The growth from 2000-2003 reflects a national trend in whichhigh growth is occurring in counties that ring metropolitan areas.
Union County, which borders Charlotte and Mecklenburg County,led North Carolina with a 17.9 percent increase, adding 22,214people. The county's population was 145,986 as of July 2003.
Union County has been fast-growing for more than a decade,swelling by 46.9 percent during the 1990s, said state demographerWilliam Tillman Jr. It was 24th fastest growing county in thenation.
He said the growth is fueled by people moving from MecklenburgCounty for more open space. Also, highway improvements in the areahave made commuting more feasible, he said.
"Most growth in North Carolina is not due to babies; mostgrowth is due to migration," he said. "What it points to ispeople don't really want to live in high-density housing in NorthCarolina."
No. 95 Johnston County, which added 14,878 people for a 12.2 percent increase, grew largely becauseworkers in Raleigh moved from Wake County to new subdivisions builtin neighboring Johnston.
"If you have an economic engine in a place like Wake Countythen I wouldn't be surprised that an adjacent county would feel thegrowth in Johnston," Tillman said.
Other North Carolina counties breaking the top 100 wereCurrituck at No. 54 with 2,644 people added, a 14.5 percentincrease. Camden County placed 61st, adding 978 people for a 14.2percent increase.
Chatham County grabbed the 100th slot, growing by 5,909, or 12percent.
Nationally, four of the 10 fastest-growing counties are insuburban Atlanta, the Census Bureau reported.
Job opportunities and affordable housing are drawing people fromaround the country to the four counties, which form a semicirclearound the city, officials said.
The nation's fastest growing county is Loudoun County inVirginia, which added 52,147 people -- 0.7 percent increase.
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