The Charlotte region's population boom continues at a torrid
pace, fueled by some of the Carolinas' fastest-growing counties and
a surge of international newcomers.
According to census estimates released today, Union County led
all N.C. and S.C. growth from July 2001 to July 2002, and its 5.7
percent population increase makes it the 19th fastest-growing county
in the nation. York County set the pace for South Carolina's growth.
And much of the region's growth was garnished with an
international flavor. Residents from other countries accounted for
25 percent of the population increase. Many came from Mexico and
other parts of Latin America.
They helped Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Iredell, Union, Lincoln and
York outpace state and national growth rates. All across the
Carolinas, more than three-fourths of the counties gained population
from 2001 to last year.
Mecklenburg County grew by 17,139 people, roughly the equivalent
of everyone in Morganton moving in. The county's population now
stands at 737,950, as Mecklenburg climbed a notch on the list of the
nation's 100 largest counties, bypassing Essex County, Mass., for
69th place.
Growth around Charlotte is a result of a fairly stable economy,
lots of jobs and an infrastructure to support commuters, said Bob
Coats, an analyst with the N.C. State Data Center.
As the Charlotte area continues to sprawl, officials and
residents are grappling with how to confront regional problems
associated with rapid growth. Last month, more than 135 people from
the 14-county region spent a day discussing air quality, open space
and congestion.
"If we don't tackle the regional issues together, I think
the general feeling of the participants is that the quality of life
will significantly decrease," said Anne Udall, director of the
Lee Institute, a Charlotte leadership development group that
organized the forum.
Union County's growth remains in a league of its own. County
Manager Mike Shalati said as long as the county can continue to
maintain its high quality of life, Union's rapid growth is a plus.
Schools, however, have borne the brunt of the county's growth.
The district already relies on 144 mobile classrooms for its 34
schools, 12 of which are already over their capacity. Six more
schools are expected to overflow in the next two years.
Much of York County's growth has centered on Fort Mill, Rock Hill
and nearby Lake Wylie, where homebuyers have quick access to
Charlotte but can enjoy lower taxes and land prices in South
Carolina.
The growth has consequences, though. A consultant on Monday told
York County Council members they should spend almost $100 million to
replace or expand almost every county building, including the
justice center, which was built just 10 years ago.
Not every area has seen big growth, including the Hickory region,
where closings and mass layoffs have eaten at the foundation of the
traditional textile and furniture industries. All four area counties
-- Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba -- grew from 2001 to 2002,
but by 1 percent or less. During the 1990s, Catawba's population at
times rose 2 percent or more per year.
Then there's Stokes County, north of Winston-Salem. Its 2001
population was 44,984. So was its 2002 population.
"(Zero growth) happens every once in a while," said
U.S. Census Bureau official Lisa Blumerman. "That is a stable
county." -- SAMANTHA PETERSON, KYTJA WEIR, CRISTINA BREEN,
JENNIFER TALHELM, EARNEST WINSTON AND GREG LACOUR CONTRIBUTED TO
THIS ARTICLE.
-- ADAM BELL: (704) 358-5696.
