Mooresville mayor refutes census estimate that Lake Norman town lost people
Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney refuted U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Thursday that show the Lake Norman town lost population after decades of rapid growth.
And a Census spokeswoman told The Charlotte Observer Friday that the figure could be revised if the town submits data to the contrary.
“Challenges may result in revised population estimates if the Bureau determines that incorrect input data was used in estimates production,” the spokeswoman said.
All 34 of the Charlotte area’s largest cities and towns saw single-year population growth last year except Mooresville, according to the census.
Mooresville dropped by nearly 2%, from 53,891 residents in 2023 to 52,884 in 2024, according to the bureau.
“Anyone who says that hasn’t been to Mooresville lately,” Carney said about the reported population decline. “Politically, I would love to run on that: ‘I slowed growth in Mooresville.’”
After decades of fast population growth — 8,600 to nearly 55,000 since 1980 — Mooresville has taken steps to try to slow the numbers down in recent years, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. That includes denying permits for mega-apartment complexes that lack retail and commercial space and related road improvements.
Still the newcomers flood in, attracted by the climate, lake and lower cost of living than other parts of the country.
Carney cited Mooresville’s annual increase in the number of utility bills, from 181,138 in fiscal 2024 to 186,403 in fiscal 2025, through March 31. That was a 3% increase, on top of 4% increases in each of the previous three fiscal years, according to town figures Carney provided to the Observer on Friday.
“We have more than 2% of the state of New York here,” he quipped.
Despite the Census Bureau’s estimated 1.7% Mooresville population drop in 2024 from the year prior, the town still grew by 5.15% from 2020 to 2024, from 50,295 residents in 2020, the census figures show.
Housing units factor into population estimates
The census determines population estimates “by first estimating the population of each county, and then distributing that population estimate among the places in each county based on estimated housing stock,” spokeswoman Angelica Vasquez said in an email.
“Our estimates indicate that Iredell County’s population grew by 3% between 2023 and 2024, but Mooresville’s estimated share of the county’s total housing units declined, resulting in an estimated annual population decline of 1.9% for the town,” she said.
“However, our estimates do show that Mooresville’s population has increased by about 2,600, or 5.1%, since the 2020 Census count in April 2020.”
Through the bureau’s Population Estimates Challenge Program, local governments can submit more data for evaluation by the bureau, Vasquez said.
Through the Federal-State Cooperative for Population Estimates, states can submit information such as the number of housing units, she said.
Population estimates for other Lake Norman towns
Since 2020, all Charlotte-area communities grew by more than 3%, except Rock Hill at nearly 2%. The city of Charlotte grew by 7.68%, from 874,687 to 943,476 residents.
Also in the Lake Norman area:
Huntersville grew by 9.25% from 2020 to 2024, from 61,406 residents to 67,087, according to the census. The town grew by 2.63% from 2023 to 2024, from 65,367 residents in 2023.
Cornelius grew by 9.38% from 2020 to 2024, from 31,419 residents to 34,366. The town grew by the same 2.63% as Huntersville from 2023 to 2024. Cornelius had 33,485 residents in 2023.
Davidson saw 7.71% growth from 2020 to 2024, from 15,111 residents to 16,276. The town grew by 2.24% from 2023 to 2024. The town had 15,919 residents in 2023.