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Beaufort County’s population decreased by 6.5% in the past decade, according to 2020 Census data released Thursday. The county’s population is now 44,652, a decrease of 3,107 from the 2010 Census.

State lawmakers will use the data released by the U.S. Census Bureau when they draw Congressional and state legislative districts later this year.

Beaufort County ranks 55th out of North Carolina’s 100 counties in population. Its population density is approximately 53.6 people per square mile.

Beaufort County neighbors Tyrrell and Hyde counties remained the state’s least-populous counties. Those two counties also experienced the largest population dips in terms of percentage; Tyrrell County’s population fell by 26%, and Hyde County’s population dropped 21%.

STATE AT A GLANCE

North Carolina’s total population increased from 9,535,483 to 10,439,388, a 9% boost.

The state’s top-five most-populated counties according to the 2020 Census data are Wake (1,129,410), which contains Raleigh; Mecklenburg (1,115,482), which includes Charlotte; Guilford (541,299), which includes Greensboro; Forsyth (382,590), which contains Winston-Salem; and Cumberland (334,728), which includes Fayetteville.

The state’s least-populated counties are Tyrrell (3,245), Hyde (4,589), Graham (8,030), Jones (9,172) and Camden (10,355).

The five fastest-growing counties are Johnston (27.9% population increase), Brunswick (27.2%), Cabarrus (26.8%), Wake (25.4%) and Durham (21.4%).

In addition to Tyrrell and Hyde counties, Northampton (20.0% decrease), Anson (-18.2%) and Washington (-16.8%) counties experienced the largest percentage losses.

In terms of total population changes, Wake County had the biggest increase (228,417) while Robeson County recorded the highest decrease (-17,638).