US church locations from public map data: church office contacts, fields, by-state counts and prices.
How many churches are in North Carolina?
North Carolina had 16,200 congregations of all faiths in the 2020 U.S. Religion Census (Grammich et al., Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, 2022).
Overture Maps places (release of 2026-09-23) lists ~23,000 church locations on public maps in North Carolina, number 4 of 51 (states and DC) and 5.3% of the US map count. That is 45% above the census figure, one of the larger gaps (number 5 of 51). The state has many churches for its size, 209.0 per 100,000 residents against a US rate of 129.3, number 9 of 51.
The gap is not mainly listings with no status. 85% of North Carolina's church listings are marked open, more than the US share of 83%. Repeat listings, churches with more than one building and churches started since 2020 are the other likely reasons a map count runs above a census of congregations.
The 2020 U.S. Religion Census counted 16,200 congregations of all faiths in North Carolina.
16,200Overture Maps lists ~23,000 church locations in North Carolina, number 4 of 51 (states and DC).
~23,000North Carolina has 209.0 church locations per 100,000 residents, against 129.3 for the US.
209.0Charlotte, the leading city, has 5% of the state's church locations.
5%Order this list
Where churches in North Carolina are
Charlotte has the most church locations, but only 5% of the state's total. Raleigh, Greensboro, Fayetteville, Durham and Winston-Salem follow, most of them in the Piedmont between Charlotte and the Triangle.
| City | Listed on public maps |
|---|---|
| Charlotte | ~1,200 |
| Raleigh | ~680 |
| Greensboro | ~610 |
| Fayetteville | ~570 |
| Durham | ~490 |
| Winston-Salem | ~470 |
| Wilmington | ~300 |
| High Point | ~270 |
| Gastonia | ~270 |
| Concord | ~240 |
| Rocky Mount | ~240 |
| Asheville | ~230 |
| Goldsboro | ~220 |
| Statesville | ~210 |
| Hickory | ~200 |
Counts are rounded.
The coastal plain shows up through Fayetteville, Wilmington, Rocky Mount and Goldsboro, the mountains through Asheville, and the western Piedmont through Gastonia, Concord, Statesville and Hickory. The 15 cities hold 26% of the state's church locations; most are in smaller towns and rural counties.
North Carolina compared with the US
Baptist is North Carolina's largest named map tag, and its Anglican or Episcopal tag is larger than its Roman Catholic one. The generic "Christian, tradition not given" tag is still the largest row.
Map category tags, not denominational shares.
| Category | Places |
|---|---|
| Christian, tradition not given | ~14,000 |
| Baptist | ~6,200 |
| Religious organization with a worship name | ~1,300 |
| Pentecostal | ~520 |
| Anglican or Episcopal | ~500 |
| Roman Catholic | ~220 |
| Protestant, denomination not given | ~90 |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | ~50 |
Counts are rounded.
Fewer North Carolina church listings name a website than the national share: 71%, against 77%. The list's emails will come from churches' own sites, so a church without one is harder to reach by email.
Questions about churches in North Carolina
How many churches are there in North Carolina? By the 2020 U.S. Religion Census, 16,200 congregations of all faiths. The map count, ~23,000 church locations, is higher and should be read as an upper bound.
Which North Carolina city has the most churches? Charlotte, then Raleigh and Greensboro. Fayetteville is fourth, ahead of Durham and Winston-Salem.
Does North Carolina have more churches per person than most states? Yes. At 209.0 church locations per 100,000 residents, it is number 9 of 51 on the map.
Can I get a North Carolina church contact list? Yes. You can order North Carolina churches as a state file from the order panel on this page. It has one row per church location and the contacts the church publishes for itself. We update and verify your list when you order, so you receive a fresh list. Delivered within 24 hours, usually much sooner.
Sources for North Carolina
| Figure | Source | File or publication date |
|---|---|---|
| Congregations of all faiths in North Carolina | 2020 U.S. Religion Census (Grammich et al., ASARB), 2020_USRC_Summaries.xlsx | Data year 2020; published 2022; file dated June 2023 |
| North Carolina church locations, rank, share, cities, map tags, open and website shares | Overture Maps places, release 2026-09-23.1 | 2026-09-23 |
| Church locations per 100,000 residents | Overture Maps places; US Census Bureau Vintage 2025 population | 2026-09-23; July 1, 2025 |
| Map count against the census figure, and its rank | Our comparison of the census and map counts for the 50 states and DC | 2026-10-03 |
What these numbers don't show
Churches without a map listing. Some small rural churches are missing.
Whether "open" is current. A listing marked open may not have been checked recently.
Denominational shares. Map tags are labels from the map sources.
Congregation size. Each listing counts once.
LimitsDownload the data
churches-register-2026-10.csvCSVCC BY 4.02026-10-03
nodilist.com, "How many churches are in North Carolina?", church locations from Overture Maps places release 2026-09-23.1 with the 2020 U.S. Religion Census congregation count, https://nodilist.com/churches/north-carolina/.
- churches-register-2026-10.csv: church locations listed on public maps for North Carolina and every other state and DC, with the rate per 100,000 residents, the share of the US and the rank.
It contains no census figures, which are copyright ASARB. Contains data from Overture Maps Foundation, licensed under CDLA Permissive 2.0.