Metro Charlotte's population rises again, these counties lead the surge

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — All but one county in metro Charlotte contributed to the region’s population growth over the past year, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau data.

Overall, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metropolitan statistical area grew by 44,350 residents in the year between July 1, 2017 and the same date in 2018, show the latest bureau’s population estimates, which were released on Thursday. That equates to an average of about 853 new people a week and nearly 122 each day.

Two local counties in South Carolina led that surge, on a percentage basis: York and Lancaster. Both had populations that grew 3 percent over the year, representing the third- and fourth-highest growth percentages in the state, respectively.

York County added 7,972 residents to total 274,118, as of July 1, 2018, while Lancaster County saw its population grow by 2,756 residents to 95,380.

Chester County, on the other hand, experienced the only decrease in population, which dipped 0.1 percent — a loss of 34 residents — to 32,251.

When looking strictly at the number of new residents, rather than growth percentage, Mecklenburg County — unsurprisingly — had the largest slice, with 16,590 new inhabitants over the 12-month period. Up 1.5 percent, Mecklenburg County’s population totaled 1,093,901 in July 2018, according to the census estimates.

Check out this slideshow for a county-by-county breakdown of how metro Charlotte's population has changed since the 2010 Census.

Cox Media Group