Harrisburg is a town in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States. It is a northeastern suburb of Charlotte. In the 2020 census, the population was 18,967.

Harrisburg is located in southwestern Cabarrus County. It is bordered to the north by Concord and to the west by Charlotte in Mecklenburg County.

North Carolina Highway 49 passes through the center of Harrisburg, leading northeast 57 miles (92 km) to Asheboro and southwest 13 miles (21 km) to the center of Charlotte. Charlotte Motor Speedway is 3 miles (5 km) north of the center of town, within the Concord city limits.

The town of Harrisburg has a total area of 11.15 square miles (28.9 km), all land.

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1980	1,433		—
1990	1,625		13.4%
2000	4,493		176.5%
2010	11,526		156.5%
2020	18,967		64.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

Harrisburg racial composition

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	10,606	55.92%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	3,701	19.51%
Native American	56	0.3%
Asian	2,579	13.6%
Pacific Islander	5	0.03%
Other/Mixed	883	4.66%
Hispanic or Latino	1,137	5.99%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 18,967 people, 4,865 households, and 4,164 families residing in the town.

At the 2017 census estimate, there were 15,728 people and 4,573 households in the town, with 3.16 persons per household. The population percent change between April 1, 2010, and July 1, 2017, was 17.9%. The racial makeup of the town was 72.2% White, 16.1% African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 6.4% Asian, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino and 2.8% from two or more races. There were 926 Veterans.

In 2016, the median age of all people in Harrisburg was 37.1.

In 2016, there were 4,573 households in Harrisburg, with the median property value being $245,400. The homeownership rate was 89.1%. The national average was 63.6%. The median income for a household in the town was $88,865 and the per capita income was $32,310.

Harrisburg has a council–manager form of government. The Town Council is elected on a non-partisan basis every two years, and members serve staggered four-year terms with no term limits. The mayor is elected separately for a four-year term and is ex officio chair of the Town Council. The Town Council has eight members from the community and appoints a town manager to oversee day-to-day operations.

Harrisburg Town Council members

Name	Term
Altyn Cotell	2021–2025
Chris Faw	2023–2027
La'Trecia Glover (mayor pro tem)	2023–2027
Ian Patrick	2019–2027
Maurice Price	2021–2025
Ron Smith	2023–2027
Jennifer Teague (mayor)	2021–2025
Mike Thevenin	2023–2026

While the Town Council is responsible for passing ordinances, the town's budget, and other policies, all decisions can be overridden by the North Carolina General Assembly, since North Carolina municipalities do not have home rule. While municipal powers have been broadly construed since the 1960s, the General Assembly still retains considerable authority over local matters.

The percent of people over 25 with a high school diploma or higher was 95.6% and 44.0% for those with a bachelor's degree or higher. Local schools include Harrisburg Elementary School, Hickory Ridge Elementary School, Hickory Ridge Middle School and Hickory Ridge High School.

The largest universities by graduates near Harrisburg are, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. The most common bachelor's degree concentrations are General Business Administration and Management, General Psychology and General Biological Studies.

• Austin McDaniel (born 1994), racing driver
• Gordon Tottle (1925– 1987), professional ice hockey player

• Town of Harrisburg official website