NC in Focus
Keep up with our latest demographic insights
April 15 would normally mark Tax Day, the federal income filing deadline. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Tax Day is now extended three months to July 15. Instead, as the U.S. ends its first month of widespread social distancing, many American households may receive their federal stimulus check this week. These stimulus checks – also known as Economic Impact Payments – will be as much as $1,200 per person, but not everyone will qualify. I…
A report published last month by the National Center for Homeless Education at UNC-Greensboro indicated that the population of homeless students enrolled in public school districts has increased 15 percent in the last three years and now numbers 1,508,265 youth, the highest in more than a decade. In North Carolina, there are an estimated 26,361 public school students who experienced homelessness over the course of the 2016-17 school year, according to the United States Interagency…
We partnered with myFutureNC to launch a statewide attainment dashboard to serve as a shared, nonpartisan source of information about the state of education in North Carolina. The dashboard tracks proven indicators along the education continuum, capturing key transition points for students from NC Pre-K enrollment through degree or credential completion and into the labor market. On the dashboard, you’ll find a simple, visual way to learn more about individual indicators, including how we calculated…
This is a continuation in our series looking at wages after graduation. Previous entries in the series include Degrees and credentials with the highest growth in wages, Highest average wages for UNC system graduates, and highest average wages for NCCC graduates. The question of whether to pursue a degree or credential after completing an undergraduate degree is one that students across the US are considering more than ever before. According to the National Center for…
Population can grow—or decline—from one of two components of change: net migration (both domestic and international) or natural growth (births and deaths). Though both components have contributed to North Carolina’s population growth, net migration has been the driving force of growth in North Carolina since 1990. This has substantially changed the makeup of North Carolina’s population. More than 9 out of 10 North Carolina residents were native to the state a hundred years ago. By…
North Carolina’s population grew to an estimated 10.5 million people as of July 1, 2019, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. From July 1, 2018 to July 1, 2019, the state’s population increased by nearly 106,500 individuals. This marks the fourth year in a row that North Carolina has grown by more than 100,000 new residents. Among the states, North Carolina had the 4th largest numeric increase since 2018. Only Texas (367K),…
The holidays are an important time for gathering with friends and family, gift giving, celebration, and giving thanks. Before we break for the holidays ourselves, we’d like to share a few holiday facts and figures that relate to North Carolina. 4 million Approximate number of Christmas trees harvested in North Carolina in 2017, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Services (NASS). North Carolina ranked second only to Oregon, which harvested 4.7 million trees. 10…
Over the past year, we've worked with leaders across North Carolina, presented to dozens of organizations, and answered 150+ questions from journalists and residents with one focus: providing accurate and specific information for people to make sense of population-level changes. Below, you'll see just a small part of the work we've done this year: highlights from what we researched, learned, and shared. Thank you for your ongoing support. We wish you a Happy New Year…
The state is the largest overall employer in North Carolina with over 82,000 public employees as of November 2019; over a quarter (27%) of them work for the University of North Carolina system alone. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in North Carolina, along with twenty-one other states. (Note: The map in the previous link erroneously classifies the UNC System as a private employer.) What does the employment landscape look like at the county…
Between 2017 and 2018, North Carolina gained nearly 113,000 new residents according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Looking specifically at race and ethnicity, nearly one-third (32%) of the state’s population growth since 2017 was from growth in the white population, which grew by 36,466 persons between 2017 and 2018. The state’s population of Hispanic or Latino residents had the second largest numeric increase over this period, growing by 32,355 persons (29% of statewide growth). The…
Your support is critical to our mission of measuring, understanding, and predicting population change and its impact. Donate to Carolina Demography today.