Carolina Demographics
Keep up with our latest demographic insights
In addition to counting basic demographic characteristics of 309 million Americans, the 2010 decennial census also included information on the last names about 295 million individuals – more than 95% of all Americans. Summaries of these data were made publicly available today. Some highlights: Americans reported 6.3 million individual surnames in 2010. Most of these—3.9 million or 62%--were reported only once. Why? Lots of unique surnames or unique variations of more common names. There were…
After the Great Recession, the volume of Mexican immigration to the United States—and North Carolina—dropped sharply. Between 2009 and 2014, the Pew Hispanic Center found that more Mexican immigrants had returned to Mexico than immigrated to the U.S., with an estimated net migration of -140,000 individuals. During this same time period, Asian countries, such as China and India, emerged as leading senders of immigrants. Similar trends were documented in North Carolina. New data from the…
In his recent article about diversity in young Americans, William Frey points to “a noteworthy demographic dynamic [that] is making the young post-millennial generation more racially diverse – the absolute decline in the number of white children (persons under age 18).” This, too, is happening in North Carolina. In 2015, North Carolina had 57,000 fewer white children than in 2010, with the declines most pronounced at ages 10 and under. These declines may be partly…
“Minorities comprise more than half of the millennial populations in 10 states, including Texas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and New Jersey. In 10 additional states, including New York, Illinois, Virginia, North and South Carolina, minorities comprise more than 40 percent of millennial residents. Other states have whiter millennial populations, but only nine states are home to largely (over 80 percent) white millennial populations (e.g. Wyoming, Iowa, West Virginia, and Maine).” – William Frey, Diversity defines the…
In 2000, nearly 515,000 of the state’s 3.1 million households—16%—received retirement income. This proportion increased to 19% or 693,000 households by 2010-14, according to the American Community Survey. While the number of households receiving retirement income has increased by 178,000, a growth rate of 35%, the aggregate value of retirement income received has grown even more. Retirement income received by North Carolina households rose from $8.7 billion in 2000 to $15.1 billion by 2010-14. This…
The U.S. Census Bureau's July 1, 2015, population estimates revealed significant differences in population growth by age group, highlighting major impacts of population aging since 2010. There were also differences in state-by-state population growth. For example, more than half of states reported fewer working-age adults and fewer children in 2015 than in 2010. At the same time, every state saw large increases in the size of their 65+ populations. This post highlights some of the major age…
The oldest Baby Boomers began turning 65 on January 1, 2011. Every day since then, about 10,000 Baby Boomers have turned 65. This will continue through the end of 2029. Less than five years into this process, U.S. Census Bureau population estimates for July 1, 2015 already reveal significant impacts of the Boomer’s population aging. In 2010, just under 13% of North Carolina’s population was 65 or older. Five years later, in 2015, this proportion…
In 2015, Charlotte and Raleigh were among both the top 50 largest cities in the United States and the top 50 in numeric population growth since 2010, according to recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. As of July 1, 2015: Charlotte (827,097) was the 17th largest city in the United States, following Ft. Worth, TX, and ahead of Seattle, WA. It had the 9th largest numeric growth between 2010 and 2015, gaining more than…
North Carolina’s population grew by 5.3% between 2010 and 2015, faster than the national growth rate of 4.1%. Nationwide, this was the 15th fastest growth rate among the states. Seven of the 15 fastest-growing states were southern states (a U.S. Census Bureau regional definition that includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, and West Virginia), six were western states, such as Colorado and Utah, and two—North and South Dakota—were Midwestern. Among the 17 southern states, North Carolina…
According to population projections from the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management, North Carolina’s population growth will be steady over the decade. The state grew by just over half a million between 2010 and 2015 and is projected to add another half million residents between 2015 and 2020. During the 1980s, North Carolina’s population growth was similarly even across the decade, but different growth patterns emerged over the next 20 years. In both…
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