99 Mooresville, NC 38,498 5,727
100 Indian Trail, NC 39,644 5,862
Download The Entire North Carolina Ranking Data

How Is The Area In ?

Editor's Note: We updated this article for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the most diverse places in North Carolina.

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.

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