These Are The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In North Carolina For 2019

Editor’s Note: We updated this article for 2019. This is our fourth time ranking the fastest growing cities in North Carolina.

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Is being in an area 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 Ayden, thank you very much.

But today we’re going to put opinions aside and just look at the cold hard facts — over the past five years, which cities in North Carolina have the grown the fastest.

After getting knee deep in the Census’s American Community Survey, we emerged with this set of cities in the Tar Heel State that have people climbing over each other to get in.

These are the 10 fastest growing cities in North Carolina for 2019 according to the most recent census data:

If you happen to be a resident of Rolesville, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on our list.

If you’re surprised–and you’re wondering why these places are kind of a big deal–keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in North Carolina are growing like weeds–but first, a bit about our methodology.

And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in North Carolina or the Fastest Growing States In America.

How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In Tar Heel State

To figure out which cities are growing the most, we simply had to look at the growth rates for cities sine the begining of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:

Population in 2017
Population in 2010
Growth rate from 2010 to 2017 (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2018)

10 Most Dangerous Cities In North Carolina

We ranked all 132 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:

[Population 2017 – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]

Here’s a graph of the cities in North Carolina with the largest percent increase in population:

Click to enlarge

1. Rolesville

Source: Wikipedia User Mkrpowers | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 6,308
Population 2010: 3,289
Growth Rate: 91.79%
Absolute Growth: 3,019
More on Rolesville: Homes For Sale | Data
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.

2. Waxhaw

Source: Flickr User MikeKalasnik | CC BY-SA 2.0

Population: 13,343
Population 2010: 8,754
Growth Rate: 52.42%
Absolute Growth: 4,589
More on Waxhaw: Homes For Sale | Data
Waxhaw is a town located in Union County, North Carolina. The population was 9,859 according to the 2010 Census.

3. Leland

Source: Wikipedia User Idawriter | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 18,023
Population 2010: 11,925
Growth Rate: 51.14%
Absolute Growth: 6,098
More on Leland: Homes For Sale | Data
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 (1986), Domestic Disturbance (2001), and We’re the Millers (2013) have been shot in or around Leland.

4. Morrisville

Source: Town of Morrisville

Population: 23,873
Population 2010: 16,147
Growth Rate: 47.85%
Absolute Growth: 7,726
More on Morrisville: Homes For Sale | Data
Morrisville is a town located in both Wake and Durham counties of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 18,576 at the 2010 census. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the town’s population to be 21,932 as of July 1, 2013. Morrisville is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region. The regional name originated after the 1959 creation of the Research Triangle Park, located midway between the cities of Raleigh and Durham. The Research Triangle region encompasses the U.S. Census Bureau’s Combined Statistical Area (CSA) of Raleigh-Durham-Cary. The estimated population of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary CSA was 1,565,223 as of July 1, 2006, with the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) portion estimated at 994,551 residents. The U.S. headquarters of Chinese multinational Lenovo are located in the municipal limits.

5. Holly Springs

Source: Wikipedia User Jon Harrison | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 31,827
Population 2010: 21,968
Growth Rate: 44.88%
Absolute Growth: 9,859
More on Holly Springs: Homes For Sale | Data
Holly Springs is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 24,661, over 2½ times its population in 2000.

6. Harrisburg

Source: Wikipedia User Cabarruscountyl | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 14,856
Population 2010: 10,328
Growth Rate: 43.84%
Absolute Growth: 4,528
More on Harrisburg: Homes For Sale | Data

7. Wake Forest

Source: Wikipedia User Ildar Sagdejev | GFDL

Population: 38,473
Population 2010: 26,790
Growth Rate: 43.61%
Absolute Growth: 11,683
More on Wake Forest: Homes For Sale | Data
Wake Forest is a town in Franklin and Wake counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina; located almost entirely in Wake County, it lies just north of the state capital, Raleigh. The population was 30,117 at the 2010 census, up from 12,588 at the 2000 census. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city’s population to be 34,752 as of July 1, 2013. In 2007, the town was listed by Forbes magazine as the 20th fastest growing suburb in America, with a 73.2 percent increase in population between 2000 and 2006. Wake Forest was the original home of Wake Forest University for 122 years before it moved to Winston-Salem in 1956.

8. Mebane

Source: Wikipedia User Adchampion91 | GFDL

Population: 14,426
Population 2010: 10,401
Growth Rate: 38.7%
Absolute Growth: 4,025
More on Mebane: Homes For Sale | Data
Mebane /mbn/ is a city located mostly in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States, and partly in Orange County, North Carolina. The town was named for Alexander Mebane, an American Revolutionary War general and member of the U.S. Congress. It was incorporated as “Mebanesville” in 1881, and in 1883 the name was changed to “Mebane”. It was incorporated as a city in 1987. The population as of the 2010 census was 11,393. Mebane is one of the fastest growing municipalities in North Carolina.

9. Knightdale

Source: Wikipedia User Ildar Sagdejev | GFDL

Population: 14,363
Population 2010: 10,477
Growth Rate: 37.09%
Absolute Growth: 3,886
More on Knightdale: Homes For Sale | Data
Knightdale is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 11,401. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the town’s population to be 13,291 as of July 1, 2013. Knightdale’s population grew 10.4% from 2010-2012, making it the second fastest-growing community in the Research Triangle region for that time period.

10. Apex

Source: Public domain

Population: 45,899
Population 2010: 34,427
Growth Rate: 33.32%
Absolute Growth: 11,472
More on Apex: Homes For Sale | Data
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.

These Places Grew Up So Fast, 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.

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!

For more North Carolina reading, check out:

Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In North Carolina

Rank	City	Pop 2017	Pop 2010	Growth	% Growth
1	Rolesville	6,308	3,289	3,019	91.8%
2	Waxhaw	13,343	8,754	4,589	52.4%
3	Leland	18,023	11,925	6,098	51.1%
4	Morrisville	23,873	16,147	7,726	47.8%
5	Holly Springs	31,827	21,968	9,859	44.9%
6	Harrisburg	14,856	10,328	4,528	43.8%
7	Wake Forest	38,473	26,790	11,683	43.6%
8	Mebane	14,426	10,401	4,025	38.7%
9	Knightdale	14,363	10,477	3,886	37.1%
10	Apex	45,899	34,427	11,472	33.3%
11	Clayton	19,306	14,714	4,592	31.2%
12	Marvin	6,174	4,889	1,285	26.3%
13	Wesley Chapel	8,447	6,702	1,745	26.0%
14	Cary	159,715	127,587	32,128	25.2%
15	Pinehurst	15,580	12,521	3,059	24.4%
16	Angier	5,151	4,140	1,011	24.4%
17	Huntersville	53,302	43,106	10,196	23.7%
18	Aberdeen	7,265	5,884	1,381	23.5%
19	Indian Trail	37,191	30,362	6,829	22.5%
20	Cornelius	28,052	22,970	5,082	22.1%
21	Mooresville	36,577	30,582	5,995	19.6%
22	Davidson	12,325	10,320	2,005	19.4%
23	Stallings	14,970	12,682	2,288	18.0%
24	Hillsborough	7,033	5,972	1,061	17.8%
25	Raleigh	449,477	382,729	66,748	17.4%
26	Wendell	6,516	5,563	953	17.1%
27	Charlotte	826,060	705,896	120,164	17.0%
28	Durham	257,232	220,324	36,908	16.8%
29	Mint Hill	25,600	21,940	3,660	16.7%
30	Concord	87,607	75,172	12,435	16.5%
31	Pineville	8,418	7,251	1,167	16.1%
32	Boiling Spring Lakes	5,777	4,982	795	16.0%
33	Oak Ridge	6,728	5,805	923	15.9%
34	Matthews	30,760	26,556	4,204	15.8%
35	Mount Holly	14,948	12,914	2,034	15.8%
36	Belmont	11,373	9,829	1,544	15.7%
37	Fletcher	7,737	6,688	1,049	15.7%
38	Garner	28,048	24,417	3,631	14.9%
39	Summerfield	10,957	9,615	1,342	14.0%
40	Gibsonville	6,845	6,063	782	12.9%
41	Weddington	10,388	9,207	1,181	12.8%
42	Stokesdale	5,331	4,732	599	12.7%
43	Greenville	90,347	80,439	9,908	12.3%
44	Winterville	9,488	8,462	1,026	12.1%
45	Hope Mills	16,106	14,416	1,690	11.7%
46	Boone	18,493	16,566	1,927	11.6%
47	Kannapolis	46,498	41,663	4,835	11.6%
48	Elon	9,939	8,933	1,006	11.3%
49	Unionville	6,497	5,853	644	11.0%
50	Southern Pines	13,426	12,116	1,310	10.8%
51	Carrboro	21,099	19,074	2,025	10.6%
52	Wilmington	115,261	104,730	10,531	10.1%
53	Clemmons	19,844	18,145	1,699	9.4%
54	Asheville	89,318	81,970	7,348	9.0%
55	High Point	109,849	100,903	8,946	8.9%
56	Oak Island	7,400	6,818	582	8.5%
57	Burlington	52,813	48,736	4,077	8.4%
58	Greensboro	284,816	263,358	21,458	8.1%
59	Woodfin	6,394	5,913	481	8.1%
60	Sanford	29,051	26,897	2,154	8.0%
61	Lewisville	13,516	12,518	998	8.0%
62	Carolina Beach	6,116	5,665	451	8.0%
63	Morehead City	9,200	8,523	677	7.9%
64	Smithfield	11,824	10,972	852	7.8%
65	Spring Lake	12,746	11,829	917	7.8%
66	Kernersville	23,988	22,337	1,651	7.4%
67	Chapel Hill	59,234	55,180	4,054	7.3%
68	Jacksonville	73,661	68,989	4,672	6.8%
69	Mills River	7,079	6,633	446	6.7%
70	Monroe	34,368	32,297	2,071	6.4%
71	Dunn	9,657	9,123	534	5.9%
72	Fayetteville	210,324	198,875	11,449	5.8%
73	New Bern	29,664	28,073	1,591	5.7%
74	Asheboro	25,863	24,478	1,385	5.7%
75	Hendersonville	13,620	12,900	720	5.6%
76	Ayden	5,120	4,862	258	5.3%
77	Kill Devil Hills	6,978	6,630	348	5.2%
78	Gastonia	74,381	70,709	3,672	5.2%
79	Statesville	25,872	24,619	1,253	5.1%
80	Long View	5,013	4,772	241	5.1%
81	Nashville	5,473	5,210	263	5.0%
82	Selma	6,375	6,072	303	5.0%
83	Archdale	11,509	10,964	545	5.0%
84	Conover	8,288	7,928	360	4.5%
85	Graham	14,540	13,921	619	4.4%
86	Whiteville	5,487	5,255	232	4.4%
87	Siler City	8,116	7,801	315	4.0%
88	Butner	7,709	7,414	295	4.0%
89	Black Mountain	8,110	7,809	301	3.9%
90	Brevard	7,759	7,489	270	3.6%
91	Mocksville	5,130	4,952	178	3.6%
92	Kings Mountain	10,929	10,631	298	2.8%
93	Cherryville	5,854	5,697	157	2.8%
94	Thomasville	26,901	26,319	582	2.2%
95	Wilson	49,237	48,219	1,018	2.1%
96	Salisbury	33,561	33,018	543	1.6%
97	King	6,763	6,660	103	1.5%
98	Bessemer City	5,411	5,333	78	1.5%
99	Oxford	8,614	8,490	124	1.5%
100	Lincolnton	10,574	10,440	134	1.3%