CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The U.S. Census shows Charlotte's population grew 20% over the last 10 years. During that same time, 900,000 people moved to North Carolina.
But where did that growth come from? Are people moving to the Tar Heel State or are more people having kids? Census data shows that over the past decade, North Carolina's population grew by 9.5% since 2010. That's faster than the national growth rate of 7.3%.
THE QUESTION
Did North Carolina see a significant increase in children?
OUR SOURCE:
THE ANSWER:
No, North Carolina did not see a significant increase in children. According to the U.S. Census, North Carolina's child population had a 0.1% growth rate since 2010.
Wake Up Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with the team at Wake Up Charlotte.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Stitcher || TuneIn || Google Podcasts
All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.
WHAT WE FOUND:
According to the data, Carolina Demography found the adult population grew by 901,000, which is a 12.4% increase from 2010.
However, the child population in North Carolina only saw an overall growth of 2,000. That's an increase of just 0.1%.
"We have 70 counties that have FEWER babies in 2020 than they did in 2010," Rebecca Tippet, director of Carolina Demography, said.
Mecklenburg County saw the second-largest increase in the number of children, up 9.5%.
Tippet said there could be a few reasons for the slight increase in the child population.
"The big factor that we have seen is from the impacts of the great recession," Tippet said. "Because we saw the COVID pandemic also appear to have a significant impact on births, we're projecting over this next decade we'll see small or no increases, or possibly even declines in the child population."
VERIFY is dedicated to helping the public distinguish between true and false information. The VERIFY team, with help from questions submitted by the audience, tracks the spread of stories or claims that need clarification or correction. Have something you want VERIFIED? Text us at 704-329-3600 or visit /verify.