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
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