By ANA RISANO
Staff Writer
Moore County municipalities are keeping on trend with others across the states, seeing population growth with the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
But with that growth comes a demand for more housing and expanded infrastructure — a topic dominating local elected officials’ conversations.
The county has seen steady growth for years, having been one of the top 10 fastest growing North Carolina counties. The 2024 census estimates place the county population at 108,417. That’s a 1,345-person increase from 2023. In the last four years, the county has grown by more than 8,600 people.
The Census Bureau shared in a statement that the South has experienced the highest average population growth of any region from 2023 to 2024. But population growth has been reported across all cities and towns in the nation.
Towns and cities in the South with populations between 5,000 and 9,999 residents, like Aberdeen and Whispering Pines, saw an average increase of 1.6 percent. Municipalities with populations between 10,000 and 49,999, like Southern Pines and Pinehurst, had the same average growth rate.
“Many population growth rates reversed or saw major changes between 2023 and 2024,” Crystal Delbé, a statistician in the Census Bureau’s population division, said in a statement. “In fact, cities of all sizes, in all regions, showed faster growth and larger gains than in 2023, except for small cities in the South, whose average population growth rate remained the same.”
According to a statement, cities across the nation with populations under 5,000 grew by 0.3 percent on average.
Moore County municipalities saw small population increases from 2023 to 2024, according to estimates. Most towns saw increases under 100 people. Pinehurst, the largest municipality, saw a 25-person increase, raising the population to 18,502. Southern Pines, the second largest municipality, saw the greatest increase at 209 people, bringing the population to 16,987.
Several factors are fueling growth locally, including the relocation of retirees and military families because of the county’s proximity to Fort Bragg. The base employs more than 47,400 active-duty soldiers and roughly 16,000 civilians, making it the nation’s largest Army installation.
The future openings of manufacturing plants outside the county may contribute to the growth in Moore County too, with three factories focused on electric vehicles parts underway: Toyota, Vinfast and Wolfspeed. About 41,900 county residents are employed in Moore, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but 18,213 commute out of the county, according to the U.S. Census.
Local conversations recently have been about a Moore County housing study, which showed a gap of nearly 8,000 units between what’s available and needed based on projected growth. And with the need for housing comes the need for improved or expanded infrastructure to handle the influx of residents and maintain quality of life.
“Housing plays a crucial role in economic development,” said Natalie Hawkins, president of the Moore County Economic Development Partnership, at a Moore 100 member event in March. “Housing not only generates jobs and drives investments in our communities, but it ensures that our businesses have access to the stable workforce they need.”
On top of needing more units, the study showed a need for affordable housing, which is considered to be less than one-third of a person’s yearly income. Based on a median household income of $71,125, approximately 37 percent of renters and 20 percent of owners are considered “housing cost burdened,” meaning that more than 30 percent of income goes toward housing costs.
Contact Ana Risano at (910) 585-6396 or ana@thepilot.com.
