Wake and Mecklenburg counties each added over 26,000 people in the year ending June 30, 2025. Both landed in the top 10 for numeric gains across the nation. Charlotte’s metro area now sits at the 21st largest in the country, topping 2.9 million people.
According to the News & Observer, the 11-county Charlotte metro picked up more than 54,000 residents during that span— fifth-highest among all metro regions. Three of those counties lie in South Carolina.
Wake keeps its spot as the state’s biggest county. An estimated 1,257,235 people called it home last summer. The Raleigh-Cary metro pushed past Milwaukee, claiming the 40th spot among metros nationwide…