North Carolina Hispanic Population Surpasses 1.4 Million Amid Slowing Growth

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Deceleration in Growth Amid Federal Policy Shifts

The latest figures show that the state’s Hispanic growth rate has slowed down compared to prior periods. According to data, the Latino population grew by 6.6% the previous year and 5.1% in the period before that.

The period covered by the new Census estimates coincided with the initial months of President Donald Trump’s current administration, which brought an immediate tightening of federal immigration policies, the closure of the southern border, and an increase in deportations of undocumented immigrants. However, Census estimates do not distinguish between individuals with and without legal immigration status. Because of this structural limitation in the data, the agency’s numbers do not establish a direct causal link between federal policies and the observed demographic slowdown.

Broader Demographic Reach and Regional Concentration

Despite the slower annual pace, the broader trend since 2020 shows substantial expansion. The state’s Hispanic population has grown by 26% overall since 2020, representing nearly 13% of North Carolina’s total 11.2 million residents. Along with the non-Hispanic Asian community, Latinos account for more than half of the roughly 800,000 new residents added to the state between 2020 and 2025.

Geographically, Census data analyzed by Enlace Latino NC reveals that the Hispanic presence tells two distinct stories depending on the metric used. In several rural eastern counties, Latinos make up a much higher proportion of the local population than the 13% state average. In Duplin County, Hispanic residents reach 26.0% of the population, followed by Sampson County at 25.3% and Lee County at 23.7%. These areas form the core of the state’s agricultural and poultry industries. Meanwhile, absolute numbers remain heavily concentrated in large urban centers like Mecklenburg County, where Hispanic residents make up 17.9% of the population.

Youthful Demographics Counter State Aging Trends

The Census data highlights the youthfulness of the Latino community as a primary factor counteracting the broader aging of North Carolina’s population. Alongside the non-Hispanic Asian community, the Hispanic population remains considerably younger than the state’s traditional white and Black demographics.

Only 5.3% of the state’s Hispanic residents are 65 years of age or older, a stark contrast to the 24.1% seen among non-Hispanic white residents. While the share of Hispanic residents under 18 years old declined from 35.5% in 2020 to 32.6% in 2025, children and teenagers still make up the largest age bracket within the community by a wide margin.