North Carolina is one of six states that will be adding to their congressional delegations, based on new figures from the U.S. Census.
Census data released this week showed North Carolina grew by just over 900,000 people — or about 10 percent — over the last decade. That's less than expected but good enough to add another member of Congress.
The latest figures are just an overview, though. More complete data will be released later this year.
Still, it's been known for years that the state's rural areas have been hollowing out — more than 40 counties in North Carolina may have lost residents.
Meanwhile, urban areas like Mecklenburg County and the Triangle have been surging.
Rebecca Tippett is the director of Carolina Demography at the Carolina Population Center of UNC-Chapel Hill. She says it's still too early to say where that new district will go.
“On the whole urban areas have grown, more rural areas have either kind of slowed or stagnated or declined. But when it comes to redistricting, the specific numbers really matter," she says. "And that's where we aren't going to know those until the fall.”
Tippett says all of North Carolina's congressional districts are going to have to change because of population shifts and adjusting for a new seat.