Where do Mecklenburg’s newcomers come from?

Charlotte is sometimes known as a city of transplants, but where exactly are those newcomers coming from?

Newly released U.S. Census Bureau estimates shed some light on that.

From 2009 to 2013, Mecklenburg County netted about 15,600 people a year, data show. On average, around 67,700 came to Mecklenburg County and 52,100 left.

Outside the state, South Carolina, New York and Florida were the top three states for people who relocated to Mecklenburg County, even though South Carolina gave an equal number of residents — about 5,500 a year — that it took from the Charlotte area.

I think moving to Charlotte was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for myself

— Breanna Holloway (@brestarr14) February 23, 2015

Charlotte has had the image of a boom town, even when the unemployment rates are a little higher than the national average.

“Even though the unemployment rate has been a little high here at times, people don’t care about the decimal points,” said Mary Newsom, the associate director of Urban and Regional Affairs at UNC Charlotte. “Charlotte has an image of being a golden city with a lot of economic opportunity.”

Maria Lehodny, a business consultant and a recent transplant from Portland, Ore., moved to Charlotte with her family after getting a job offer from her former company. About 100 people a year leave Oregon for Mecklenburg County, data show.

“The city is really making an effort to grow, and people here are willing to work hard for it,” Lehodny said.

The draw of the suburbs

Some residents stayed in the Charlotte area but moved to suburban counties. Among the list: York County, S.C., with a net gain of 150 and Union County at 1,500.

“People like the lower taxes, bigger houses and the school system in Union County,” Newsom said.

During 2014 Mecklenburg County surpassed the million resident milestone, making it the first county in the Carolinas to hit that mark.

Helping to drive that growth was the cost of living in Charlotte, which is lower than it is in Charleston and Atlanta, according to to CNN’s cost-of-living calculator.

“House costs are lower and residents can get more value for their dollar in Charlotte than in other big cities,” said Chuck McShane from the Charlotte Chamber.

The Observer’s Gavin Off also contributed to this story.

Graphic: David Puckett/Charlotte Observer

Photos: Todd Sumlin/Charlotte Observer; Charlotte Observer file

This story was originally published September 1, 2015 at 10:34 PM with the headline "Where do Mecklenburg’s newcomers come from?."