Charlotte metro area’s population among the fastest growing in the US, new study finds
The Charlotte metro area was among the fastest growing in the nation in recent years, a new study found. And another North Carolina city is growing at an even faster clip, according to the study.
Charlotte and surrounding areas, including Concord and Gastonia, gained 201,349 residents from 2016 to 2021, the home inspection company Inspection Support Network said. That’s an 8.1% jump, per ISN, the sixth biggest in the nation in that five-year period.
The Raleigh metro area, including Cary, finished second on the same list. ISN’s analysis of U.S. Census data found Raleigh and surrounding areas grew by 11.1% from 2016 to 2021, with 144,557 moving to town.
The “most common origin” for those moving to the Charlotte area was the New York City metro area, ISN said. But many moving to Raleigh had a much shorter move: Durham and Chapel Hill were the “most common origin for recent movers” to the area, according to ISN’s study.
Suburbs and surrounding counties are fueling much of the growth in the Charlotte metro area, the Charlotte Observer reported previously.
Mecklenburg County trailed North Carolina’s statewide population growth rate from April 2020 and July 2021, previous Census data analysis showed, but eight surrounding counties had larger population increases compared to the region’s urban core.
Observer reporter Gordon Rago contributed past reporting to this story.
