The 10 North Carolina Cities With The Largest Asian Population For 2024


The most Asian places in North Carolina are Morrisville and Cary for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

Most Asian cities in North Carolina research summary. We analyzed North Carolina’s most recent Census data to determine the most Asian cities in North Carolina based on the percentage of Asian residents. Here are the results of our analysis:

  • The most Asian city in North Carolina is Morrisville based on the most recent Census data.

  • Morrisville is 42.5% Asian.

  • The least Asian city in North Carolina is Selma.

  • Selma is 0.0% Asian.

  • North Carolina is 3.1% Asian.

  • North Carolina is the 23rd most Asian state in the United States.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


Here are the cities in North Carolina with the largest Asian population in 2024:

  1. Morrisville
  2. Cary
  3. Apex
  4. Chapel Hill
  5. Harrisburg
  6. Oak Ridge
  7. Carrboro
  8. High Point
  9. Weddington
  10. Charlotte

Which city in North Carolina had the largest Asian population? Morrisville took the number one overall spot for the largest Asian in North Carolina for 2024. 42.5% of Morrisville identify as Asian.

Read 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 2024

Morrisville, NC

Source: Town of Morrisville
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 29,756
% Asian: 42.5%
# Of Asian Residents: 12,646
More on Morrisville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Cary, NC

Source: Flickr User James Willamor | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 174,880
% Asian: 20.85%
# Of Asian Residents: 36,456
More on Cary: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Apex, NC

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 65,541
% Asian: 14.82%
# Of Asian Residents: 9,713
More on Apex: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Chapel Hill, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Caroline Culler (User:Wgreaves) | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 58,919
% Asian: 13.38%
# Of Asian Residents: 7,885
More on Chapel Hill: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Harrisburg, NC

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

7
/10

Population: 18,934
% Asian: 12.6%
# Of Asian Residents: 2,386
More on Harrisburg: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Oak Ridge, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Ceh2624 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 7,637
% Asian: 12.28%
# Of Asian Residents: 938
More on Oak Ridge: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Carrboro, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Elizabeth B. Thomsen Ethomsen | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 21,242
% Asian: 9.05%
# Of Asian Residents: 1,922
More on Carrboro: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

High Point, NC

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 114,120
% Asian: 7.72%
# Of Asian Residents: 8,813
More on High Point: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Weddington, NC

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 13,173
% Asian: 6.72%
# Of Asian Residents: 885
More on Weddington: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Charlotte, NC

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

7.5
/10

Population: 875,045
% Asian: 6.49%
# Of Asian Residents: 56,768
More on Charlotte: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In North Carolina With The Largest Asian Population For 2024

We used Saturday Night Science to compare Census data on race across every place in North Carolina.

The Census’s most recently available data comes from the 2018-2022 American Community Survey.

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*
* Not Hispanic or Latino

Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as Asian alone.

We limited our analysis to cities with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 125 cities.

We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Asian. The percentages ranked from 42.5% to 0.0%.

Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage 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.

We updated this article for 2024. This report reflects our tenth time ranking the cities in North Carolina with the largest Asian population.

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.

The most Asian cities in North Carolina are Morrisville, Cary, Apex, Chapel Hill, Harrisburg, Oak Ridge, Carrboro, High Point, Weddington, and Charlotte.

If you’re curious enough, here are the least Asian places in North Carolina:

  1. Selma
  2. Siler City
  3. Wendell

For more North Carolina reading, check out:

Table: Asian Population By City In North Carolina

Rank City Population Asian Population % Asian
1 Morrisville 29,756 12,646 42.5%
2 Cary 174,880 36,456 20.85%
3 Apex 65,541 9,713 14.82%
4 Chapel Hill 58,919 7,885 13.38%
5 Harrisburg 18,934 2,386 12.6%
6 Oak Ridge 7,637 938 12.28%
7 Carrboro 21,242 1,922 9.05%
8 High Point 114,120 8,813 7.72%
9 Weddington 13,173 885 6.72%
10 Charlotte 875,045 56,768 6.49%
11 Holly Springs 42,023 2,594 6.17%
12 Matthews 29,613 1,782 6.02%
13 Concord 105,335 6,291 5.97%
14 Archdale 11,873 697 5.87%
15 Waxhaw 20,665 1,208 5.85%
16 Durham 284,094 16,173 5.69%
17 Pineville 10,532 593 5.63%
18 Clemmons 21,281 1,170 5.5%
19 Greensboro 297,202 15,824 5.32%
20 New Bern 31,373 1,599 5.1%
21 Mooresville 50,025 2,482 4.96%
22 Wadesboro 5,004 244 4.88%
23 Mills River 7,100 339 4.77%
24 Stallings 16,193 758 4.68%
25 Mount Holly 17,644 825 4.68%
26 Marion 7,652 352 4.6%
27 Huntersville 61,202 2,795 4.57%
28 Raleigh 465,517 21,044 4.52%
29 Summerfield 10,986 488 4.44%
30 Mebane 17,899 791 4.42%
31 Newton 13,173 569 4.32%
32 Havelock 16,759 680 4.06%
33 Hickory 43,352 1,739 4.01%
34 Fletcher 8,000 308 3.85%
35 Mint Hill 26,537 1,013 3.82%
36 Lexington 19,595 697 3.56%
37 Indian Trail 40,325 1,317 3.27%
38 Conover 8,457 275 3.25%
39 Albemarle 16,444 534 3.25%
40 Wesley Chapel 8,763 278 3.17%
41 Fayetteville 208,697 6,478 3.1%
42 Elon 11,161 339 3.04%
43 Trinity 7,012 212 3.02%
44 Southern Pines 15,701 466 2.97%
45 Woodfin 7,901 231 2.92%
46 Greenville 87,894 2,513 2.86%
47 Knightdale 19,127 524 2.74%
48 Jacksonville 71,908 1,930 2.68%
49 Davidson 15,199 402 2.64%
50 Cornelius 31,396 825 2.63%
51 Belmont 14,842 379 2.55%
52 Clinton 8,362 211 2.52%
53 Winston-Salem 249,571 6,136 2.46%
54 Burlington 56,951 1,391 2.44%
55 Spring Lake 11,710 285 2.43%
56 Aberdeen 8,674 206 2.37%
57 Hillsborough 9,534 223 2.34%
58 Kannapolis 53,314 1,233 2.31%
59 Wake Forest 48,047 1,098 2.29%
60 Morganton 17,457 398 2.28%
61 Boone 19,368 439 2.27%
62 Statesville 28,576 613 2.15%
63 Williamston 5,224 110 2.11%
64 Mount Airy 10,621 220 2.07%
65 Kings Mountain 11,246 231 2.05%
66 Pinehurst 17,653 352 1.99%
67 Fuquay-Varina 35,428 664 1.87%
68 Smithfield 11,527 210 1.82%
69 Goldsboro 33,566 593 1.77%
70 Kernersville 27,177 472 1.74%
71 Garner 31,684 511 1.61%
72 Morehead City 9,632 149 1.55%
73 Forest City 7,357 111 1.51%
74 Asheville 93,695 1,390 1.48%
75 Eden 15,349 219 1.43%
76 Lumberton 19,099 268 1.4%
77 Elizabeth City 18,570 256 1.38%
78 Sanford 30,373 416 1.37%
79 Roanoke Rapids 15,143 200 1.32%
80 Salisbury 35,437 461 1.3%
81 Wilmington 116,933 1,492 1.28%
82 Hope Mills 17,671 225 1.27%
83 Rocky Mount 54,260 680 1.25%
84 Shelby 21,712 257 1.18%
85 Kill Devil Hills 7,658 88 1.15%
86 Gastonia 80,615 921 1.14%
87 Wilson 47,767 544 1.14%
88 Asheboro 27,117 286 1.05%
89 Kinston 19,704 204 1.04%
90 Winterville 10,510 106 1.01%
91 Oak Island 8,564 79 0.92%
92 Oxford 8,685 79 0.91%
93 Washington 9,759 85 0.87%
94 Clayton 26,837 226 0.84%
95 Gibsonville 8,827 69 0.78%
96 Laurinburg 14,971 116 0.77%
97 Henderson 14,997 109 0.73%
98 Thomasville 27,130 196 0.72%
99 Graham 17,136 119 0.69%
100 Nashville 5,624 38 0.68%
101 Leland 24,473 158 0.65%
102 Monroe 34,897 215 0.62%
103 Roxboro 8,131 45 0.55%
104 Dunn 8,549 44 0.51%
105 Lenoir 18,301 89 0.49%
106 Butner 8,374 32 0.38%
107 Waynesville 10,307 37 0.36%
108 Carolina Beach 6,583 23 0.35%
109 Lincolnton 11,225 38 0.34%
110 Hendersonville 15,102 50 0.33%
111 Reidsville 14,526 48 0.33%
112 Bessemer City 5,472 7 0.13%
113 King 7,210 9 0.12%
114 Tarboro 10,696 10 0.09%
115 Brevard 7,777 7 0.09%
116 Black Mountain 8,430 7 0.08%
117 Cherryville 6,113 4 0.07%
118 Rockingham 9,174 6 0.07%
119 Unionville 6,694 1 0.01%
120 Lewisville 13,509 1 0.01%
121 Sawmills 5,026 0 0.0%
122 Hamlet 6,043 0 0.0%
123 Wendell 10,575 0 0.0%
124 Siler City 7,847 0 0.0%
125 Selma 6,449 0 0.0%
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.