According to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Charlotte region saw one of it’s largest net positive migration years in 2023.
Mecklenburg County added about 32 people per day in 2023, making our region one of the fastest growing in the nation. Analysis shows that 60% of American counties experienced net migration gains between 2022 and 2023, up from 52% the previous year.
Overall, Charlotte came in right behind Orlando, with Charlotte gaining about 50,500 residents and Orlando adding nearly 55,000 residents in 2023.
Population growth in the Charlotte metro area
More than 60,000 people lived in the Charlotte metro area in 2023 compared to 2022, according to latest data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Select comparison cities shown.
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 6.14M | 6.18M | 9 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 4.58M | 4.57M | 13 | 13 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 2.83M | 2.83M | 20 | 20 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 2.76M | 2.82M | 22 | 21 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 2.75M | 2.81M | 23 | 22 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 2.8M | 2.8M | 21 | 23 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 2.66M | 2.7M | 24 | 24 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 2.51M | 2.51M | 25 | 25 |
Nationally, the overall loss across 1,055 counties decreased to 0.02% in 2023 from 0.09% in 2022. Small counties declined by 0.27% compared to 0.35% in 2022, while larger counties grew by 0.36% on average in 2023.
Looking ahead, experts anticipate continued growth in areas like Austin, Texas. South Carolina counties in the Charlotte metro, including York, Lancaster, and Chester, also saw notable population boosts.
