North Carolina is tenth largest state in Population Again

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Move over New Jersey. North Carolina has returned to the top 10 list of states with the largest population. About 72,000 New Jerseyans actually left for other states, an exodus that puts the New Jersey fourth in a select group of the scorned. Louisiana, California and New York were the other states that lost the most residents, the Census Bureau reported on Thursday. From July 2005 to July 2006, NC was the seventh fastest growing state, growing to 8.9 million residents or 2.1%.

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/36412.php

[suburban george3]

I think most people pretty much expected NC's stay out of the top 10 to be short-lived. Now let's see how high we can go!!

[urbanaturalist]

WOW!.......As a native North Carolinian....slash/........geography nerd........it is quite amazing to see that N.C. is approaching the 9 million resident/citizens mark.....I remember back in the early 90s when I was only a teenager looking at the road atlases where the map, population, and square mileage were on the same two pages.......and North Carolina (only) having around 7.3 or so million people whithin its borders but still being in 10th place population category........even more than Georgia at that time. So now this article is saying it might be going back to 10th place and throwing darts at Michigan and Pennsylvania after (languishing) behind Georgia at 11th place for the infantile 21st century.

To bad probably most of that growth is occuring over fields, forests, and intracoastal wetlands as opposed to central sections of cities and towns within the old North State.

[hauntedheadnc]

What a thrill. All it means is that everything between the mountains and the coast will be one big suburb. The Piedmont isn't doing squat to guide its growth.

[CapeFearRiver10]

This is great news but I love to see cities like Fayetteville, Hickory, Rocky Mount, & Roanoke Rapids get in on some of the growth. I feel it would make the state evenly divided. I wodner if there is a Coastal population boom going on in N.C.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

There is a coastal building and population boom going on in New Hanover and Brunswick counties, the Outer Banks, and Norfolk area of North Carolina. However, while these areas have high growth rates, they are starting off with lower raw numbers than the big boom counties of the Piedmont.

[jednc]

after (languishing) behind Georgia at 11th place for the infantile 21st century.

[NcSc74]

There is a coastal building and population boom going on in New Hanover and Brunswick counties, the Outer Banks, and Norfolk area of North Carolina. However, while these areas have high growth rates, they are starting off with lower raw numbers than the big boom counties of the Piedmont.

[davidals]

^

Currituck is included in the Tidewater MSA or CSA, and Currituck and Pasquotank - the 2 counties with direct road links into Va Beach and Chesapeake are already picking up some slow sprawl-type development, still in the early stages.

I haven't heard of plans for an I-64 extension, but the US 64/17 corridor between Raleigh and Chesapeake was designated a "national high priority corridor" during the 1990s; this would not necessarily be an interstate, but would probably be a freeway; the US 64 portion of that corridor is a sub-interstate grade frwy, and the rest is an expressway with grade crossings. A few road upgrades would open the floodgates into that corner of NC; however sizable parts of the area are National Wildlife Refuge or otherwise unbuildable, so very good planning would also be a must to avoid a very crazy patchwork of bad development.

[e2ksj3]

Look for NE corner of NC to continue its net gain in population. Especially if the Southside cities(mainly Norfolk, Va Beach and Chesapeake) continue the trend of housing market overvaluation. Camnden, Pasqoutank and Currituck couties have ample land to develop on the cheap. That is only a 45 to an hour drive from the HRBT with good traffic. One more thing to look for is if an extension of I-64 or some other 4-lane highway to the outer banks gets built. The area is already considered in the Hampton Roads metro if I'm not mistaken.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

The thing to remember is that the US census has consistently greatly underestimated North Carolina's population growth in its annual census figures and projections. If anything North Carolina was probably closer to 9.0 million people in July, rather than 8.9 million. It is very likely that the state will actually reach 9.2 million sometime in late 2007.

[triadcat]

The thing to remember is that the US census has consistently greatly underestimated North Carolina's population growth in its annual census figures and projections. If anything North Carolina was probably closer to 8.9 million people in July, rather than 8.8 million. It is very likely that the state will actually reach 9 million sometime in late 2007.

[architect77]

Reclaiming 10th place is good, however it pisses me off that throughout history NC always surpassed Georgia in population until the 2000 census. Georgia went to #9 and bumped NC to #11 though the difference in GA and NC's population was less than 200,000 or so.

Now Georgia (9,300,000) is leaving NC (8,850,000) further behind. It's amazing that the growth of metro Atlanta alone has thrust GA into the #9 position.

But the Census says by 2030 that NC will again pass GA, Michigan and Ohio with a population of 12,300,000 and will become the 7th most populous state.

FYI: Florida, which is already crowded with 17,000,000 is expected in 2030 to have a population of over 28,000,000. Pretty amazing.

[CapeFearRiver10]

I would love to see more than 12.3 million in the state by 2030. How about 14-15 million with Asheville (500,000) residents, Traid (3million), Wake County (1.3million), Charlotte (1.1 million), Fayetteville (500,000), New Hanover Co. (650,000), Greenville (215,000), Rocky Mount (115,000), Goldsboro (180,000), Pinehurst (100,000), but hey I'm just dreaming.

Seriously I would like the state invest more into New Hanover.

[NcSc74]

however sizable parts of the area are National Wildlife Refuge or otherwise unbuildable, so very good planning would also be a must to avoid a very crazy patchwork of bad development.

Yeah I realized that after I made that post. One thing that needs to be understood by developers is the importance of the sounds and the refuges to migratory birds. I am sure no one wants to be resopnsible for wiping out the red wolf re-introduction to eastern NC and disrupting the nesting habits of millions of transient water fowl. I think they re-introduced the red wolf. I remember reading something about that not long ago.

[davidals]

Yeah I realized that after I made that post. One thing that needs to be understood by developers is the importance of the sounds and the refuges to migratory birds. I am sure no one wants to be resopnsible for wiping out the red wolf re-introduction to eastern NC and disrupting the nesting habits of millions of transient water fowl. I think they re-introduced the red wolf. I remember reading something about that not long ago.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Could it be that NC reaches 10 million by 2010? If the Census says we grew by 184,000 from 2005 to 2006, there is a good chance the actual number is 200,000. If that rate continues, the state should be at around 9.8 million by 2010.

[urbanaturalist]

This is not a New Jersy thread, but you have to admire a state as small as New Jersey that is having "almost" 9 million people and holding on to the 9th and 10th place for as long as it has.

If anything, the consistent sprawled out and patchworky development all over North Carolina is reminder that it doesn't take a lot of land to build up population.

We need some state and local politicians that can explain to natives and the newcomers the importance of having more controlled planning and better mass transit.

The intracoastal waterway that borders the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds is definitely some of the most scenic and precious areas of the state, not only for wildlife and plants, but for the ability of the wetlands to help clean out pollutants. There needs to be a state commission to oversee development in these area, similar to California Ocean Commission that oversees development along the Pacific coast. These sounds are estuaries of the highest order and need to be protected.

All we need are the political and virtual "balls" from men and women in politics and the public to stand against the North Carolina mindset that doesn't see a problem or is apathetic to uncontrolled growth.

[mallguy]

All we need are the political and virtual "balls" from men and women in politics and the public to stand against the North Carolina mindset that doesn't see a problem or is apathetic to uncontrolled growth.

[krazeeboi]

I agree with you. Look at public opinion polls (do a quick internet search) and the general public is concerned about rampant population growth.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

It is important to note that North Carolina's growth rate is comparable to much smaller states such as Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and Idaho despite the fact it mathematically difficult for a state as large as NC to have as high of a growth rate as small states.

[Nathan]

North Carolina will never pass Georgia again. Atlanta growth is just too big.

[Eastwestrob]

North Carolina will never pass Georgia again. Atlanta growth is just too big.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Georgia has Atlanta. But North Carolina has Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Greensboro/Winston-Salem, and (parts of) Norfolk Metros, all with robust growth rates. Georgia is essentially a one-trick-metro pony.

[krazeeboi]

Georgia is essentially a one-trick-metro pony.