How many people live in Harnett County, NC?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 146,100 people living in Harnett County, NC. That makes Harnett County the 23rd-most populous county in North Carolina. It is home to 1.3% of people living in the state.
146K
population of Harnett County, NC (2024)
1.3%
County share of the North Carolina population (2024)
About 146,100 people lived in Harnett County, NC in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Harnett County, NC’s age demographics?
About 20,800 Harnett County, NC residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 14.2% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18% of North Carolina’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 36,500 Harnett County residents, or 25% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 21.6% of North Carolina’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A lower share of Harnett County, NC's population is aged 65 or older than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Harnett County, NC’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 57.9% of the Harnett County, NC population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. Harnett County, NC also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic Black or African American (20.5%) than the US overall (12.6%).
In contrast, Harnett County’s non-Hispanic Asian population accounts for 1.4%, below the 6.5% nationwide, and the Hispanic population makes up 16% of the county, compared with 20% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Harnett County, NC has a higher share of a Hispanic population than North Carolina as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Harnett County, NC is Dunn with about 8,800 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Harnett County, NC ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dunn | 8,754 |
| 2. | Angier (pt.) | 6,963 |
| 3. | Erwin | 4,865 |
| 4. | Lillington | 4,848 |
| 5. | Coats | 2,317 |
| 6. | Benson (pt.) | |
| 7. | Broadway (pt.) | |
| 8. | Fuquay-Varina (pt.) | |
| 9. | Balance of Harnett County | 118,349 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
