PopulationTrends


 * Indicators**:: Population Trends :: Urbanized Area Growth :: Land Cover Change

=**Population Trends**=


 * What is this?**

The US Census Bureau reports a complete count of population every 10 years and estimates population between these decadal counts. We report the population in the Triangle counties from 1950-2008.


 * Why is this important?**

Population growth is a key driver of land cover change, with growing populations reflected in the transformation of fields and forests into businesses, homes, and roads.


 * What does this measure show?**

The Triangle’s population grew by 298% between 1950 and 2008, from 387,344 to 1,541,253 people (Figure 1, Table 1). Most of the growth was in Wake County.


 * Figure 1.** Triangle population by county, 1950-2008. Source: US Census Bureau.


 * Table 1.** Triangle population by county, 1950-2008. Change is 1950-2008. Source: US Census Bureau.




 * Author** George Hess, NC State University :: 2010 April 6


 * Technical Notes**

The data used here were obtained by George Hess from Paul Black at the Triangle J Council of Governments, 2010 March 29. Black downloaded the 1950-1990 data from @http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/cencounts/files/nc190090.txt and the 2000 data from @http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US37&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-_lang=en&-format=ST-2&-_sse=on Hess retrieved 2008 estimates from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37000.html.

Here is the spreadsheet containing the data: [|PopulationByCounty.xlsx]


 * Indicators** :: Population Trends :: Urbanized Area Growth :: Land Cover Change