Sometimes it seems the end is nigh, especially if you look at the headlines. In 2020, birth rates plummeted, and deaths spiked due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But in North Carolina, the population actually increased by about 100,000 people in 2020. That’s larger than the city of Asheville. While the growth rate has slowed compared to previous years, the Old North State is still competitive nationally when it comes to migration, especially in major metros like Wake County, which grew by nearly 26 percent in the last decade. The state’s overall growth was enough to earn an additional congressional seat, according to data released early by the Census Bureau.
When it comes to population growth, the recipe is typically births, minus deaths, plus net migration. The final census data for 2020, including data on migration, hasn’t been published yet. We’ll leave it up to you to do the math on that one.
Follow Senior Staff Writer Leigh Tauss on Twitter or send an email to ltauss@indyweek.com.
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