North Carolina’s population surpasses 10 million

North Carolina added an average of 281 people per day between 2014 and 2015, pushing its total population above 10 million in the U.S. Census Bureau’s recently released state population estimates. North Carolina is the ninth state to pass the 10 million mark.

Since the 2010 Census, North Carolina’s population has grown by over half a million new residents (507,110), more than any state except for Texas (2.3M), California (1.9M), Florida (1.5M), and Georgia (526K). This represents a 5.3% increase in overall population, the 15^th highest among the states and well above the national growth rate of 4.1% over this time period.

Migration continues to fuel North Carolina’s growth: 61% of state growth since 2010 has come from net migration. With more than 300,000 net migrants between 2010 and 2015, North Carolina received the 4^th largest number of net migrants of any state. Only Florida (1.3M), Texas (1.2M), and California (558K) received more net migrants. Sixty-one percent of North Carolina’s net migrants came from other states or U.S. territories; 39% moved to North Carolina from another country (this includes native-born individuals, such as those in the military).

Natural increase, or more births than deaths, accounted for 39% of North Carolina’s growth since 2010. North Carolina had nearly 200,000 more births than deaths between 2010 and 2015, the 7^th largest amount among the states. California (1.3M), Texas (1.1M), New York (468K), Georgia (299K), Illinois (296K), and Virginia (215K) had greater population gains due to natural increase.