North Carolina ranks #14 among US states for total patents filed in 2023, with 10,795 patents from 5,783 inventors across 302 cities. On a per-capita basis that is 1.0 patents per 1,000 residents, a standard benchmark for comparing state-level R&D intensity.
Top Cities in North Carolina 2023
| Rank | City | Patents | Inventors |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Raleigh, NC | 1,527 | 798 |
| #2 | Cary, NC | 1,217 | 575 |
| #3 | Charlotte, NC | 1,203 | 697 |
| #4 | Durham, NC | 1,058 | 606 |
| #5 | Chapel Hill, NC | 572 | 291 |
| #6 | Apex, NC | 389 | 215 |
| #7 | Winston-Salem, NC | 378 | 195 |
| #8 | Morrisville, NC | 347 | 172 |
| #9 | Huntersville, NC | 180 | 86 |
| #10 | Greensboro, NC | 164 | 109 |
| #11 | Mooresville, NC | 156 | 78 |
| #12 | Hickory, NC | 155 | 61 |
| #13 | Wilmington, NC | 137 | 97 |
| #14 | Concord, NC | 132 | 73 |
| #15 | Wake Forest, NC | 131 | 77 |
| #16 | Holly Springs, NC | 112 | 60 |
| #17 | Waxhaw, NC | 109 | 61 |
| #18 | Pittsboro, NC | 106 | 21 |
| #19 | Kirkwood, NC | 90 | 1 |
| #20 | Cornelius, NC | 86 | 33 |
| #21 | Matthews, NC | 81 | 44 |
| #22 | Clemmons, NC | 81 | 38 |
| #23 | Fuquay-Varina, NC | 72 | 42 |
| #24 | Asheville, NC | 70 | 46 |
| #25 | Kernersville, NC | 57 | 33 |