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North Carolina’s 4.2 million workers 16 and older mainly get to work by car: 81% drove alone and 10% carpooled. Working at home (4.4%) and walking (1.8%) were the next most common responses in the 2009-13 American Community Survey. Only about 1.2% or 50,000 individuals reported using public transportation to get to work. How does NC compare to other states? Drive Alone Just over 81% of 3.4 million North Carolina workers drive alone to work…
Each week, more than 4.2 million North Carolina residents embark on a commute to work, according to recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Most commutes are in-county commutes In most cases, the largest commuting flow is within the county, meaning most people live and work in the same county. Within county commuting occurs among the majority of county residents in 75 of the state’s 100 counties. In another 19 counties, within county commutes are…
“Even more diverse than millennials are the youngest Americans: those younger than 5 years old. In 2014, this group became majority-minority for the first time, with 50.2 percent being part of a minority race or ethnic group. Reflecting these younger age groups, the population as a whole has become more racially and ethnically diverse in just the last decade, with the percentage minority climbing from 32.9 percent in 2004 to 37.9 percent in 2014.” -…
“Millennials, or America’s youth born between 1982 and 2000, now number 83.1 million and represent more than one quarter of the nation’s population. Their size exceeds that of the 75.4 million baby boomers, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates released today. Overall, millennials are more diverse than the generations that preceded them, with 44.2 percent being part of a minority race or ethnic group (that is, a group other than non-Hispanic, single-race white).” –…
Since 1851, North Carolina has been struck by 50 hurricanes; 12, or 24% of these, have been major hurricanes (category 3 or higher). This is slightly less than the proportion of major hurricanes experienced by the entire U.S. Atlantic coastline over this time period. Two hundred and ninety hurricanes have made landfall on the Atlantic coast since 1851; of these, 92 or nearly one-third (32%) have been major hurricanes. Although North Carolina is more likely…
The North Atlantic hurricane season begins in June and lasts through November. Between 1851 and 2014, the Hurricane Research Division of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that only 12 hurricanes developed between the months of December and May, and none of them made landfall. On average, nearly two hurricanes make landfall in the U.S. each year. The most likely month of occurrence is September followed by August and October. Since 1851, North…
Tourism has significant economic impacts in North Carolina. Domestic (both in-state and out-of-state tourists) and international travelers directly spent $21 billion in the state in 2013 according to estimates from the North Carolina Department of Commerce. These expenditures generated nearly 207,000 jobs and $4.8 billion in payroll income for North Carolina residents and $3.2 billion in tax revenue for federal, state, and local governments. While tourism is vital to the state, its impacts differ by…
For many North Carolina residents and out of state tourists, summer vacation isn’t complete without a trip to one of North Carolina’s beaches. In 2013, there were nearly 38 million overnight person-trips in North Carolina, the sixth highest number of visits among all states; 19% of these visitors went to the beach during their trip. And although North Carolina has many beautiful beaches—from the Brunswick Islands in the South to Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach…
In the decennial census, seasonal housing units are those that are classified as vacant for “seasonal, recreational, or occasional use.” These are often referred to as vacation homes. In the 2010 Census, 3.5% of all housing units nationwide were vacation homes dedicated for seasonal use. In North Carolina, 4.4% of all housing units were for seasonal use. North Carolina had nearly 192,000 vacation homes in 2010, the 7th largest number of all the states. The…
The U.S. Women’s National Team advanced to its fourth World Cup final with last night’s 2-0 victory over Germany. On that team were six former players from UNC-Chapel Hill, the highest representation of any U.S. college. Four other universities—Pennsylvania State, Stanford, UCLA, and the University of Virginia—each have two players on the U.S. national team. These former Tar Heels are concentrated in the team’s defensive positions. None of the five forwards attended UNC, but two…
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