Jan 23, 2017

Rebecca Tippett, Director of Carolina Demography at UNC’s Carolina Population Center, recently participated in a strategic planning conference with the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. ZSR posted a summary of Tippett’s analysis and remarks.

Excerpt: “We asked Dr. Tippett to provide us with a high level overview of some of the more significant trends she is seeing in North Carolina as well as the impacts and implications of those trends.

1. What are some of the most significant trends/changes being seen across North Carolina in recent years?

One of the biggest demographic stories since 1990 has been growth. Between 1990 and 2015, North Carolina’s population grew by 50 percent, gaining more than three million residents. With more than 10 million residents, North Carolina is now the ninth most populous state in the nation. Although the pace of growth has slowed in recent years, North Carolina continues to grow faster than the nation.

This growth has been fueled by migration of individuals from other states and countries, which has significantly increased the diversity of the state. In addition to growth and migration, another major trend has been urbanization, with growth increasingly concentrated in the state’s urban centers.”

Read the full story here.