COVID-19 and North Carolina’s Shifting Demography
Abstract
Post 2020 Census population estimates covering the first fifteen months of the pandemic are analyzed. The results reveal COVID-19’s impact on the geo-demography of the state, highlight disturbing demographic trends, and raise pressing questions requiring immediate policy attention if North Carolina is to remain attractive as a place to live, work, play, and do business.
Introduction
North Carolina’s population grew more rapidly than the population of the U.S. during the first 15 months of the pandemic (1.1% vs. 0.1%) according to estimates of residential population change and components of change released by the U.S. Census Bureau for the period April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021 (U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, 2021, 2022). We use these post-2020 Census population estimates in this essay first, to highlight COVID-19’s impact on the geo-demography of our state; and second, to highlight several disturbing trends and pressing questions that require the immediate attention of state and local community leaders (Johnson, 2020, 2021a; Johnson, Bonds, & Parnell, 2021a,b).
https://kenaninstitute.unc.edu/publication/covid-19-and-north-carolinas-shifting-demography/
