Wake County Projected to Surpass Mecklenburg County

Charlotte is easily North Carolina’s most populated city. Consequently Mecklenburg County, which houses Charlotte, also has the highest population of any county of North Carolina. But asWake County is increasing in population by leaps and bounds, it will not be long before Mecklenburg will be in second place in the state.

Whether it is attributed to the excellent education system, the comparatively stable housing market, or the seemingly recession-proof economy, Wake is booming, so much so that its population is predicted to grow faster than that of Mecklenburg over the next two years. According to an estimate released earlier this year by the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2011 the populations of North Carolina’s two largest counties will differ by fewer than 25,000 people.

The population of Wake County is estimated to increase by 4.9 percent and 4.3 percent in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Mecklenburg will continue to grow, though at an estimated slightly slower pace than Wake over the next two years. This means that if these exponentially increasing trends remain stable, Wake could potentially become the state’s most populated county in 10 years. Given the trends among newcomers in relocating to the state, there is every reason believe this can and will happen.

While Charlotte and Mecklenburg remain at the top of the chart, Wake County is a rising star, so keep your eyes on the horizon.

For more information visit this Triangle Business Journal article.