Raleigh, NC – North Carolina has consistently been one of the fastest-growing states in the nation in recent years — and 2026 continues that trend. Even with a decline in international migration, North Carolina continues to grow, according to the US Census Bureau.
From July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, North Carolina added 145,000 new residents, bringing the population to 11.2 million. This growth rate of 1.3% is the third highest, only behind South Carolina and Idaho.
In terms of raw numbers, North Carolina has came in third, with almost 146,000 new residents, trailing the two states (Texas and Florida) it has trailed in other recent years. Texas added the largest number of new residents overall, with just above 391,000 people; and Florida ranked second, with almost 197,000 new residents.
Over the past few years, North Carolina has experienced a tremendous and consistent population growth, ranking among the fastest growing states in the nation. Growth did slow down during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the state saw a bounce back in 2022 as state migration grew. Thousands of new residents relocated from some of the higher cost states like New York and California, which contributed to high population growth. Birth rates stayed roughly the same. In 2024, the US Census Bureau showed North Carolina recording over 160,000 new residents.
While the growth has slowed down compared to the previous calendar year, North Carolina continues to benefit from nationwide migration, despite the effects of the notable drop in international migration.
Assistant division chief for estimates and projections at the Census Bureau Christine Hartley said, “The slowdown in U.S. population growth is largely due to a historic decline in net international migration, which dropped from 2.7 million to 1.3 million in the period from July 2024 through June 2025,”
Across the country, international migration declined over half from 2.7 to 1.3 million. Officials within the United States Census Bureau said this was the chief cause of the US population growth slowing to 0.5%, the lowest rate since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Housing prices have soared as these new arrivals continue to pour in, causing some friction and frustration for current residents. There are also concerns about if infrastructure and public services will be able to catch up.
“With births and deaths remaining relatively stable compared to the prior year, the sharp decline in net international migration is the main reason for the slower growth rate we see today,” Hartley said.
The data gathered by the United States Census Bureau found that almost every state had population growth slow or decline. The only two states that avoided this decline were West Virginia and Montana.
Cities like Charlotte, Raleigh, and Durham are expected to continue to grow, due to strong job markets and corporate relocations. More detailed data regarding specific North Carolina cities is scheduled to come in March.
Anna Claire Walker is an intern at Carolina Journal and a sophomore at Wake Technical Community College studying communications.