North Carolina continues to be home to some of America's fastest-growing large counties coming out of the pandemic era, per an Axios analysis of the latest census data.

• But many of the state's rural east continues to shrink significantly.

Why it matters: The latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau show which parts of North Carolina are booming and which parts are struggling to keep residents.

Zoom in: Counties around the state's two largest cities of Raleigh and Charlotte still attract a large number of people thanks to their thriving economies. But so do certain parts of the coast and mountains, including areas around Wilmington and Asheville.

• The state's two fastest-growing counties — Johnston County (18.5% population growth) and Brunswick County (15%) — were both among the 50 fastest-growing in the country in the latest data, which compared the five-year average populations from 2014-2018 and 2019-2023.
• The state's largest county, Wake, saw its population grew by 10%, increasing from an average of about 1 million in 2014-2018 to about 1.2 million in 2019-2023.

At the same time, Robeson County in eastern North Carolina saw the largest population decline of any U.S. county with more than 100,000 people, with its population falling 12.4%.

• Eastern North Carolina's counties have struggled in recent years after being hit by a succession of hurricanes, and many those counties also have higher unemployment rates than the state average.

Roughly one-fifth of North Carolina's residents now live in its five largest cities — Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro and Winston-Salem — according to Carolina Demography.

• Those cities have benefitted from internal migration within North Carolina to where jobs are, but they've also attracted many new-to-NC residents.
• North Carolina had the second largest gain from domestic migration between 2023 and 2024, adding more than 82,000 out-of-state residents, according to the Census Bureau, and the state's population broke 11 million in the past year.
• And like every other state, it posted positive international migration numbers as well.

Between the lines: Although Americans sometimes relocate domestically in search of better jobs, lower costs and so on, international migration is the main driver behind population growth at the national level.

• Migration "accounted for 84% of the nation's 3.3 million increase in population between 2023 and 2024," the Census Bureau said in a recent write-up of separate data.
• "This reflects a continued trend of rising international migration, with a net increase of 1.7 million in 2022 and 2.3 million in 2023."

What we're watching: The new census numbers are a snapshot of life here before the devastation of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, which has displaced many residents from their homes for the long term.

Share this story

Anthony Guerra, the owner of the popular Raleigh pizzeria Oakwood Pizza Box, plans to open a new wine shop and bar at Raleigh Iron Works this summer.

Why it matters: It's part of a year of expansion for Guerra. In addition to the wine shop and bar, which will be called Saint-Pierre, Guerra is opening a pizza restaurant in Charleston called Tutti Pizza.

The latest: Saint-Pierre is borne out of Guerra and his wife Brett's penchant for stocking a diverse grouping of wines to pair with Oakwood's pizza.

• It will join a growing roster of local businesses at Raleigh Iron Works, including Eastcut Sandwich Bar, Scott Crawford's Brodeto, the plant store Urban Pothos and record shop Hunky Dory.

Zoom in: Guerra opened Oakwood Pizza Box on North Person Street in 2017. Before that, he worked at several fine dining establishments around the Triangle, including Crawford & Son, and described himself as a "struggling wine professional."

• To him, Oakwood has always been as much of a "love letter to wine" as it is a pizza place. It offers great bottles at what he hopes is a discount price compared to many fine dining institutions.
• He's hoping Saint-Pierre can build on that love for wine and create a third space around it, giving Raleighites a different sort of place to gather in the afternoon and evening, whether it's for a business meeting or a pre-dinner glass.

What they're saying: "There are lot of wines sitting in [Oakwood Pizza Box] that we would be drinking, but you can't get a seat at Oakwood," Guerra said, noting how small the existing pizza shop is.

• Saint-Pierre is "giving a home" to that love for wine, while "keeping Oakwood wild and what it is."

Tell a wine-loving friend

🪪 The Federal REAL ID law is finally set to go into effect on May 7 after years of being delayed. (News & Observer 🔒)

😷 Triangle-area hospitals are limiting the number of visitors as a number of respiratory viruses circulate. (WRAL)

😋 The Greek-inspired Naos Hellenic Cuisine, from the Giorgios Hospitality Group and located in Cary, opens today. Make a reservation here.

One of Raleigh's newest coffee shops, WRK by The Optimist, opened in early December.

Driving the news: Located in The Exchange, a $1 billion mix-used development east of North Hills, WRK is The Optimist's third location in Raleigh.

Zoom in: The latest addition is yet another sign that The Optimist, which bravely opened its first location in Raleigh's Oakwood neighborhood in May 2020, is thriving.

• The coffee shop also opened a cart at PNC Arena and its second location near Crabtree Valley Mall in 2023.

Location: 1000 Social St., on the first floor of The Exchange.

• The spot is a little tricky to find. Check out this video for an explainer on how to get there.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 7am-5pm.

• Saturday and Sunday, 8am-2pm