75 NC counties have grown in population since 2022

By on 3.18.24 in Migration, NC in Focus

Last week, the U.S (United States). Census Bureau released 2023 county population estimates. These annual estimates tell us how county populations in North Carolina have changed over the course of a year: in this case, between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023. The county population estimates are more granular than the statewide estimates released every December. In the most recent state population estimate, released in December 2023, North Carolina’s  population increased by 1.3%  (139,526…

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NC’s foreign-born population increased eightfold since 1990

By on 2.27.24 in Migration

Dr. Michael Cline is the state demographer for North Carolina at the Office of State Budget and Management and has given us permission to re-post his content here. The original version of this piece is here. The foreign-born population in North Carolina has increased eightfold since 1990 from an estimated 115,000 (2% of the state’s 1990 population) to 868,000 people today (an estimated 8% of North Carolina residents). Although a significant population within North Carolina,…

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Who Migrates to North Carolina?

By on 12.6.23 in Migration, NC in Focus

Dr. Michael Cline is the state demographer for North Carolina at the Office of State Budget and Management and has given us permission to re-post his content here. The original version of this piece is here. Author: Joanna LeFebvre & Michael Cline In general, young adults are the most mobile among all age groups – usually moving to obtain an education, to take a job, or follow orders as a member of the military. As…

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Thousands of People Moved to the Rural South During the First Year of the Pandemic. Where Did They Come From?

By on 8.31.23 in Migration, NC in Focus

Thousands of People Moved to the Rural South During the First Year of the Pandemic. Where Did They Come From? by Sarah Melotte, The Daily Yonder August 24, 2023 Out of all the people who moved from larger cities to rural areas in 2021, two-thirds wound up living in the rural South, a Daily Yonder analysis of IRS data shows. Southern rural counties attracted 65% of the people who moved from metropolitan to nonmetropolitan counties…

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Raleigh, Charlotte make top 10 list for fastest-growing large metros in the United States

Nationally, there are 384 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), which are defined as  economically integrated sets of counties with a core central city with a population of 50,000 or more. MSAs can be located within one state, or they can span across multiple states. They range in size from Carson City, Nevada (58,933) to the New York-Newark-Jersey City MSA (19,768,458) which crosses New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Within and including North Carolina, there are 17 unique metro regions, ranging from Goldsboro (116,835)…

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Foreign-born population trends: Impact of COVID-19

By on 3.23.22 in Migration

In 2015, we published a three part series examining immigration trends in the U.S. and in North Carolina. Over the coming weeks, we'll be updating that series, with analysis of how COVID-19 and recent immigration laws have affected international migration in the U.S. and in North Carolina. The U.S. has been a popular destination for immigrants from across the globe since the 1820s. According to the Department of Homeland Security’s records, approximately 86 million immigrants…

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2021 Population Estimates Show NC Growth Continues

Dr. Michael Cline is the state demographer for North Carolina at the Office of State Budget and Management and has given us permission to re-post his content here. Each year, he publishes population estimates and projections for North Carolina and its counties.   North Carolina’s population growth continues, despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The state gained more people than all but Texas, Florida, and Arizona. Between the April 1, 2020 Census…

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Where are North Carolina’s newest residents moving from?

The majority of North Carolina’s growth over the past few decades has been from net migration, meaning more people moved here than moved away. Recent population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau indicated that about 70% of North Carolina’s estimated growth between April 1, 2010 and July 1, 2020, came from net migration. The other 30% of our state’s growth came from natural increase, meaning more births than deaths took place in our state. Where…

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Dramatic Growth Favors Certain Municipalities

Dr. Michael Cline is the state demographer for North Carolina at the Office of State Budget and Management and has given us permission to re-post his content here. Each year, he publishes population estimates and projections for North Carolina and its counties. Ten years ago the town of Leland, NC had a little more than 13,000 residents. According to our July 1, 2019 populations estimates, there are now more than 22,600 residents. That’s a growth…

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Raleigh is the second-fastest growing large metro in the United States behind Austin

Nationally, there are 384 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA), which are defined as an economically integrated set of counties with a core central city with a population of 50,000 or more. They range in size from Carson City, Nevada (55,916) to the New York-Newark-Jersey City MSA (19,216,182) which crosses New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Within North Carolina, there are 15 unique metro regions, ranging from Goldsboro (123,131) to Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia (2,636,883 across NC and SC). With a combined population of 283 million, nearly seven of…

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