News & Media

Iredell County’s Population Estimated To Be Third Fastest Growing In The Charlotte Region 2025-2050

By Jenna Martin – Managing Editor, Digital , Charlotte Business Journal

The region’s population boom shows no signs of slowing over the next couple of decades, according to new research from the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.

The Alliance in a new report projects that domestic and international migration will cause the Charlotte region’s population to grow more than 50% from about 3 million people now to 4.63 million people in 2050. The nonprofit’s research team used data from the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management as well as the South Carolina Department of Revenue to compile the report.

The Alliance’s coverage area spans 15 counties in the Charlotte region. Those North Carolina counties are Mecklenburg, Union, Cabarrus, Iredell, Gaston, Catawba, Rowan, Lincoln, Cleveland, Stanly and Alexander. The South Carolina counties are York, Lancaster, Chesterfield and Chester.

That differs some from the 11 counties that make up the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro area as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Those counties, including Mecklenburg, Union, Cabarrus, Iredell, Gaston, Rowan, Lincoln, Anson, Lancaster, York and Chester, totaled 2.8 million people as of July 1, 2023 — up by 50,458 people or 1.8% over the year, according to the most recent Census figures. The Charlotte area had the sixth-highest numeric increase in population and 35th-highest growth percentage of nearly 400 metros.

The Alliance’s research team points to Lancaster County, one of the region’s fastest-growing areas in recent years, to remain the leader in population growth. That county’s population is estimated to increase 71% between 2025 and 2050 to 192,275.

Mecklenburg County, meanwhile, is expected to grow 42% — or by more than 600,000 residents — to 1.7 million people in the next 25 years, according to the Alliance report.

Four other counties are projected to grow at a faster pace than Mecklenburg between 2025 and 2050: Union, up 60% to 431,612; Iredell, up 58% to 335,056; York, up 54% to 481,714; and Cabarrus, up 48% to 374,638.

About 79% of the region’s population growth is expected to come from Mecklenburg, York, Union and Iredell, the report stated.

Read the full report here.