Population Accelerates Around Charlotte, Raleigh and Southern beaches

North Carolina counties experience sharp population growth

(The Center Square) – Several North Carolina counties were among the fastest growing in the country between July 2021 and July 2022, according to new U.S. Census figures.

The Census Bureau’s Vintage 2022 estimates released Thursday shows some of the nation’s most populous counties that experienced significant outmigration and population declines in 2021 are now returning to prepandemic patterns.

While North Carolina’s biggest counties have continued to grow since 2020, they’re now accelerating at a faster pace. Brunswick County, meanwhile, ranked among the top 10 for percentage growth.

“The migration and growth patterns for counties edged closer to prepandemic levels this year,” said Dr. Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for estimates and projections in the Census Bureau’s population division. “Some urban counties, such as Dallas and San Francisco, saw domestic outmigration at a slower pace between 2021 and 2022, compared to the prior year. Meanwhile, many counties with large universities saw their populations fully rebound this year as students returned.”

Brunswick County’s population swelled from 144,814 on July 1, 2021 to 153,064 on July 1, 2022, which was the seventh for percentage growth of 5.7% among counties with a resident population over 20,000. The county’s population was estimated at 136,694 on April 1, 2020.

In 2000, the population of Brunswick County – the southern-most coastal county that borders South Carolina – was 73,143. That’s a 22-year increase of more than 109%.

The data shows Wake County posted the 16th highest growth nationwide between July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022 with a population change of 22,664. The gains were driven by births outpacing deaths by 6,141, with another 16,558 coming from migration. International migration accounted for 5,246, while domestic migration added 11,342. The cumulative change between April 20, 2020 and July 1, 2022 was 45,628, according to the data.

While Wake County did not experience population decline during the pandemic, the 22,644 added between July 2021 and July 2022 is 5,993 more than the 16,651 added the year prior.

Mecklenburg County posted the 18th highest growth with 19,583 residents added between July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022. Natural change accounted for 7,352 of that total, while international migration added 8,401 and domestic migration contributed 3,973. Mecklenburg’s change between April 20, 2020 and July 1, 2022 was 29,866.

The growth of 19,583 between July 2021 and July 2022 marks a significant increase from the prior year, when Mecklenburg County added just 3,936.

All 10 of the fastest growing counties in the country were in the South or West, including Arizona’s Maricopa County at the top, followed by Harris, Collin and Denton counties in Texas. Florida’s Polk and Lee counties were fifth and sixth, respectively, followed by Texas’ Fort Bend County, Florida’s Hillsborough County, and the Texas counties of Bexar and Montgomery.

The top 10 counties for numeric decline were in California, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan. In terms of percentage decline, counties in California, Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi and New York topped the list.

“Over one-half of all counties (52.5%) grew between 2021 and 2022, down from 55.7% of counties the prior year. At the same time, 1,482 (47.1%) declined and 11 counties (0.3%) saw no change in population,” according to the Census Bureau.

“The smallest counties nationally, those with populations below 10,000, experienced more population loss (60.8%) than gains (38.3%); while the largest counties, having populations at or greater than 100,000, largely experienced population increases (68%).”

North Carolina’s population is estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau at 10,698,973, as of July 1 last year. That’s up 133,088. The state, at the last decennial census in 2020, gained an extra seat in the House of Representatives due to its population growth.