Korean Population in North Carolina by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights
According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, North Carolina is home to 35,097 Korean residents. Wake County contains the largest Korean community with 8,431 individuals, followed by Mecklenburg County (4,550), Cumberland County (3,239), and several other counties contributing to this statewide total. The remaining difference may reflect Korean populations in lower-population counties not listed above or minor reporting adjustments in the census data. This demographic breakdown ranks all counties in North Carolina by their Korean population, offering insights into community patterns across the state.
Read more
Top 5 counties with the largest Korean population in North Carolina
-
1Wake CountyKorean population in Wake County is 8,4310.73% of Wake County population is Korean
-
2Mecklenburg CountyKorean population in Mecklenburg County is 4,5500.40% of Mecklenburg County population is Korean
-
3Cumberland CountyKorean population in Cumberland County is 3,2390.96% of Cumberland County population is Korean
-
4Guilford CountyKorean population in Guilford County is 1,5000.28% of Guilford County population is Korean
-
5Orange CountyKorean population in Orange County is 1,4841.01% of Orange County population is Korean
Overview of Korean population in North Carolina
- Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate North Carolina contains 35,097 Korean residents (0.33% of 10.6 million total state population), positioning the state at the 70th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Korean population concentrations.
- Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show North Carolina's Korean demographic representation of 0.33% remains below the national average of 0.6%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
- Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey document North Carolina's 35,097 Korean residents constitute 1.8% of the nation's total Korean population of 2.0 million, 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 show North Carolina maintains 0.72 Korean Americans per square mile compared to the national average of 0.57, indicating higher demographic concentration relative to national averages.
- Need additional overviews? Extended research data available for purchase and license. ➔
98 Counties in North Carolina Ranked by Korean Population
American Community Survey data [1] show Korean population in North Carolina distributed across multiple counties, led by Wake County, Mecklenburg County, Cumberland County, and Guilford County, while several other counties recorded no residents identified as Americans of Korean 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*.
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 Korean population, using the most recent ACS data available.
How the Census defines Korean 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 Korean 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 Korean alone, while others identify as Korean along with another race (such as Korean and German).
- We’ve used the “Korean alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Korean population in each area.
How We Ranked the Data
This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Korean alone or in combination in county. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
- % of Total County Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Korean .
- % of Total North Carolina Korean Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Korean 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 Korean 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 Korean 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 Korean populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles 2023.