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Charlotte region expected to grow 50 percent by 2050

The research conducted looks at how the Charlotte area is growing, compared to other major metros, where it's coming from, and how we expect to grow in the future.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — According to an analysis conducted by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, the Charlotte region is expected to grow at a substantial rate in the next 30 years. 

With that growth comes questions: where are we growing? Who is calling the Queen City home? Let's take a look at what the alliance found.

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Growth & diversity: Who is moving to Charlotte?

The Charlotte Region became more diverse over the past decade, with the fastest growth among those who identified as a different race than listed (209 percent), multiracial (192 percent), and Asian (83 percent).

People moving into the Charlotte region from elsewhere in the U.S. tend to be more educated, younger, and wealthier than the residents already living in the region.

People emigrating into the Charlotte Region from foreign countries tend to have varying educational levels. Over 50 percent are either highly educated or do not have a high school degree, compared to 22 percent of Charlotte's current regional residents.

How do we expect it to grow in the future? 

The Charlotte region is expected to grow by 50 percent by 2050, going from about 3 million to 4.5 million people. 

The fastest growth is expected in York County, S.C., and Lancaster County, S.C. which are expected to roughly double in size over the next 30 years.

Where is the growth coming from? 

104 people move into the Charlotte Region every day, with the largest contingents coming from New York City.

How does this growth compare to other cities?

The Charlotte region grew by 16.3 percent over the past decade, surpassing the entire state of North Carolina as a whole (9.5 percent),  the state of South Carolina (10.7 percent), and the nation at large (7.4 percent).

The Charlotte metropolitan area saw the ninth-fastest growth during the past decade and grew even faster towards the end of the decade.

This is the latest report in a series of research about growth in the Charlotte Region. The full report with graphics is available here.

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