Medicare in North Carolina by county

Most people with Medicare

Across North Carolina, 2,328,318 people had Medicare in July 2026, 58% of them in Medicare Advantage or another Medicare health plan. The counties with the most:

1. Wake County 192,573 with Medicare · 52% in Medicare Advantage · 27 Advantage plans with drug coverage
2. Mecklenburg County 169,259 with Medicare · 55% in Medicare Advantage · 38 Advantage plans with drug coverage
3. Guilford County 112,601 with Medicare · 71% in Medicare Advantage · 45 Advantage plans with drug coverage
4. Forsyth County 85,545 with Medicare · 68% in Medicare Advantage · 44 Advantage plans with drug coverage
5. Brunswick County 68,714 with Medicare · 44% in Medicare Advantage · 28 Advantage plans with drug coverage
6. Buncombe County 67,401 with Medicare · 49% in Medicare Advantage · 34 Advantage plans with drug coverage
7. Cumberland County 61,754 with Medicare · 58% in Medicare Advantage · 31 Advantage plans with drug coverage
8. Durham County 56,699 with Medicare · 52% in Medicare Advantage · 31 Advantage plans with drug coverage
9. New Hanover County 55,294 with Medicare · 45% in Medicare Advantage · 27 Advantage plans with drug coverage
10. Gaston County 49,815 with Medicare · 64% in Medicare Advantage · 35 Advantage plans with drug coverage

All 100 counties, A to Z

• Alamance County38,958 with Medicare · 71% in Medicare Advantage · 41 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Alexander County8,942 with Medicare · 67% in Medicare Advantage · 36 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Alleghany County3,823 with Medicare · 57% in Medicare Advantage · 27 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Anson County5,742 with Medicare · 66% in Medicare Advantage · 34 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Ashe County8,768 with Medicare · 50% in Medicare Advantage · 25 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Avery County5,125 with Medicare · 51% in Medicare Advantage · 33 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Beaufort County14,818 with Medicare · 55% in Medicare Advantage · 15 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Bertie County5,592 with Medicare · 58% in Medicare Advantage · 12 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Bladen County8,214 with Medicare · 67% in Medicare Advantage · 28 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Brunswick County68,714 with Medicare · 44% in Medicare Advantage · 28 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Buncombe County67,401 with Medicare · 49% in Medicare Advantage · 34 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Burke County23,086 with Medicare · 64% in Medicare Advantage · 29 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Cabarrus County40,549 with Medicare · 63% in Medicare Advantage · 32 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Caldwell County20,971 with Medicare · 67% in Medicare Advantage · 32 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Camden County2,468 with Medicare · 35% in Medicare Advantage · 13 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Carteret County22,042 with Medicare · 42% in Medicare Advantage · 7 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Caswell County5,739 with Medicare · 70% in Medicare Advantage · 35 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Catawba County39,970 with Medicare · 62% in Medicare Advantage · 38 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Chatham County21,580 with Medicare · 54% in Medicare Advantage · 29 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Cherokee County11,143 with Medicare · 52% in Medicare Advantage · 19 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Chowan County4,461 with Medicare · 45% in Medicare Advantage · 15 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Clay County4,787 with Medicare · 45% in Medicare Advantage · 26 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Cleveland County25,299 with Medicare · 63% in Medicare Advantage · 32 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Columbus County13,882 with Medicare · 60% in Medicare Advantage · 29 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Craven County28,521 with Medicare · 42% in Medicare Advantage · 7 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Cumberland County61,754 with Medicare · 58% in Medicare Advantage · 31 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Currituck County7,400 with Medicare · 33% in Medicare Advantage · 19 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Dare County11,405 with Medicare · 26% in Medicare Advantage · 12 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Davidson County39,674 with Medicare · 73% in Medicare Advantage · 45 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Davie County12,135 with Medicare · 67% in Medicare Advantage · 43 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Duplin County11,451 with Medicare · 57% in Medicare Advantage · 21 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Durham County56,699 with Medicare · 52% in Medicare Advantage · 31 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Edgecombe County13,277 with Medicare · 65% in Medicare Advantage · 18 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Forsyth County85,545 with Medicare · 68% in Medicare Advantage · 44 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Franklin County16,799 with Medicare · 58% in Medicare Advantage · 25 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Gaston County49,815 with Medicare · 64% in Medicare Advantage · 35 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Gates County2,864 with Medicare · 44% in Medicare Advantage · 19 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Graham County2,332 with Medicare · 57% in Medicare Advantage · 25 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Granville County13,085 with Medicare · 59% in Medicare Advantage · 24 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Greene County4,036 with Medicare · 61% in Medicare Advantage · 20 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Guilford County112,601 with Medicare · 71% in Medicare Advantage · 45 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Halifax County14,236 with Medicare · 64% in Medicare Advantage · 20 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Harnett County24,181 with Medicare · 57% in Medicare Advantage · 27 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Haywood County19,585 with Medicare · 54% in Medicare Advantage · 30 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Henderson County37,539 with Medicare · 47% in Medicare Advantage · 34 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Hertford County5,746 with Medicare · 58% in Medicare Advantage · 18 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Hoke County8,500 with Medicare · 60% in Medicare Advantage · 27 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Hyde County1,298 with Medicare · 55% in Medicare Advantage · 17 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Iredell County42,229 with Medicare · 60% in Medicare Advantage · 38 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Jackson County9,558 with Medicare · 50% in Medicare Advantage · 27 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Johnston County41,613 with Medicare · 58% in Medicare Advantage · 28 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Jones County3,025 with Medicare · 55% in Medicare Advantage · 18 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Lee County15,577 with Medicare · 56% in Medicare Advantage · 24 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Lenoir County15,403 with Medicare · 57% in Medicare Advantage · 16 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Lincoln County23,739 with Medicare · 57% in Medicare Advantage · 36 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Macon County12,876 with Medicare · 45% in Medicare Advantage · 21 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Madison County6,398 with Medicare · 57% in Medicare Advantage · 32 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Martin County6,659 with Medicare · 60% in Medicare Advantage · 23 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• McDowell County12,459 with Medicare · 64% in Medicare Advantage · 34 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Mecklenburg County169,259 with Medicare · 55% in Medicare Advantage · 38 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Mitchell County4,617 with Medicare · 56% in Medicare Advantage · 28 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Montgomery County6,717 with Medicare · 64% in Medicare Advantage · 29 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Moore County29,938 with Medicare · 51% in Medicare Advantage · 30 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Nash County24,752 with Medicare · 59% in Medicare Advantage · 16 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• New Hanover County55,294 with Medicare · 45% in Medicare Advantage · 27 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Northampton County5,703 with Medicare · 60% in Medicare Advantage · 16 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Onslow County33,400 with Medicare · 45% in Medicare Advantage · 8 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Orange County29,252 with Medicare · 50% in Medicare Advantage · 38 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Pamlico County4,571 with Medicare · 43% in Medicare Advantage · 18 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Pasquotank County9,801 with Medicare · 45% in Medicare Advantage · 17 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Pender County15,780 with Medicare · 52% in Medicare Advantage · 28 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Perquimans County4,487 with Medicare · 43% in Medicare Advantage · 16 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Person County10,567 with Medicare · 62% in Medicare Advantage · 35 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Pitt County35,327 with Medicare · 57% in Medicare Advantage · 13 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Polk County7,375 with Medicare · 43% in Medicare Advantage · 25 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Randolph County32,437 with Medicare · 75% in Medicare Advantage · 42 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Richmond County10,774 with Medicare · 66% in Medicare Advantage · 27 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Robeson County27,150 with Medicare · 73% in Medicare Advantage · 23 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Rockingham County25,395 with Medicare · 77% in Medicare Advantage · 41 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Rowan County34,008 with Medicare · 67% in Medicare Advantage · 39 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Rutherford County17,627 with Medicare · 59% in Medicare Advantage · 26 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Sampson County13,721 with Medicare · 64% in Medicare Advantage · 22 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Scotland County8,420 with Medicare · 68% in Medicare Advantage · 22 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Stanly County16,015 with Medicare · 64% in Medicare Advantage · 28 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Stokes County12,506 with Medicare · 73% in Medicare Advantage · 39 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Surry County19,654 with Medicare · 70% in Medicare Advantage · 24 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Swain County4,123 with Medicare · 45% in Medicare Advantage · 25 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Transylvania County11,023 with Medicare · 51% in Medicare Advantage · 30 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Tyrrell County897 with Medicare · 48% in Medicare Advantage · 19 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Union County43,407 with Medicare · 53% in Medicare Advantage · 35 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Vance County10,986 with Medicare · 69% in Medicare Advantage · 24 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Wake County192,573 with Medicare · 52% in Medicare Advantage · 27 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Warren County5,217 with Medicare · 61% in Medicare Advantage · 24 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Washington County3,588 with Medicare · 56% in Medicare Advantage · 15 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Watauga County10,133 with Medicare · 49% in Medicare Advantage · 21 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Wayne County26,300 with Medicare · 57% in Medicare Advantage · 15 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Wilkes County18,507 with Medicare · 71% in Medicare Advantage · 37 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Wilson County19,315 with Medicare · 59% in Medicare Advantage · 13 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Yadkin County9,767 with Medicare · 74% in Medicare Advantage · 37 Advantage plans with drug coverage
• Yancey County5,847 with Medicare · 55% in Medicare Advantage · 28 Advantage plans with drug coverage

Sources: CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026, and the CMS 2027 plan landscape. Medicare Advantage here includes other Medicare health plans, such as cost plans and PACE. Before you meet any agent, check their North Carolina license.

Keep reading

• How to find a good Medicare agent near youWhere to look for a local Medicare agent, how to narrow the list to one or two, and the five-minute checks to do before you share anything.
• Medicare Open Enrollment checklist: what to check before December 7A step-by-step checklist for the October 15 to December 7, 2026 Open Enrollment Period: what to read in your plan's letter, what's changing for 2027, what you can switch, and what happens if you do nothing.
• Moving to another state with Medicare: what changes and what to doOriginal Medicare moves with you; most Medicare Advantage and drug plans don't. What happens to each kind of coverage when you move, your window to switch, and why your agent must be licensed in your new state.