Johnston County Demographics

A map of Johnston County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	143,892	136,464	61.4%	63.2%
Hispanic	39,336	34,400	16.8%	15.9%
Black	39,214	33,041	16.7%	15.3%
Multiracial	8,244	8,399	3.5%	3.9%
Asian	1,936	1,831	0.8%	0.8%
Native American/Other	1,641	1,864	0.7%	0.9%

Johnston County, North Carolina has an estimated population of 234,263, an increase from the 215,999 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 61.4% White, 16.8% Hispanic, 16.7% Black, 3.5% Multiracial, 0.8% Asian, and 0.7% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Johnston County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Johnston has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is 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 Johnston County, that probability was 55.0% in 2020 and 56.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Johnston County is ranked the 12th most populous county in North Carolina, out of 100 counties. Johnston County was ranked the 12th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Johnston County's White Population

143,892 residents of Johnston County, or 61.4% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Johnston County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 60% of the population is White. Johnston County ranks 58th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Johnston County's White population has grown by an estimated 5.4%. White residents' share of Johnston County's population has decreased from 63.2% to 61.4%.

Johnston County is more White than neighboring Wayne County (50.2% White), Wake County (56.2% White), Wilson County (44.3% White), Harnett County (58.2% White), and Sampson County (49.2% White).

Johnston County's Black Population

39,214 residents of Johnston County, or 16.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Johnston County is slightly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 20% of the population is Black. Johnston County ranks 54th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Johnston County's Black population has grown by an estimated 18.7%. Black residents' share of Johnston County's population has increased from 15.3% to 16.7%.

Johnston County is less Black than neighboring Wayne County (29.6% Black), Wake County (18.5% Black), Wilson County (38.6% Black), Harnett County (19.8% Black), and Sampson County (24% Black).

Johnston County's Asian Population

1,936 residents of Johnston County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Johnston County is slightly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 3.3% of the population is Asian. Johnston County ranks 46th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Johnston County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 5.7%. Asian residents' share of Johnston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Johnston County is more Asian than neighboring Sampson County (0.4% Asian). Johnston County is less Asian than neighboring Wayne County (1.2% Asian), Wake County (8.5% Asian), Wilson County (1.1% Asian), and Harnett County (0.9% Asian).

Johnston County's Hispanic Population

39,336 residents of Johnston County, or 16.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Johnston County is higher than in North Carolina overall, where 11.3% of the population is Hispanic. Johnston County ranks 4th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Johnston County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 14.3%. Hispanic residents' share of Johnston County's population has increased from 15.9% to 16.8%.

Johnston County is more Hispanic than neighboring Wayne County (13.7% Hispanic), Wake County (11.6% Hispanic), Wilson County (12.4% Hispanic), and Harnett County (15.1% Hispanic). Johnston County is less Hispanic than neighboring Sampson County (22% Hispanic).

Johnston County's Native American/Other Population

1,641 residents of Johnston County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Johnston County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 1.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Johnston County ranks 31st statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Johnston County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 12.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Johnston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Johnston County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Wayne County (0.5% Native American/Other). Johnston County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Wake County (0.8% Native American/Other), Harnett County (1.3% Native American/Other), and Sampson County (2.1% Native American/Other).

Johnston County's Multiracial Population

8,244 residents of Johnston County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Johnston County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 4.1% of the population is Multiracial. Johnston County ranks 30th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Johnston County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 1.8%. Multiracial residents' share of Johnston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.5%.

Johnston County is more Multiracial than neighboring Wilson County (2.8% Multiracial), and Sampson County (2.3% Multiracial). Johnston County is less Multiracial than neighboring Wayne County (4.9% Multiracial), Wake County (4.4% Multiracial), and Harnett County (4.6% 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.