Charlotte region experiencing surge in new residents

CHARLOTTE — If Charlotte seems more crowded to you, that’s because it is.

The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance says more than 100 people are moving to the Charlotte area every day.

Research by the alliance found an average of 117 people moved to the region each day between summer 2022 and 2023. That’s four more people daily compared to the year prior and the highest surge in the population in 15 years.

Rick Gonzales says he moved to Charlotte from Peru for college and stayed for everything else the city has to offer.

“I love running. I feel like Charlotte’s a running city, growing city, very diverse,” Gonzales said.

Thousands of out-of-towners like Gonzales are flocking to the Charlotte area each year.

“I feel like everyone talks about it. Everyone is moving here from New York and California,” he said.

He’s not wrong. Only Virginia lost more people to Charlotte than New York and California.

In addition, the alliance says more than 78,000 migrants moved to the Carolinas in 2022.

“From our schools to the weather to, you know, different things to do here … it really has something for everybody,” said Rob Horton, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer with the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.

Horton says newcomers are attracted to the metro’s accessible location, affordable cost of living, and high quality of life. He says the larger talent base attracts businesses to our area and adds diversity.

A spokesperson for the city of Charlotte says leaders created a comprehensive plan to keep up with the expansion.

The city says it’s hiring more than 100 new firefighters and could see $100 million go toward affordable housing next year if voters approve a bond in November.

Horton says it’s critically important for local leaders to keep up with the growth.

“We work with the different counties and the cities in the region to help highlight those issues and identify some potential solutions for how we could move forward,” he said.

The alliance says Atlanta saw about the same number of new residents daily. That number surpasses cities such as Raleigh, Greenville, South Carolina, and Nashville. But the alliance says more than 200 people are moving to Dallas and Houston, Texas, each day.

The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance includes the following counties in the Charlotte Region: Alexander, Cabarrus, Chester, Chesterfield, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lancaster, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly, Union, and York.

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