The U.S. Census Bureau recently released new population counts with its 2011 Population Estimates. These estimates are the first population figures since the 2010 Census and show that the Charlotte metropolitan region is continuing to grow.
As of July 2011, the 14-county region had a population of 2,596,745, up 39,764 residents (1.6 percent) from 2010. Mecklenburg County grew the fastest in the region at a rate of 2.7 percent. However, the surrounding suburban counties, which experienced high growth earlier in the 2000s, showed slowing growth at the start of this new decade. Five counties – Anson, Catawba, Chester, Cleveland and Rowan – actually experienced a decline in population since 2010. Next to Mecklenburg, the next fastest growing county was Union; however, its 2.1 percent increase between 2010 and 2011 was a far cry from its peak of 7.2 percent growth between 2005 and 2006.
At the metropolitan level, Charlotte was toward the top of the pack of the benchmark metros. But it was North Carolina’s other major metropolitan area, Raleigh, that saw the greatest growth from 2010 to 2011 (2.7 percent), followed closely by Denver. Charlotte fell to thrid.
About the data: The U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program (PEP) produces estimates of the population for the United States, its states, counties, cities, and towns, as well as for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and its municipios. Demographic components of population change (births, deaths, and migration) are produced at the national, state, and county levels. Additionally, housing unit estimates are produced form the nation, states, and counties. Statistics are available at each level by race, ethnicity, age and gender.
Explore these new data for all North and South Carolina counties in an interactive map. Please note, the interactive map uses estimates from July 2010 to July 2011, so the growth is lower than the interactive graphs below, which include another quarter in their calculation.
Related article: "Carolinas growth update: urban changes, rural losses"
