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As 2015 draws to a close, we offer a quick look back at some of Carolina Demography's activities: we explored and explained how and why North Carolina's population is changing, and assisted individuals and organizations in understanding what this means for them and the communities in which they live and work. Before the year officially ends, the U.S. Census Bureau will release the July 1, 2015 population estimates for states. Last year, the release saw…
Following the decennial Census, political districts, such as U.S. Congressional Districts and state legislative districts, are reapportioned to states and counties on the basis of population and their boundaries are redrawn in a process called redistricting. Broadly speaking, the goal of redistricting is to make each district as close in population size in possible. While North Carolina’s population growth continues to outpace the nation, this growth is concentrated in the state’s urban areas. Nearly half…
With the release of the 2010-2014 American Community Survey estimates last week, data users can now compare two non-overlapping five year time periods. One trend apparent in the data is the steady increase in educational attainment: between 2005-2009 and 2010-2014, the percentage of the population age 25 or older with a bachelor’s degree or higher increased in 1,000 of the nation’s 3,142 counties. Among North Carolinians ages 25 and older, 27.8% had a bachelor’s degree…
North and South Carolina have grown significantly faster than the nation since 2000, and their growth is projected to continue. This population growth has not occurred evenly across the counties, however, and the coming decade will likely show sharpening distinctions in population growth patterns. Here’s a quick look at what is projected to occur in the Carolinas during this decade (2010-2020) and what current population estimates can tell us about population growth in these states.…
Today, the U.S. Census Bureau released the most recent 5-year American Community Survey estimates (2010-14). This data is available for all geographies down to the block group level. Although the Census Bureau has been releasing new 5-year data sets every year since 2010, this one is important: it is the first non-overlapping 5-year data set. Users can now compare estimates from 2005-2009 and 2010-2014 to get a better sense of how their communities have changed. All data…
“The first American Indian Day was celebrated in May 1916 in New York. Red Fox James, a Blackfeet Indian, rode horseback from state to state, getting endorsements from 24 state governments, to have a day to honor American Indians. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating November 1990 as “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Similar proclamations have been issued every year since 1994.” – U.S. Census Bureau on the history of…
North Carolina’s agricultural industry contributes $78 billion to the state’s economy according to the Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Two of the state’s leading agricultural products—sweet potatoes and turkeys—will likely grace many tables this Thursday as individuals and their families celebrate Thanksgiving. Here are a few fun facts about NC turkeys and sweet potatoes: Turkeys North Carolina is the second largest producer of turkeys, after Minnesota. The state’s turkey production was valued at more…
When discussing redistricting, I’ve heard individuals raise the question, “Why don’t we just let computers draw the lines and be done with it?” And why not? We let computers run so many aspects of our lives, why not this one as well? While computers and GIS software are fundamental to the completion of redistricting tasks, programming the computer to draw the maps requires firmly established criteria. Even with clear criteria, there are thousands of legal…
North Carolina will likely have 14 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives following the post-2020 Census reapportionment process. While we cannot guarantee a 14th seat (no matter how likely), we can guarantee significant changes to the state’s congressional district boundaries during the 2021 redistricting process. North Carolina’s population has grown substantially in the past few decades, and it continues to grow. At the same time, population is increasingly concentrated in urban cores within the…
The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey contains detailed data about our nation’s veterans, their demographic characteristics, their social lives, and their economic well-being. This is the data we have used in previous snapshots of North Carolina’s veterans (here and here). Additional data on the veteran population is produced by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA produces projections of the veteran population through 2043. In addition to total veteran population, they provide…
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