Chatham County Demographics

A map of Chatham County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	55,672	53,087	69.5%	69.6%
Hispanic	10,930	10,372	13.6%	13.6%
Black	7,977	7,768	10.0%	10.2%
Multiracial	3,016	2,937	3.8%	3.9%
Asian	1,791	1,616	2.2%	2.1%
Native American/Other	765	505	1.0%	0.7%

Chatham County, North Carolina has an estimated population of 80,151, an increase from the 76,285 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 69.5% White, 13.6% Hispanic, 10.0% Black, 3.8% Multiracial, 2.2% Asian, and 1.0% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Chatham County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Chatham is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than North Carolina overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Chatham County, that probability was 48.5% in 2020 and 48.7% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Chatham County is ranked the 35th most populous county in North Carolina, out of 100 counties. Chatham County was ranked the 36th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Chatham County's White Population

55,672 residents of Chatham County, or 69.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Chatham County is higher than in North Carolina overall, where 60% of the population is White. Chatham County ranks 46th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chatham County's White population has grown by an estimated 4.9%. White residents' share of Chatham County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 69.5%.

Chatham County is more White than neighboring Lee County (55.8% White), Alamance County (58.1% White), Orange County (66.2% White), and Durham County (41.7% White). Chatham County is less White than neighboring Moore County (75.7% White).

Chatham County's Black Population

7,977 residents of Chatham County, or 10.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Chatham County is lower than in North Carolina overall, where 20% of the population is Black. Chatham County ranks 63rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chatham County's Black population has grown by an estimated 2.7%. Black residents' share of Chatham County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 10.0%.

Chatham County is more Black than neighboring Moore County (8.9% Black). Chatham County is less Black than neighboring Lee County (17.2% Black), Alamance County (19.6% Black), Orange County (10.1% Black), and Durham County (31.8% Black).

Chatham County's Asian Population

1,791 residents of Chatham County, or 2.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Chatham County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 3.3% of the population is Asian. Chatham County ranks 15th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chatham County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 10.8%. Asian residents' share of Chatham County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.2%.

Chatham County is more Asian than neighboring Lee County (0.9% Asian), Alamance County (1.8% Asian), and Moore County (1.2% Asian). Chatham County is less Asian than neighboring Orange County (7.8% Asian), and Durham County (5.4% Asian).

Chatham County's Hispanic Population

10,930 residents of Chatham County, or 13.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Chatham County is slightly higher than in North Carolina overall, where 11.3% of the population is Hispanic. Chatham County ranks 13th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chatham County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 5.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Chatham County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 13.6%.

Chatham County is more Hispanic than neighboring Orange County (10.6% Hispanic), and Moore County (7.8% Hispanic). Chatham County is less Hispanic than neighboring Lee County (21.7% Hispanic), Alamance County (15.3% Hispanic), and Durham County (15.8% Hispanic).

Chatham County's Native American/Other Population

765 residents of Chatham County, or 1.0% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Chatham County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 1.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Chatham County ranks 61st statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chatham County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 51.5%. Native American/Other residents' share of Chatham County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.0%.

Chatham County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Lee County (0.1% Native American/Other), Alamance County (0.9% Native American/Other), Orange County (0.8% Native American/Other), and Durham County (0.8% Native American/Other).

Chatham County's Multiracial Population

3,016 residents of Chatham County, or 3.8% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Chatham County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 4.1% of the population is Multiracial. Chatham County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chatham County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 2.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Chatham County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.8%.

Chatham County is less Multiracial than neighboring Lee County (4.3% Multiracial), Alamance County (4.4% Multiracial), Orange County (4.5% Multiracial), Moore County (5.4% Multiracial), and Durham County (4.5% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.