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Wilmington MSA Second-fastest Growing Metro In NC

By J. Elias O'Neal, posted Mar 27, 2014
When it comes to population growth in the state, metro Wilmington is near the top, according to newly released Census estimates.
 
The Wilmington metropolitan statistical area (MSA), which now encompasses New Hanover and Pender counties, clocked an estimated 1.99 percent growth rate between July 2012 and July 2013 – adding 5,248 residents to the metro, according to figures the U.S. Census Bureau released on Thursday.
 
The Wilmington MSA’s one-year growth in population estimates was second to Raleigh’s population growth rate of 2.19 percent, and followed by the Charlotte and Durham-Chapel Hill and metros at 1.76 percent and 1.74 percent, respectively. The Rocky Mount, New Bern and Hickory-Lenoir metros each lost population between July 2012 and July 2013, according to the report.
 
Overall, the Wilmington MSA population estimate for 2013 was 268,601 residents, according to the report.
 
Thursday’s report reflected the area’s recently reconfigured MSA designations. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) officially removed Brunswick County from the Wilmington MSA in February 2013 and placed it in the Myrtle Beach, S.C. MSA. 
 
Had Brunswick County -- the fastest-growing county in the state between July 2012 and July 2013 -- remained in Wilmington’s MSA statistical count, the region’s growth rate would have been even steeper at 2.22 percent with a 2013 population estimate of 383,902 people – a net gain of 8,352 residents from July 2012 to make metro Wilmington the fastest-growing MSA in the state.   
 
But instead, all of Brunswick County’s fast-growing population was added to Myrtle Beach MSA’s count.
 
The South Carolina tourist mecca surpassed the 400,000-population threshold – its 2013 population estimate was 404,951 residents. The Myrtle Beach MSA was the seventh-fastest growing metro area in the U.S., according to the estimate update, clocking in with a 2.72 percent growth rate between July 2012 and July 2013. 
 
Brunswick County grew from an estimated 112,197 residents in July 2012 to 115,301 in July 2013, representing a gain of 3,104 people or a 2.77 percent increase.
 
Pender County’s population grew an estimated 2.11 percent, adding 1,146 residents between July 2012 and July 2013 to bring its latest count to 55,334 residents.  
 
New Hanover County, despite adding the most residents in the region, showed a growth rate of 1.96 percent, increasing its population from an estimated 209,165 residents in July 2012 to 213,267 in July 2013 for a net gain of 4,102 people.    
 
Since the 2010 Census, the newly configured Wilmington MSA has added 8,469 residents, growing from 254,884 people in April 2010 to 268,601 people in July 2013 – clocking an overall growth rate of 5.38, the third-highest in the state.
 
The Triangle metros – including the Raleigh and Durham-Chapel Hill areas – posted the fastest growth rates in the state at 7.43 percent and 5.99 percent, respectively, between April 2010 and July 2013. Metro Charlotte recorded the fourth-fastest growth rate in the state at 5.34 percent between the same time periods.
 
Here is a breakdown of how the Wilmington MSA stacks up with the rest of the state:
 
County Growth Rate July 2013 Estimates July 2012 Estimates
Greater Wilmington growth rates from July 1, 2012 to July 1, 2013
Brunswick      2.77%         115,301          112,197
New Hanover      1.96%         213,267          209,165
Pender      2.11%          55,334           54,188
 
MSA Growth Rate July 2013 Estimates July 2012 Estimates
NC metro growth rates from July 1, 2012 to July 1, 2013*
1. Raleigh     2.19%       1,214,516        1,188,504
2. Wilmington     1.99%         268,601          263,353
3. Charlotte     1.76%       2,335,358        2,294,990
4. Durham-Chapel Hill     1.74%        534,578         525,431
5. Asheville     1.26%        437,657         432,209
6. Fayetteville     0.99%        377,193         373,506
7. Greenville     0.75%        174,263         172,971
8. Greensboro-High Point     0.66%        741,065         736,182
8. Jacksonville     0.66%        185,220         184,001
9. Winston-Salem     0.56%        650,820         647,221
10. Burlington     0.46%        154,378         153,672
11. Goldsboro     0.21%        124,583         124,318
12. Hickory-Lenoir    -0.04%        363,572         363,729
13. Rocky Mount    -0.39%        150,667         151,253
14. New Bern    -0.72%        127,657         128,588
*Ranked fastest to slowest
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