POPULATION GROWTH

The Catawba Commuter Shed, consisting of the three South Carolina counties of Chester, Lancaster, and York along with the three North Carolina counties of Gaston, Mecklenburg, and Union, experienced even more substantial population growth between 2014 and 2023 than the Catawba Region Economic Development District.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of the Catawba Commuter Shed increased from 1,722,044 persons in 2014 to 2,029,007 by 2023, representing a growth rate over the 10-year period of 17.83% with an annual rate of  1.45%, outpacing the United States average of 0.59% and the State of South Carolina average of 0.94% for the same period.

The annual growth rate for the commuter shed of 1.98% between 2014 and 2023 ranks in the top 1% among similar large economic regions around the country including the Jacksonville, FL, Raleigh, NC, and Greenville, SC economic areas.