Identifiers: city · CDP · town
| Rank | Community | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hickory (city), NC | 43,490 |
| 2 | Lenoir (city), NC | 18,352 |
| 3 | Newton (city), NC | 13,148 |
| 4 | Lincolnton (city), NC | 11,091 |
| 5 | St. Stephens (CDP), NC | 8,852 |
| 6 | Conover (city), NC | 8,421 |
| 7 | Long View (town), NC | 5,088 |
| 8 | Sawmills (town), NC | 5,020 |
| 9 | Granite Falls (town), NC | 4,965 |
| 10 | Valdese (town), NC | 4,689 |
| 11 | Bethlehem (CDP), NC | 4,491 |
| 12 | Hudson (town), NC | 3,780 |
| 13 | Maiden (town), NC | 3,736 |
| 14 | Gamewell (town), NC | 3,702 |
| 15 | Mountain View (CDP), NC | 3,590 |
| 16 | Cajah's Mountain (town), NC | 2,722 |
| 17 | Icard (CDP), NC | 2,452 |
| 18 | Drexel (town), NC | 1,760 |
| 19 | Claremont (city), NC | 1,692 |
| 20 | Hildebran (town), NC | 1,679 |