Identifiers: city · town · CDP
| Rank | Community | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lenoir (city), NC | 18,352 |
| 2 | Morganton (city), NC | 17,474 |
| 3 | Marion (city), NC | 7,717 |
| 4 | Long View (town), NC | 5,088 |
| 5 | Valdese (town), NC | 4,689 |
| 6 | Hudson (town), NC | 3,780 |
| 7 | Gamewell (town), NC | 3,702 |
| 8 | Mountain View (CDP), NC | 3,590 |
| 9 | Cajah's Mountain (town), NC | 2,722 |
| 10 | Icard (CDP), NC | 2,452 |
| 11 | Salem (CDP), NC | 2,356 |
| 12 | Nebo (CDP), NC | 1,790 |
| 13 | Drexel (town), NC | 1,760 |
| 14 | Hildebran (town), NC | 1,679 |
| 15 | Connelly Springs (town), NC | 1,529 |
| 16 | Glen Alpine (town), NC | 1,529 |
| 17 | Rutherford College (town), NC | 1,226 |
| 18 | West Marion (CDP), NC | 1,226 |
| 19 | Rhodhiss (town), NC | 997 |
| 20 | Glenwood (CDP), NC | 501 |