If current growth trends continue, Charlotte could potentially move up in the rankings in coming years.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte, North Carolina has secured its position as the 14th largest city in the United States, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau data.
The Queen City added 23,423 residents between July 2023 and July 2024, bringing its total population to 943,476.
The significant population increase makes Charlotte the sixth-fastest growing major city in terms of numeric growth nationwide, outpacing larger metropolitan areas like Phoenix, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
The Census Bureau’s Vintage 2024 estimates, released on May 15, highlight broader regional patterns showing accelerated growth in Southern cities. North Carolina itself ranks third nationally in housing unit growth at 1.9%, trailing only Idaho and Utah.
Charlotte wasn’t the only North Carolina community experiencing significant population increases. Garner, a town in North Carolina, ranked 10th among the fastest-growing cities with populations over 20,000, growing by 10.4% to reach 39,345 residents. Leland, another North Carolina town, also appeared on this list at 14th place with 9.4% growth.
Brunswick County, NC, posted the second-highest housing growth rate in the nation at 6.4%, according to the Census Bureau data.
Charlotte currently ranks 14th in population size nationally, just behind Columbus, Ohio and ahead of cities like San Francisco. If current growth trends continue, Charlotte could potentially move up in the rankings in coming years.
Nationwide, the Census data revealed that cities of all sizes grew on average between 2023 and 2024, with Southern and Western cities experiencing particularly strong gains. New York City, Houston, and Los Angeles saw the largest numeric population increases, while Princeton, Texas led the nation with a remarkable 30.6% growth rate.
The data also showed that many Northeastern and Midwestern cities marked their first population increases in recent years, with cities in the Northeast that had experienced population declines in 2023 now experiencing significant population growth.
Two cities—Jacksonville, Florida (1,009,833) and Fort Worth, Texas (1,008,106)—crossed the one million population threshold in 2024, joining the ranks of the nation’s largest metropolitan centers.
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