That, ladies and gentlemen, is North Carolina’s population trend in a nutshell. Folks tired of no jobs and coastal storms Down East packing up and heading for the Queen City.

New Census Data really does not tells us anything we did not already know. We know Eastern North Carolina does not have business and industry and we know the Charlotte region does. Ergo, people follow the money.

Having said that, watch Stanly County. It is relatively unpopulated with only 60,000 residents, less than a tenth the population of Mecklenburg and just one-third that of bursting Union County. One big mixed-use development and — boom — its on.