Charlotte has landed itself on Forbes’s list of America’s 20 Fastest Growing Cities. Ranked at #18, Charlotte cracked the list for the first time based on its steady year-over-year population climb fueled by the growth of jobs that have a higher-than-average median salary when compared nationally.
The nod from Forbes makes sense, as any Charlottean can attest: the rate of change has been staggering.. In fact, earlier in 2014, Charlotte jumped Fort Worth, Texas to become the 16th-largest city in the United States, according to census figures.
With the eighth-largest population increase from 2012 to 2013, Charlotte is adding residents – and it doesn’t look like it will be ending anytime soon. A recent report from the United Nations projects Charlotte will be the top growing city in the United States over the next 15 years. According to the report, Charlotte will experience a 71% population increase from 2010 to 2030.
While there’s been a recent population surge, the Queen City has actually been growing for some time. Charlotte’s population has grown 40% since 2000, making it the second fastest-growing city in America with more than 500,000 in population. The population boom can be attributed to many things, but one factor is certainly employment. Charlotte’s employment rate is up 3.6% since 2007. While many areas were hit hard during the recession, the Queen City stayed relatively even-keeled.
Charlotte’s next milestone, surpassing Columbus, Ohio’s estimated population over 822,000; that’s nearly 30,000 more inhabitants than Charlotte.
