Carolina Demographics
Keep up with our latest demographic insights
A century ago, in 1910, Wake County had a total population of 63,229. Out of 2,964 counties nationwide, Wake was the 196th most populous. Among North Carolina counties, Wake’s population was second only to Mecklenburg's population of 67,031. During the first half of the twentieth century, Wake’s population grew steadily, but other counties within the state grew faster. Buoyed by the strength of the manufacturing industry in Greensboro, Guilford County grew to be the most…
North Carolina officially passed the 10 million mark in the 2015 state population estimates, growing by more than half a million new residents since 2010. New county population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau highlight how counties and metropolitan areas changed over this same time period. Here are 5 things you should you need to know about the 2015 county population estimates: 1. Brunswick is the fastest growing North Carolina county. Coastal Brunswick County’s population…
As we’ve mentioned in the past, North Carolina has a large population residing in areas that the U.S. Census Bureau classifies as rural. Among the 10 most populous states, North Carolina has the largest proportion of individuals living in rural areas. In fact, North Carolina’s rural population is larger than that of any other state except for Texas. Prior to coming to Carolina Demography, I worked in a similar role producing and interpreting demographic data…
When I moved into my first office at UNC, I inherited a framed, infographic poster published by the News & Observer after the release of the 2000 Census data. It’s a great overview of the significant growth and change that occurred in North Carolina between 1990 and 2000, and highlights many trends that continued in the decade that followed. One of these shifts was the increasing concentration of population in mid-size towns and larger cities.…
Following the decennial Census, political districts, such as U.S. Congressional Districts and state legislative districts, are reapportioned to states and counties on the basis of population and their boundaries are redrawn in a process called redistricting. Broadly speaking, the goal of redistricting is to make each district as close in population size in possible. North Carolina is not the only state with uneven patterns of population growth. Across the United States, population is increasingly concentrated in urban and…
1920 marked the first year that more U.S. residents lived in urban areas than rural areas (51% vs. 49%). In North Carolina, this transition did not occur until 1990, when 50.4% of state residents were living in urban areas compared to 49.6% living in rural areas. In 1990, only South Dakota (50%), Mississippi (47%), Maine (45%), West Virginia (36%), and Vermont (32%) had smaller shares of their population living in urban areas. Globally, 2010 marked…
Between 2015 and 2035, North Carolina’s Office of State Budget and Management projects that the state will gain nearly 2.1 million new residents. Nearly 41% of this population growth is predicted to occur in either Mecklenburg or Wake counties. Meanwhile, 24 of the state’s counties are projected to lose population over the next 20 years and another nine—Avery, Beaufort, Columbus, Gates, Greene, Rockingham, Rowan, Surry, and Tyrrell counties—are projected to have zero population growth. Bertie…
The 5 most popular posts we published this year: What will your city be like in 15 years? With a recently released interactive from the Urban Institute, users can toggle assumptions about key demographic factors--births, deaths, and migration--to see how this might impact their area. Across the state, the continued impact of population aging and rising diversity will be felt through 2030, regardless of the assumptions underlying the projections. And, as the authors of the…
North Carolina added an average of 281 people per day between 2014 and 2015, pushing its total population above 10 million in the U.S. Census Bureau’s recently released state population estimates. North Carolina is the ninth state to pass the 10 million mark. Since the 2010 Census, North Carolina’s population has grown by over half a million new residents (507,110), more than any state except for Texas (2.3M), California (1.9M), Florida (1.5M), and Georgia (526K).…
As 2015 draws to a close, we offer a quick look back at some of Carolina Demography's activities: we explored and explained how and why North Carolina's population is changing, and assisted individuals and organizations in understanding what this means for them and the communities in which they live and work. Before the year officially ends, the U.S. Census Bureau will release the July 1, 2015 population estimates for states. Last year, the release saw…
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