Ecuadorian Population in North Carolina by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the Ecuadorian population in North Carolina totals 13,790. Mecklenburg County contains the largest Ecuadorian community with 5,509 residents, followed by Wake County (1,394), Union County (1,174), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in North Carolina by their Ecuadorian populations, offering insights into local community distribution and broader settlement trends.

Top 5 counties with the largest Ecuadorian population in North Carolina

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  • 1
    Mecklenburg County
    Ecuadorian population in Mecklenburg County is 5,509
    0.49% of Mecklenburg County population is Ecuadorian
  • 2
    Wake County
    Ecuadorian population in Wake County is 1,394
    0.12% of Wake County population is Ecuadorian
  • 3
    Union County
    Ecuadorian population in Union County is 1,174
    0.48% of Union County population is Ecuadorian
  • 4
    Guilford County
    Ecuadorian population in Guilford County is 615
    0.11% of Guilford County population is Ecuadorian
  • 5
    Buncombe County
    Ecuadorian population in Buncombe County is 574
    0.21% of Buncombe County population is Ecuadorian

Overview of Ecuadorian population in North Carolina

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate North Carolina contains 13,790 Ecuadorian residents (0.13% of 10.6 million total state population), positioning the state at the 81st percentile nationally among U.S. states for Ecuadorian population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show North Carolina's Ecuadorian demographic representation of 0.13% remains below the national average of 0.25%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey document North Carolina's 13,790 Ecuadorian residents constitute 1.6% of the nation's total Ecuadorian population of 843,912, providing the state with a measurable but modest share of the national demographic community.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data documents North Carolina contains 0.28 Ecuadorian Americans per square mile, above the national average of 0.24 per square mile, indicating marginally stronger community presence than most U.S. states.
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98 Counties in North Carolina Ranked by Ecuadorian Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Ecuadorian population in North Carolina distributed across multiple counties, led by Mecklenburg County, Wake County, Union County, and Guilford County, while several other counties recorded no residents identified as Americans of full or partial Ecuadorian ancestry. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all counties included in this analysis*.
counties in North Carolina ranked by Ecuadorian population count
Rank by Ecuadorian Population
County
Ecuadorian Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total North Carolina Ecuadorian Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Mecklenburg County 5,509 0.49% 39.95%
2 Wake County 1,394 0.12% 10.11%
3 Union County 1,174 0.48% 8.51%
4 Guilford County 615 0.11% 4.46%
5 Buncombe County 574 0.21% 4.16%
6 Johnston County 557 0.25% 4.04%
7 Cumberland County 540 0.16% 3.92%
8 532 0.26% 3.86%
9 300 0.19% 2.18%
10 290 0.17% 2.10%
11 203 0.06% 1.47%
12 201 0.10% 1.46%
13 191 0.05% 1.39%
14 173 0.07% 1.25%
15 167 0.07% 1.21%
16 165 0.16% 1.20%
17 134 0.19% 0.97%
18 129 0.33% 0.94%
19 127 0.09% 0.92%
20 120 0.09% 0.87%
21 55 0.10% 0.40%
22 54 0.12% 0.39%
23 53 0.07% 0.38%
24 52 0.04% 0.38%
25 49 0.08% 0.36%
26 35 0.02% 0.25%
26 35 0.08% 0.25%
27 34 0.03% 0.25%
28 33 0.07% 0.24%
29 28 0.10% 0.20%
30 25 0.03% 0.18%
31 23 0.05% 0.17%
32 22 0.02% 0.16%
32 22 0.03% 0.16%
33 21 0.03% 0.15%
34 20 0.02% 0.15%
35 19 0.03% 0.14%
35 19 0.02% 0.14%
35 19 0.01% 0.14%
35 19 0.15% 0.14%
36 12 0.01% 0.09%
36 12 0.02% 0.09%
37 10 0.01% 0.07%
37 10 0.02% 0.07%
38 6 0.01% 0.04%
39 5 0.01% 0.04%
40 2 0.00% 0.01%
41 1 0.00% 0.01%
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks county in North Carolina by their Ecuadorian population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Ecuadorian population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Ecuadorian ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Ecuadorian alone, while others identify as Ecuadorian along with another race (such as Ecuadorian and German).
  • We’ve used the “Ecuadorian alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Ecuadorian population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Ecuadorian alone or in combination in county. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total County Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Ecuadorian .
  2. % of Total North Carolina Ecuadorian Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Ecuadorian population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Ecuadorian populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • County that don’t have any reported Ecuadorian population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Ecuadorian populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.