CHARLOTTE — Even as the Tar Heel State’s population continues to rise, the growth isn’t being felt everywhere.
North Carolina had an estimated population of just under 10.7 million as of July 1, 2022, making it the ninth-largest state in the country behind Georgia and ahead of Michigan. The number of people living in the state has increased by more than 2.6 million since 2000, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
But while the large metropolitan areas in Charlotte and Raleigh are growing fast and the coastal region is attracting more and more people, Census data show more than 20 counties in the state lost population between 2020 and 2022.
The common theme among those counties: They are mostly rural areas.
The biggest drop was seen in Northampton County, which borders Virginia in northeast North Carolina.
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