Carolina Demography gives first look at Polk, state’s 2020 census

POLK COUNTY—Polk County’s population dropped by more than 1,000 people between 2010 and 2020, according to initial census data released late Thursday night by Carolina Demography. 

Polk County’s population in 2010 was 20,510 and the 2020 census is showing its population at 19,328, a decrease of 1,182 people, according to Carolina Demography. The change in population is negative 6 percent. 

Polk County’s trend is different than the state trend over the past 10 years. Overall, North Carolina’s population grew from 9,535,483 to 10,439,483, which was an increase of 903,905 people, or 9.5 percent. 

Polk was one of 51 counties in the state that lost population, for a total loss of 147,224 residents, but 49 counties gained population for a total gain of 1,051,129. 

The most populous counties in the state are Wake County, which officially surpassed Mecklenburg County recently. Wake County has 1,129,410 people, followed by Mecklenburg with 1,115,482 people, Guilford with 541,299 people, Forsyth with 382,590 people and Cumberland with 334,728 people, according to Carolina Demography. 

Carolina Demography officials said Wake and Mecklenburg are more than twice as populous as Guilford, the state’s third largest county, and Wake, Mecklenburg and Guilford grew faster than the state over the decade, while Forsyth and Cumberland grew more slowly. 

The least populous counties in the state are Tyrrell County, with just 3,245 people, Hyde with 4,589 people, Graham with 8,030 people, Jones with 9,172 people and Camden with 10,355 people, according to Carolina Demography. 

Of the smallest counties, Camden County was the only county that grew over the decade, at 3.8 percent. The other smallest counties had large population losses.