TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
NCNorth Carolina rankings

Towns losing population in North Carolina

Ranked by population loss between the 2010 and 2020 censuses. 71 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Polkton 1 Polkton −33.3% 2010 census 3,375 2 Burgaw −20.2% 2010 census 3,872 Map of Havelock 3 Havelock −19.8% 2010 census 20,735
#TownChange 2010–20202010 census2020 census
1 Polkton Polkton2,555 people −33.3% 3,375 2,250
2 Burgaw3,850 people −20.2% 3,872 3,088
3 Map of Havelock Havelock17,691 people −19.8% 20,735 16,621
4 Map of Plymouth Plymouth3,250 people −14.4% 3,878 3,320
5 Map of Wadesboro Wadesboro4,972 people −13.8% 5,813 5,008
6 Map of Rutherfordton Rutherfordton3,680 people −13.6% 4,213 3,640
7 Wallace3,457 people −12.0% 3,880 3,413
8 Mar-Mac2,877 people −11.9% 3,615 3,184
9 Map of Lumberton Lumberton18,859 people −11.7% 21,542 19,025
10 Whiteville4,696 people −11.6% 5,394 4,766
11 Edenton Edenton4,494 people −10.9% 5,004 4,460
12 Map of Troy Troy2,926 people −10.6% 3,189 2,850
13 Warsaw2,746 people −10.5% 3,054 2,733
14 Map of James City James City4,789 people −10.3% 5,899 5,291
15 Red Springs3,125 people −9.9% 3,428 3,087
16 Map of Half Moon Half Moon7,378 people −9.7% 8,352 7,543
17 Map of La Grange La Grange2,756 people −9.7% 2,873 2,595
18 Dunn8,559 people −8.8% 9,263 8,446
19 Map of Louisburg Louisburg3,263 people −8.8% 3,359 3,064
20 Gamewell3,689 people −8.6% 4,051 3,702
21 Mount Olive4,453 people −8.5% 4,589 4,198
22 Kinston19,505 people −8.2% 21,677 19,900
23 Elizabethtown3,277 people −8.0% 3,583 3,296
24 River Road3,366 people −7.9% 4,394 4,048
25 Map of Goldsboro Goldsboro34,383 people −7.6% 36,437 33,657
26 Map of Murfreesboro Murfreesboro3,170 people −7.6% 2,835 2,619
27 Hamlet5,961 people −7.2% 6,495 6,025
28 East Rockingham2,779 people −7.1% 3,736 3,471
29 River Bend2,874 people −7.0% 3,119 2,902
30 Map of Grifton Grifton2,515 people −6.5% 2,617 2,448
31 Map of Fairfield Harbour Fairfield Harbour2,948 people −6.3% 2,952 2,767
32 Map of Laurinburg Laurinburg15,087 people −6.2% 15,962 14,978
33 Map of Tarboro Tarboro10,770 people −6.1% 11,415 10,721
34 Map of Rocky Mount Rocky Mount54,297 people −5.5% 57,477 54,341
35 Wentworth2,692 people −5.2% 2,807 2,662
36 Pembroke2,822 people −5.0% 2,973 2,823
37 Williamston Williamston5,112 people −4.8% 5,511 5,248
38 Brogden2,733 people −4.7% 2,633 2,510
39 Map of Lake Park Lake Park3,431 people −4.5% 3,422 3,269
40 Map of Sawmills Sawmills5,042 people −4.2% 5,240 5,020
41 Map of Farmville Farmville4,514 people −4.1% 4,654 4,461
42 Sneads Ferry2,728 people −3.7% 2,646 2,548
43 Map of Mountain Home Mountain Home3,437 people −3.6% 3,622 3,490
44 Cajah's Mountain2,704 people −3.6% 2,823 2,722
45 Map of Royal Pines Royal Pines4,325 people −3.4% 4,272 4,127
46 Map of Roanoke Rapids Roanoke Rapids14,856 people −3.3% 15,754 15,229
47 Rockingham8,967 people −3.3% 9,558 9,243
48 Tyro3,833 people −3.2% 3,879 3,753
49 Clinton8,304 people −3.0% 8,639 8,383
50 Map of Ahoskie Ahoskie4,764 people −2.9% 5,039 4,891
51 Elroy3,251 people −2.9% 3,869 3,755
52 Wilson48,370 people −2.7% 49,167 47,851
53 Roxboro8,182 people −2.7% 8,362 8,134
54 Red Oak3,405 people −2.6% 3,430 3,342
55 Spring Lake11,573 people −2.5% 11,964 11,660
56 Siler City7,995 people −2.3% 7,887 7,702
57 Spindale Spindale4,131 people −2.2% 4,321 4,225
58 Henderson14,885 people −2.0% 15,368 15,060
59 Haw River2,824 people −2.0% 2,298 2,252
60 Map of Trent Woods Trent Woods4,032 people −1.9% 4,155 4,074
61 Marion Marion7,579 people −1.5% 7,838 7,717
62 Forest City Forest City7,363 people −1.3% 7,476 7,377
63 Map of Windsor Windsor3,269 people −1.3% 3,630 3,582
64 Map of Raeford Raeford4,552 people −1.1% 4,611 4,559
65 Map of Enochville Enochville3,321 people −1.1% 2,925 2,893
66 Eden15,356 people −0.7% 15,527 15,421
67 Boiling Springs Boiling Springs4,757 people −0.7% 4,647 4,615
68 Map of Welcome Welcome3,521 people −0.7% 4,162 4,131
69 Map of Sylva Sylva2,646 people −0.4% 2,588 2,578
70 Elizabeth City Elizabeth City18,871 people −0.3% 18,683 18,631
71 Wrightsville Beach Wrightsville Beach2,665 people −0.2% 2,477 2,473

How this ranking works

We rank every town by population loss between the 2010 and 2020 censuses. Only towns that shrank are listed. The town with the lowest figure ranks #1. For comparison, the figure for North Carolina as a whole is +9.5%.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

AL AZ AR CA CO FL GA IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO NH NJ NM NY NC OH OK PA SC TN TX VT VA WA WV WI All of the U.S.