New Census Estimates Give North Carolina Reasons to Tout Its Growth
Greensboro, North Carolina Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com
The Tar Heel State has crossed the 10 million resident mark.
North Carolina has become one of nine states in the nation with a population over 10 million people, according to figures the U.S. Census Bureau released on Tuesday.
Based on the new population estimates, the Tar Heel State had 10,042,802 residents as of July 1, up from 9,940,387 on July 1, 2014. The increase of an estimated 102,415 residents during that time period means the state was the sixth fastest-growing in the U.S. in terms of numeric gains.
The estimated percent change in North Carolina’s population between 2014 and 2015 was 1.03 percent, which is less than the growth rate in 13 other states and the District of Columbia.
The Census Bureau pointed out that North Carolina’s growth rate between 2014 and 2015 was equivalent to adding an average of 281 people per day throughout the year.
Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, used the new population numbers as an opportunity to highlight infrastructure upgrades he believes are necessary in North Carolina.
“Our state’s transportation infrastructure plays a critical role in attracting and retaining businesses and connecting people to jobs, healthcare, education and recreation,” the governor said in a statement. “The time to start is now if we want to be ready for the future growth.”
The other eight states with over 10 million people include: California (39,144,818), Texas (27,469,114), Florida (20,271,272), New York (19,795,791), Illinois (12,859,995), Pennsylvania (12,802,503), Ohio (11,613,423) and Georgia (10,214,860).
Fastest Growing States
In terms of percent changes in population, the five fastest-growing states between July 1, 2014 and July 1, 2015 based on the Census estimates were: North Dakota (2.28 percent), Colorado (1.89 percent), Nevada (1.85 percent), Florida (1.84 percent) and Texas (1.82 percent). The District of Columbia checked in after Colorado on the list, with a growth rate of 1.88 percent.
And, in terms of numeric population increases, the five states that saw the biggest population gains during that same one-year time period were: Texas (490,036), Florida (365,703), California (352,527), Georgia (117,728) and Washington (107,185).
The Census Bureau also noted that seven U.S. states lost residents between July 1, 2014 and July 1, 2015. The population losses in those states looked like this: Illinois (22,194 or -0.17 percent), West Virginia (4,623 or -0.25 percent), Connecticut (3,876 or -0.11 percent), Mississippi (1,110 or -0.04 percent), Maine (928 or -0.07 percent), Vermont (725 or -0.12 percent) and New Mexico (458 or -0.02 percent).
Overall, the population of the United States grew by an estimated 0.79 percent, to 321,418,820 in 2015, from 318,907,401 in 2014.
Rural to Urban Shift in North Carolina
Between 2010 and 2013, the North Carolina counties that experienced some of the biggest population increases were those in the vicinity of the state’s major cities, according to previous Census Bureau estimates compiled by the University of North Carolina’s Carolina Population Center.
For instance, the population of Mecklenburg County, where Charlotte is located, increased by 8 percent between 2010 and 2013 to 990,977. Similarly, Wake County, which encompasses the state capital of Raleigh, saw its population grow by 8 percent to 974,289 people. And the number of people living in Durham County, which is northwest of Raleigh and includes the city of Durham, edged upwards by 7 percent between 2010 and 2013 to 288,133.
In recent decades, North Carolina has seen its population shift away from rural areas to urban ones. According to 2010 Census data, about 66.1 percent of North Carolina residents lived in urban parts of the state at that time. In 1990, that same figure was about 50.4 percent.
Bill Lucia is a Reporter for Government Executive’s Route Fifty.
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