Mecklenburg County falls to second largest county in NC
While people are moving to North Carolina and landing in the cities, it’s not just newcomers. There is evidence that people are leaving the rural areas for the metros.
Mecklenburg County is no longer the largest county in the state of North Carolina, according to the newest Census data.
North Carolina’s population grew by almost 10 percent between 2010 and 2020, as 10.4 million people call the state home.
The state added almost 904,000 people over the decade – but here’s what else the Census data revealed on Thursday.
Mecklenburg County is no longer the most populous county in the state – it’s now Wake County.
While Mecklenburg grew by 21 percent to 1.15 million, Wake grew by 25 percent to 1.29 million.
That’s massive growth in two counties, and it spread to the suburbs around Charlotte and Raleigh.
Cabarrus County’s population is up 27 percent, the third biggest jump in the state.
Now the two metro areas of Charlotte and Raleigh make up 39 percent of the state’s total population. Ten years ago, it was just 31 percent.
