North Carolina has 549 incorporated cities, towns and villages, home to 6,514,538 of the state’s 11,197,968 residents in 2025. Aria builds small business websites for companies in any of them for $89 a month, with domain, business email and hosting included and no setup fee.

No setup fee: you only pay the $89 monthly fee, after you approve your website.

The largest North Carolina cities

By population, the largest municipalities in North Carolina are Charlotte (964,784), Raleigh (506,306), Greensboro (308,667), Durham (305,561), Winston-Salem (257,271), Fayetteville (209,120), Cary (183,582), Wilmington (126,809), High Point (120,571) and Concord (114,598).

North Carolina rules for a business with a website

  • Business corporations, nonprofit corporations, LLCs, LPs, LLPs and LLLPs must register with the North Carolina Secretary of State before doing business in the state (Articles of Incorporation or Articles of Organization, $125). Sole proprietorships and general partnerships do not register the entity. North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
  • North Carolina files DBAs at COUNTY level: anyone – individual, business or legal entity – doing business under a name other than its own legal name files an assumed business name certificate with the register of deeds. One filing covers all counties, and up to five names may be listed on one certificate; the register of deeds forwards a scanned copy to the Secretary of State’s statewide database. N.C.G.S. Chapter 66, Article 14A
  • North Carolina has no statewide general business license; some activities need a State Privilege License, and cities and counties may require their own licenses or permits, so check with the city and the county. Official source
  • The general State sales and use tax rate is 4.75%, and counties add local and transit rates on top of it. North Carolina Department of Revenue (NCDOR)

This is general information, not legal advice.

Web design in every North Carolina city

Pick your city to see local numbers, nearby towns and the North Carolina rules for a business with a website.

A website for your North Carolina business

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Sources for the numbers on this page
  • Population: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates for incorporated places.
  • List of municipalities: U.S. Census Bureau 2025 Gazetteer (incorporated places).