Rowan County, officially the County of Rowan, is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 146,875. Its county seat, Salisbury, is the oldest continuously populated European-American town in the western half of North Carolina. Rowan County is located northeast of Charlotte, and is considered part of the Charlott…Rowan County, officially the County of Rowan, is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 146,875. Its county seat, Salisbury, is the oldest continuously populated European-American town in the western half of North Carolina. Rowan County is located northeast of Charlotte, and is considered part of the Charlotte metropolitan area.