Growth rates

New Census figures are a reminder of the Triangle area's attraction to newcomers -- and pressures that creates

The great American migration southward, which has changed the flavor of a region and the nature of national politics, appears to be still going strong.

More evidence of growth in the Triangle area arrived recently in the form of U.S. Census estimates of cities' population changes in the 12 months ending July 1, 2007. Cary, which continues to call itself a town, ranks fifth nationally among "large" municipalities (more than 100,000 people) in growth as measured by percentage. Cary's rate of increase was 7.3 percent, to 121,796 residents. The town/city's national growth-rate ranking rose to fifth from eighth the previous year.

Those are substantial increases, and they're helping to change the face of Cary, as an N&O news story pointed out. The town that has grown up around its pleasantly old-timey core retains a suburban, well-manicured feel that particularly attracts high-tech workers. And those new residents form an increasingly diverse crew; for example, people from India, or Indian-Americans, are now a notable component of Cary's mix.

It's a welcome development, enriching the area with new stores, new customs and new people.

Similarly, Raleigh and other area municipalities have benefited -- despite growth's all-too-evident drawbacks in crowded roads and overstressed schools -- from an influx of folks from northern states and elsewhere.

When North Carolina passed New Jersey in 2006 to take over the 10th spot in population among the states, it was more than merely symbolic of a North-to-South population shift over the past 20 or 30 years. It was a signal of the state's increased national presence. We now have 13 U.S. representatives, a population that has passed 9 million and the sixth highest statewide growth rate.

Within North Carolina, that high growth centers on the greater Raleigh and Charlotte regions, with outposts on the coast and around Asheville. This was evident in county-based Census statistics released earlier this year that put Wake and Mecklenburg counties among the 10 fastest-growing in the nation, based on number of new residents.

Now the latest figures show how the countywide gains play out among localities.

The Wake County town of Rolesville, with 2,242 residents, topped the state's percentage-gain list. Close behind were mid-sized towns Holly Springs, Knightdale, Wake Forest and Fuquay-Varina. Raleigh itself, with a much larger population (about 375,000, the city estimates), is no slacker in the sweepstakes. The capital city grew by 4.2 percent and added more than 15,000 people in 12 months.

Is that frantic pace still continuing, a year after the snapshot taken by the Census? Unlikely, given 2008's nationwide housing slump and a sour economy. But slower growth could have a silver lining, in particular giving school systems a break from hyper-growth and its costs.

Growth, overall, has been good to the Triangle. So too could a period of consolidating our gains.