Two North Carolina Cities Among Fastest Growing In U.S.
Does it feel like traffic keeps getting worse in Charlotte? There’s a very real reason for that. According to WCNC-TV, the Charlotte metropolitan area was recently ranked as one of…
(Photo: Doug Pensinger/Allsport/Getty Images)
Doug Pensinger/Allsport/Getty ImagesDoes it feel like traffic keeps getting worse in Charlotte? There's a very real reason for that. According to WCNC-TV, the Charlotte metropolitan area was recently ranked as one of America's fastest-growing large metros.
A study by the Inspection Support Network shows the population changes among large, small, and mid-size U.S. metros based on census data to rank the fastest-growing areas across the nation. The Charlotte metro, which also includes Concord and Gastonia, came in at no. 6 on the list for large metros.
From 2016 to 2021, Charlotte's population grew by 8.1%, or 201,349 people. That brought the total population for the metro to 2,701,046. Where are all these new Charlotteans coming from? The research indicates that the most common point of origin was the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area.
Another North Carolina metropolitan area has been growing even more dramatically. The Raleigh-Cary area was the second-fastest growing metro in the U.S. from 2106 to 2021. Their population went up 11.1%, although the overall population is still much lower than in Charlotte. However, the Raleigh-Cary metro added most of its new residents from nearby areas, such as Durham and Chapel Hill.
Top 10 Fastest-Growing Metros in the U.S. (Inspection Support Network)
10. Salt Lake City, UT
- Percentage change in population (2016–2021): +6.6%
- Total change in population (2016–2021): +78,340
- Population 2021: 1,263,061
- Most common origin for recent movers: Provo-Orem, UT
9. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
- Percentage change in population (2016–2021): +7.2%
- Total change in population (2016–2021): +153,640
- Population 2021: 2,292,476
- Most common origin for recent movers: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
8. San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
- Percentage change in population (2016–2021): +7.2%
- Total change in population (2016–2021): +175,512
- Population 2021: 2,601,788
- Most common origin for recent movers: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
7. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Percentage change in population (2016–2021): +7.9%
- Total change in population (2016–2021): +564,857
- Population 2021: 7,759,615
- Most common origin for recent movers: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
6. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC
- Percentage change in population (2016–2021): +8.1%
- Total change in population (2016–2021): +201,349
- Population 2021: 2,701,046
- Most common origin for recent movers: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
5. Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN
- Percentage change in population (2016–2021): +9.3%
- Total change in population (2016–2021): +171,182
- Population 2021: 2,012,476
- Most common origin for recent movers: Knoxville, TN
4. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
- Percentage change in population (2016–2021): +9.6%
- Total change in population (2016–2021): +236,342
- Population 2021: 2,691,925
- Most common origin for recent movers: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL
3. Jacksonville, FL
- Percentage change in population (2016–2021): +11.0%
- Total change in population (2016–2021): +161,643
- Population 2021: 1,637,666
- Most common origin for recent movers: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL
2. Raleigh-Cary, NC
- Percentage change in population (2016–2021): +11.1%
- Total change in population (2016–2021): +144,557
- Population 2021: 1,448,411
- Most common origin for recent movers: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
1. Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX
- Percentage change in population (2016–2021): +14.1%
- Total change in population (2016–2021): +290,410
- Population 2021: 2,352,426
- Most common origin for recent movers: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
