The Baby Boomers Approach Retirement

Planning for Aging in North Carolina

The Growth of the Older Population in NC Counties, 1996 to 2020

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1996 Population Estimates

2020 Population Projections

Increase 1996-2020

County

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

% 65+

 

Alamance

117,823

18,436

15.6%

137,734

27,473

19.90%

16.9%

49.0%

 

Alexander

30,584

3,698

12.1%

38,289

7,468

19.50%

25.2%

101.9%

 

Alleghany

9,610

1,943

20.2%

8,876

2,643

29.80%

-7.6%

36.0%

 

Anson

23,791

3,839

16.1%

21,628

4,833

22.30%

-9.1%

25.9%

 

Ashe

23,483

4,367

18.6%

23,168

6,823

29.50%

-1.3%

56.2%

 

Avery

15,229

2,418

15.9%

15,243

3,856

25.30%

0.1%

59.5%

 

Beaufort

43,210

6,729

15.6%

45,879

10,380

22.60%

6.2%

54.3%

 

Bertie

20,532

3,099

15.1%

19,972

3,814

19.10%

-2.7%

23.1%

 

Bladen

30,090

4,533

15.1%

29,771

6,858

23.00%

-1.1%

51.3%

 

Brunswick

62,856

10,309

16.4%

97,920

23,724

24.20%

55.8%

130.1%

 

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1996 Population Estimates

2020 Population Projections

Increase 1996-2020

County

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

% 65+

 

Buncombe

190,852

31,811

16.7%

233,706

52,062

22.30%

22.5%

63.7%

 

Burke

82,486

11,600

14.1%

95,890

19,757

20.60%

16.3%

70.3%

 

Cabarrus

113,598

14,905

13.1%

154,068

25,904

16.80%

35.6%

73.8%

 

Caldwell

74,265

9,826

13.2%

79,479

16,467

20.70%

7.0%

67.6%

 

Camden

6,356

918

14.4%

7,391

1,545

20.90%

16.3%

68.3%

 

Carteret

58,341

9,087

15.6%

78,091

17,542

22.50%

33.9%

93.0%

 

Caswell

21,451

3,361

15.7%

21,283

5,263

24.70%

-0.8%

56.6%

 

Catawba

128,055

16,269

12.7%

155,484

28,748

18.50%

21.4%

76.7%

 

Chatham

44,380

6,820

15.4%

56,804

12,715

22.40%

28.0%

86.4%

 

Cherokee

22,070

4,420

20.0%

26,141

7,322

28.00%

18.4%

65.7%

 

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1996 Population Estimates

2020 Population Projections

Increase 1996-2020

County

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

% 65+

 

Chowan

14,152

2,615

18.5%

15,923

3,745

23.50%

12.5%

43.2%

 

Clay

7,840

1,675

21.4%

9,228

2,716

29.40%

17.7%

62.1%

 

Cleveland

90,306

13,005

14.4%

97,221

20,657

21.20%

7.7%

58.8%

 

Columbus

51,852

7,429

14.3%

50,715

11,026

21.70%

-2.2%

48.4%

 

Craven

87,174

10,869

12.5%

104,071

18,784

18.00%

19.4%

72.8%

 

Cumberland

294,195

21,697

7.4%

393,578

49,547

12.60%

33.8%

128.4%

 

Currituck

16,372

2,105

12.9%

23,807

4,227

17.80%

45.4%

100.8%

 

Dare

26,542

3,292

12.4%

43,438

7,096

16.30%

63.7%

115.6%

 

Davidson

138,718

17,792

12.8%

169,675

31,494

18.60%

22.3%

77.0%

 

Davie

30,590

4,583

15.0%

36,461

8,168

22.40%

19.2%

78.2%

 

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1996 Population Estimates

2020 Population Projections

Increase 1996-2020

County

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

% 65+

 

Duplin

43,535

6,265

14.4%

48,360

9,132

18.90%

11.1%

45.8%

 

Durham

194,956

19,944

10.2%

256,661

32,073

12.50%

31.7%

60.8%

 

Edgecombe

56,054

7,140

12.7%

56,155

9,751

17.40%

0.2%

36.6%

 

Forsyth

284,188

37,034

13.0%

333,497

57,561

17.30%

17.4%

55.4%

 

Franklin

42,738

5,474

12.8%

62,738

9,977

15.90%

46.8%

82.3%

 

Gaston

179,184

22,636

12.6%

189,098

32,523

17.20%

5.5%

43.7%

 

Gates

9,864

1,426

14.5%

11,533

1,976

17.10%

16.9%

38.6%

 

Graham

7,538

1,305

17.3%

7,651

2,089

27.30%

1.5%

60.1%

 

Granville

41,921

5,201

12.4%

52,603

8,350

15.90%

25.5%

60.5%

 

Greene

17,180

2,299

13.4%

18,599

3,858

20.70%

8.3%

67.8%

 

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1996 Population Estimates

2020 Population Projections

Increase 1996-2020

County

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

% 65+

 

Guilford

377,722

48,035

12.7%

454,088

80,940

17.80%

20.2%

68.5%

 

Halifax

56,523

8,393

14.8%

60,346

11,284

18.70%

6.8%

34.4%

 

Harnett

79,488

9,539

12.0%

110,192

17,342

15.70%

38.6%

81.8%

 

Haywood

50,639

10,179

20.1%

54,033

16,032

29.70%

6.7%

57.5%

 

Henderson

77,558

17,651

22.8%

98,630

30,080

30.50%

27.2%

70.4%

 

Hertford

22,214

3,395

15.3%

21,017

4,169

19.80%

-5.4%

22.8%

 

Hoke

28,144

2,707

9.6%

42,993

5,905

13.70%

52.8%

118.1%

 

Hyde

5,191

853

16.4%

4,308

1,060

24.60%

-17.0%

24.3%

 

Iredell

106,233

14,517

13.7%

141,403

26,086

18.40%

33.1%

79.7%

 

Jackson

29,238

4,336

14.8%

32,822

7,975

24.30%

12.3%

83.9%

 

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1996 Population Estimates

2020 Population Projections

Increase 1996-2020

County

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

% 65+

 

Johnston

99,215

12,401

12.5%

147,349

24,378

16.50%

48.5%

96.6%

 

Jones

9,322

1,398

15.0%

9,266

1,952

21.10%

-0.6%

39.6%

 

Lee

47,402

6,721

14.2%

61,760

12,014

19.50%

30.3%

78.8%

 

Lenoir

59,262

8,734

14.7%

58,394

12,285

21.00%

-1.5%

40.7%

 

Lincoln

56,808

6,945

12.2%

76,990

13,520

17.60%

35.5%

94.7%

 

Macon

27,050

6,325

23.4%

34,259

10,895

31.8%

26.7%

72.3%

 

Madison

18,194

3,137

17.2%

19,393

4,915

25.3%

6.6%

56.7%

 

Martin

25,762

3,895

15.1%

25,306

5,590

22.1%

-1.8%

43.5%

 

McDowell

38,317

5,946

15.5%

39,391

9,080

23.1%

2.8%

52.7%

 

Mecklenburg

593,514

56,545

9.5%

878,995

114,409

13.00%

48.1%

102.3%

 

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1996 Population Estimates

2020 Population Projections

Increase 1996-2020

County

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

% 65+

 

Mitchell

14,652

2,802

19.1%

14,708

4,114

28.00%

0.4%

46.8%

 

Montgomery

24,382

3,301

13.5%

25,555

4,270

16.70%

4.8%

29.4%

 

Moore

68,126

15,185

22.3%

90,862

26,178

28.80%

33.4%

72.4%

 

Nash

86,026

10,927

12.7%

111,449

19,455

17.50%

29.6%

78.0%

 

New Hanover

143,430

19,038

13.3%

202,050

39,213

19.40%

40.9%

106.0%

 

Northampton

20,858

3,710

17.8%

18,404

4,594

25.00%

-11.8%

23.8%

 

Onslow

150,216

8,162

5.4%

207,980

19,127

9.20%

38.5%

134.3%

 

Orange

106,045

9,308

8.8%

146,494

21,553

14.70%

38.1%

131.6%

 

Pamlico

12,010

2,221

18.5%

13,272

3,666

27.60%

10.5%

65.1%

 

Pasquotank

33,848

4,822

14.2%

40,614

7,061

17.40%

20.0%

46.4%

 

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1996 Population Estimates

2020 Population Projections

Increase 1996-2020

County

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

% 65+

 

Pender

35,978

5,278

14.7%

56,553

11,616

20.50%

57.2%

120.1%

 

Perquimans

10,756

2,032

18.9%

11,693

2,961

25.30%

8.7%

45.7%

 

Person

32,514

4,715

14.5%

36,998

7,378

19.90%

13.8%

56.5%

 

Pitt

119,236

11,845

9.9%

165,467

22,041

13.30%

38.8%

86.1%

 

Polk

16,195

4,077

25.2%

19,587

6,212

31.70%

20.9%

52.4%

 

Randolph

118,722

15,076

12.7%

152,662

26,630

17.40%

28.6%

76.6%

 

Richmond

45,840

6,646

14.5%

46,359

8,413

18.10%

1.1%

26.6%

 

Robeson

112,005

12,193

10.9%

125,186

19,337

15.40%

11.8%

58.6%

 

Rockingham

89,250

13,492

15.1%

92,604

19,761

21.30%

3.8%

46.5%

 

Rowan

121,003

18,736

15.5%

152,090

27,821

18.30%

25.7%

48.5%

 

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1996 Population Estimates

2020 Population Projections

Increase 1996-2020

County

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

% 65+

 

Rutherford

59,334

9,482

16.0%

65,631

13,485

20.50%

10.6%

42.2%

 

Sampson

51,498

7,651

14.9%

55,733

11,272

20.20%

8.2%

47.3%

 

Scotland

35,030

3,976

11.4%

37,387

6,363

17.00%

6.7%

60.0%

 

Stanly

54,588

8,112

14.9%

61,606

10,969

17.80%

12.9%

35.2%

 

Stokes

42,222

5,096

12.1%

54,553

10,526

19.30%

29.2%

106.6%

 

Surry

65,866

10,402

15.8%

74,086

16,390

22.10%

12.5%

57.6%

 

Swain

11,847

1,919

16.2%

12,500

2,852

22.80%

5.5%

48.6%

 

Transylvania

27,558

5,760

20.9%

30,556

9,474

31.00%

10.9%

64.5%

 

Tyrrell

3,671

669

18.2%

3,287

798

24.30%

-10.5%

19.3%

 

Union

102,083

9,923

9.7%

154,192

22,963

14.90%

51.0%

131.4%

 

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1996 Population Estimates

2020 Population Projections

Increase 1996-2020

County

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

% 65+

 

Vance

40,621

5,298

13.0%

44,821

7,276

16.20%

10.3%

37.3%

 

Wake

539,187

42,884

8.0%

918,936

119,762

13.00%

70.4%

179.3%

 

Warren

18,183

3,506

19.3%

19,808

5,252

26.50%

8.9%

49.8%

 

Washington

13,504

2,025

15.0%

11,555

2,827

24.50%

-14.4%

39.6%

 

Watauga

40,451

4,635

11.5%

47,624

9,102

19.10%

17.7%

96.4%

 

Wayne

112,386

12,338

11.0%

125,598

21,314

17.00%

11.8%

72.8%

 

Wilkes

62,762

8,989

14.3%

64,952

14,868

22.90%

3.5%

65.4%

 

Wilson

68,460

9,168

13.4%

72,668

14,148

19.50%

6.1%

54.3%

 

Yadkin

34,737

5,381

15.5%

43,780

9,111

20.80%

26.0%

69.3%

 

Yancey

16,248

2,980

18.3%

17,343

4,680

27.00%

6.7%

57.0%

 

NC (Total)

7,323,085

927,586

12.7%

9,345,967

1,634,691

17.5%

27.6%

76.2%

 

County

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

Number 65+

% 65+

All Ages

% 65+

 
 

1996 Population Estimates

2020 Population Projections

Increase 1996-2020

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Prepared for the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services by the
Center for Aging Research and Educational Services (CARES), Jordan Institute for Families,
School of Social Work, UNC-Chapel Hill. 5-19-98