Which N.C. cities are attracting people – and which ones are losing them?

Newly released census data provides a look at which U.S. metros are attracting the most residents — and which ones are losing them to other areas.

Governing magazine reports that, based on the data, “most of the nation’s fastest growing metro areas are retirement destinations found in the Sun Belt.”

Some North Carolina communities, such as Wilmington and Asheville, are likely benefiting from that trend. Others, such as the Triad, the Triangle and Charlotte, are drawing residents because they’re home to major employers.

“To some extent, retiree migration into North Carolina is very new. It really started to uptick in the last 15 years,” said Rebecca Tippett of the Carolina Population Center, according to Governing.

Click through this slideshow to see how North Carolina’s metro areas ranked based on net migration rate per 10,000 population. … more

James Ritchie Digital Content EditorTriad Business Journal

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We’ve also included figures for:
▪Domestic net migration rate per 10,000 population;
▪Total net migration; and
▪Domestic net migration.

“Domestic” figures refer to movement of people within the U.S. “Total” figures include international migration.

The population estimates cover the 12-month period that ended in July.

The Tar Heel State’s fastest-growing metro in terms of migration gained 168 residents per 10,000 population during that period.

At the other end of the spectrum, several communities, including Fayetteville and New Bern, experienced significant net losses from migration.

(Note that although we didn’t include “Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC” in the slideshow, it would top the list by a large margin if counted as a North Carolina community. The area experienced growth of 369 residents per 10,000 population.)

According to Governing: “The population shift to the Sun Belt should continue as more baby boomers retire, although another downturn in the economy would likely slow its momentum.”