THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 9, 1996 TAG: 9603090529
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY CATHERINE KOZAK, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
It's official: Currituck County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state.
The rural county ranked 4th in growth over the past five years out of the 100 counties in North Carolina, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures released Friday.
Between July 1, 1990, and July 1, 1995, Currituck's population swelled from 13,736 to 15,781 - a 14.9 percent jump triggered by developments on the mainland and the Outer Banks.
Currituck's neighbor to the south, Dare County, ranked 13th among counties in the state in population growth. In five years, permanent residents in the resort region increased 10.4 percent, from 22,746 to 25,102.
``This place is going off,'' said Greg Moore, a resident of the Outer Banks community of Kill Devil Hills. ``It's the biggest boom we've had in years.''
Bill Richardson, Currituck's county manager, said the county's growth spurt has a lot to do with its proximity to Chesapeake and other Hampton Roads cities experiencing rapid development. He also said that Currituck has benefited by bordering flourishing Dare County.
``The quality-of-life aspects make us attractive to growth,'' Richardson said. ``We have the sound, we have good school systems, we're still rural in character, and our proximity to Hampton Roads - these are our attributes.''
Camden and Pasquotank counties also surged in population, with 7.8 percent and 7.2 percent increases, respectively.
Hoke County, at 17.7 percent, topped the state's population expansion in the five-year period, followed by Pender, 16.4 percent; and Wake, 15.9 percent.
Bottoming out on the other end was Onslow County, with a 2.3 percent drop in population. Hyde County was second from the bottom with a 1.6 percent reduction in residents.
The U.S. Department of Commerce, which oversees the Census Bureau, estimated head counts for each of the nation's 3,143 counties. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.]
Population Changes
SOURCE: JOHN CORBITT
The Virginian-Pilot
KEYWORDS: POPULATION by CNB