Welcome to boomtown!

SOUTHEASTERN N.C. -- The region's growth spurt is continuing on in a big way.

The latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau, released this week, showed estimates for all 3,142 U.S. counties and 390 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) as of July 1, 2018. The Wilmington metro area, which includes New Hanover and Pender counties, grew 15.5% from 2010 to 2018 -- ranking 49th in the country.

The report shows New Hanover County’s population increased to 232,274, and Pender’s jumped to 62,162.

“Every single day, we are talking about and seeing this growth and the issues that come with it,” said Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo. “We’ve known for a while that growth is in our future. We are constantly looking for ways to implement better planning processes, traffic analysis and improvements.”

The report also revealed Brunswick County experienced the largest population growth of all North Carolina’s 100 counties, with an increase of 4.6 percent from 2017 to 2018. It also ranked fourth in the nation for percentage growth for counties with populations of 20,000 or more.

According to Census estimates, Brunswick County had a population of 107,429 in 2010. By 2017, that number had grown to 130,735, rising to 136,744 in 2018.

Brunswick County is part of the Myrtle Beach Metropolitan area, which also encompasses Horry and Georgetown counties in South Carolina. Data shows that the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area ranks second nationally for percentage growth, with a 3.8 percent increase last year.

Brunswick County Commissioner Pat Sykes, who represents the southeastern part of the county, wasn’t surprised when she saw the numbers.

“We’ve just had massive growth around highway 211,” she said -- an area that includes Southport, Oak Island and St. James.

Getting Brunswick back

The decision to remove Brunswick from Wilmington's MSA after the 2010 census was a controversial move. The move was made by the federal government due to commuting patterns. With the 2020 Census quickly approaching, Saffo said it is time to see the Brunswick County reintegrated into the Wilmington MSA to better illustrate Southeastern N.C.’s big picture growth.

“It will give us a much better view of the growth that is happening in Northern Brunswick and Leland,” he said. “The whole region is growing.”

Jonathan Barfield, chairman of the New Hanover County Commissioners, said the decision to split the region in census reporting was unfortunate and something local leaders are working to reverse.

“Just think about the amount of people crossing the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge every day to work, shop and go to the hospital in New Hanover County,” he said. “They are the bedroom community of New Hanover County.”

Growth brings challenges

Officials said the rapid growth experienced by the region doesn’t come without its challenges.

“We were not ready with road construction,” Brunswick's Sykes said.

With several transportation projects planned, including the N.C. 211 widening project, Sykes said they are also trying to address the county’s sewer needs with a wastewater treatment plant expansion project. But she pointed out that addressing those needs doesn’t happen overnight.

“Infrastructure takes time, and I’m sure people get frustrated,” Sykes said. “But we’re working day-to-day to make sure we go in the right direction.”

While many are choosing to live in Brunswick County because of the miles of coastline and diverse recreation opportunities, Sykes believes that the county’s low tax rate of 48.5 cents per $100 of assessed property tax value is also a factor.

Sykes also attributes the growth to the county’s senior centers and recreation facilities.

“People look to see if you have these things because they want that quality of life,” she said.

Saffo reiterated that it’s the well-rounded lifestyle this region can offer that continues to contribute to its swelling population.

“The No. 1 thing I hear people from people who move here is for the quality of life, and I think it is second to none,” he said.

Reporter Hunter Ingram can be reached at 910-343-2327 or Hunter.Ingram@StarNewsOnline.com

Big local takeaways from Census report

• 15.5% – growth in Wilmington MSA population between 2010-2018
• 4.6% – growth rate for Brunswick County from 2017 to 2018
• 232,274 – New Hanover County population in July 2018
• 136,744 – Brunswick County population in July 2018
• 62,162 – Pender County population in July 2018
• 20.5% – growth for Raleigh MSA from 2010 to 2018 (biggest growth in N.C., 10th in the nation)

Source: Census Bureau