How North Carolina’s Population Will Change Over the Next 20 Years | North Carolina

Every year, millions of Americans pack up and move to a new state – whether for work, family reasons, a changing climate, or a number of other reasons. Migration and natural population change resulting from births and deaths can lead to significant demographic changes, which affect local economies and governments.

Negative or slow population growth can lead to lower economic growth and fewer economic opportunities, which in turn can push more people out of a given state. Population decline can also mean reduced revenue for state governments and limited funding for public works and services and reduced ability to meet budget obligations. Here is an overview of the states that collect the most income taxes.

According to a study conducted by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia, the population of North Carolina is projected to increase by 19.8% between 2020 and 2040, an increase of 2,090,894 people. If the Cooper Center’s projections hold true, North Carolina will jump from the ninth-most populous state to the seventh-most populous state, taking into account demographic shifts in other states as well.

The projected change is consistent with the trend of the past decade. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of people living in North Carolina increased by 10.8%, or 1,032,550 people.

A full methodological explanation of how these projections were calculated can be found here.