North Carolina Cash 5 Hot and Cold Numbers (October 2026)

The most drawn Cash 5 numbers are 11 (378), 4 (374), and 13 (363); the least drawn are 43 (297), 40 (298), and 17 (308). That is over 2,896 draws since November 4, 2018, when the game last changed its set of balls, against an average of 337 apiece.

The statistics behind that

Expected count 336.7, standard deviation 17.3. The leader sits at 2.39 standard deviations against an expected maximum of 2.19 for 43 numbers; a lead at least this large arises by chance about 52% of the time. Goodness of fit to a uniform draw: chi-square 46.0 on 42 degrees of freedom, p = 0.312. How we calculate it.

Every number at a glance

Shaded by how far above or below its average each number is — red for more often than average, blue for less. Most sit in the middle.

well below average below around average above well above · each number averages 337 draws; 39 of 43 are close to that

How far above or below average

Point at a bar — or tap one, or press the arrow keys — to see which number it is.

Most and least drawn are 81 apart. For 43 numbers over 2,896 draws that gap normally comes out around 76, so this one is about what you would expect.

Hottest, coldest, most overdue

Longest wait

3 has not been drawn for 24 draws. Gaps that long are rarer than average for any one number, but with 43 numbers in the game a wait that long has happened about 745 times over this stretch. It does not make 3 any likelier tonight.

Full frequency table

2,896 draws from November 4, 2018 to October 8, 2026, the whole time this game has drawn 5 numbers from 43. Click any heading to sort.

Why the count starts in 2018

Cash 5 has changed how many balls it draws, and from how many, 3 times. Counting across a change mixes two different games — a ball that did not exist yet cannot be behind. So everything above covers only the stretch since November 4, 2018, when this game settled on 5 numbers from 43.

• 5/39 from October 27, 2006 to May 13, 2016 — 3,487 draws (not counted above)
• 5/41 from May 14, 2016 to November 3, 2018 — 904 draws (not counted above)

How we calculate all of this.

Frequently asked questions

Do hot and cold numbers predict anything?

No. The gap between the most and least drawn number here is 81 appearances, which is about what 2,896 draws produce on their own. The table is worth looking at; it is not worth betting on.

Why do your frequencies differ from other sites?

Two reasons, both on our sources page. We only count draws since the game last changed its set of balls, because counting across a change mixes two different games. And we check 1 official sources against each other — one of them is missing draws the others have.

What does the shaded band on the chart mean?

It marks the normal range — where 19 out of 20 numbers land when every ball is equally likely. With 43 numbers on the chart, two or three sticking out above or below it is the usual picture rather than a sign of anything.

How far back does this Cash 5 data go?

Our full history runs to October 27, 2006 — 7,287 draws. The frequency table on this page uses the 2,896 draws since November 4, 2018, because that is when this pool last changed size. Browse every draw by year.