High Point population grows nearly 2,000, ranks second-fastest in North Carolina

High Point is growing fast enough to change the feel of the city. New U.S. Census Bureau estimates put the population at 120,571 on July 1, 2025, up from 118,601 a year earlier, a gain of nearly 2,000 residents that made High Point the second-fastest-growing large city in North Carolina behind Charlotte.

The numbers also show that the city’s rise has been steady, not sudden. High Point was counted at 114,059 in the 2020 Census, and the July 1, 2025 estimate marked a 5.7% increase from that base. The city’s own 2026 population estimate placed High Point at 119,170, using an average of six methods and showing annual growth of about 0.75% since 2020.

City leaders say that growth tracks with a downtown strategy that started with Truist Point Stadium. The ballpark opened on May 2, 2019, in front of more than 5,000 fans, and the city built it as the cornerstone of its revitalization plan. High Point had set a target of increasing the downtown tax base by $100 million over 10 years, but city figures say the area has already generated more than $238 million in five years through office, retail, restaurant, medical, entertainment and lodging projects.

Mayor Cyril Jefferson has pointed to that investment as evidence that public spending can pull in private money. In a 2025 State of the City address, he said High Point had seen roughly $5 billion in investment and nearly 15,000 jobs created, a scale that helps explain why more people are choosing to stay, move, or invest in the city.

Housing remains the biggest test of whether growth can keep pace with demand. High Point reported 47,951 housing units in the 2020 Census, with a vacancy rate of 7.4%, down sharply from 12.4% in 2010. The city’s estimate report also said 2,627 net housing units were added between 2020 and 2026. At the same time, the High Point Housing Impact Fund is aiming to raise $40 million to finance low-interest loans and build more than 1,000 affordable units for the city’s core workforce, including firefighters, teachers and police officers. The city has invested $2 million, and High Point University added $500,000 in February.

Growth has brought pressure as well as momentum. High Point police said overall crime fell 9% in 2025 and property crime dropped 21%, but violent crime rose 6%, with reports increasing from 417 in 2024 to 441 in 2025. The city had three homicides in 2024, the fewest since 2013. For High Point, the population gain is a sign that the downtown bet is working, but the next phase will be judged by whether housing, safety and opportunity keep up with the people arriving.