We're pleased to bring you good news regarding continued positive growth in North Carolina's rural population. After a decade of nothing but bad news regarding the decline of our rural population, the most recent data confirms that we are on an upward, positive trajectory and growth is more more consistently balanced across rural, urban, and suburban areas than it has been in some time.

Our very own Research Manager Dalton Bailey has completed a deep dive into the most recent numbers and what they mean. We're delighted to share his new report with you which confirms the post-COVID uptick in rural population growth.  

From 2010-2020, 42 of North Carolina's 100 counties lost population. All of them were rural counties. The population decline was most pronounced in more than a dozen rural counties. The most recent data tells us that only 18 rural counties lost population between 2020 and 2023. It's quite a turnaround.

The data reminds us how just how rural North Carolina is even after decades of change. We still have the second-largest rural population in the United States -- second only to Texas. Interestingly, we live at a time when our state's population is close to being equally divided among rural, urban, and suburban counties.  

The data also tells us we have work to do throughout the state but particularly in parts of the rural east and Sandhills. At the same time, the greatest population increase in the state is also occurring among rural counties that are directly adjacent to our state's urban centers.

We hope you are intrigued by your own deep dive into Dalton's report.

From 2010 to 2020, rural America experienced a slight population decline, contrary to decades of growth. This decline posed economic challenges. However, recent data indicates a shift, with rural areas experiencing growth again, largely due to increased net migration.

An analysis by the NC Rural Center finds that the population in North Carolina’s 78 rural counties grew by 106,632 people from 2010-2020, a 2.9 percent increase. Despite this growth, many rural counties lost population during this time, and rural growth lagged that of suburban and urban counties. From 2020-2023, growth in rural North Carolina accelerated to 2.7 percent, adding almost as many people in just three years as in the previous decade, according to the Rural Center analysis.

Increased net migration into rural counties was the primary cause of rural growth. Rural net migration started growing in the late-2010s, but accelerated after the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to rise, leading to the greatest rural population growth in over a decade.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Jacqueline Gottlieb

Jacqueline Gottlieb, president and CEO of the Hinton Rural Life Center in Hayesville and a graduate of our Rural Economic Development Institute, is featured in this month’s Alumni Spotlight. We appreciate her insights into rural leadership. If you are a graduate of the Rural Center's REDI or Homegrown Leaders programs and would like to share your story, please visit us here.

What has been the impact of REDI on your leadership journey since completing the training, both personally and professionally?

After attending both REDI and Leadership NC, I returned to my community and shared the opportunity with others. The push-back, total disinterest, and other mentioned roadblocks were fascinating to me.

For the full interview.

These days, Mike D’s BBQ restaurant in historic east Durham is drawing crowds, winning awards and getting written up in places like the New York Times, which called it a “notable newcomer” to Durham’s famous foodie scene. “Go there for a brisket sandwich doused with the signature smoky-sweet sauce,” the writer recommended.

It’s the kind of success that might have felt out-of-reach in 2020 when owner Michael “Mike D” De Los Santos went searching unsuccessfully for a loan to upfit his first storefront — a barbecue supply store where he sold his own rubs and sauces, along with charcoal, wood and custom grills.

“We had trouble,” De Los Santos said. “It’s the challenge that many entrepreneurs face, and it’s one that many Black entrepreneurs face even more — access to capital for us.”

That challenge wasn’t entirely a surprise for De Los Santos; he had previously worked professionally in affordable housing policy and financial justice issues. And he eventually found some support through the first of two loans from the NC COVID-19 Rapid Recovery Loan Program, a collaborative effort led by the NC Rural Center that helped his small business and others stay afloat during the pandemic.

Read More.

USDA Releases Economic Development Guide

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in partnership with the U.S. Economic Development Administration has released a joint guide to help rural communities build strategies to boost local economic development.

The resource guide outlines programs and services that can be used to advance community and economic development in rural communities through four focus areas:



• Planning and technical assistance

• Infrastructure and broadband expansion

• Entrepreneurship and business assistance

• Workforce development and livability

You can read the full announcement here or view the resource guide through the link below.

Learn more.

Nineteen rural communities from across the state have been selected to participate in the N.C. Commerce Department’s program to increase their capacity to plan, implement, and manage economic development programs and opportunities. The Rural Community Capacity (RC2) program, an initiative from the Commerce Department, also involves Appalachian State University’s Walker College of Business and East Carolina University’s Master of Public Administration program.

The RC2 program, part of Commerce’s broader Rural Transformation Grant program, provides educational programming, technical assistance, and focused guidance to local government staff in rural and distressed communities. Each of the 19 jurisdictions identify representatives to participate in program activities, which include on-campus and virtual classes, community level engagement, and targeted training programs. RC2 campus curriculum includes four core courses that are required by the Department of Commerce and additional targeted courses that are designed by the universities’ faculty.

Learn more.

The NCWorks Commission, North Carolina’s workforce development board, is seeking applications for a competitive reentry grant to support local efforts in addressing workforce challenges. 

The NCWorks Local Innovation Fund plans to award a grant of up to $125,000, supporting a local partnership working to make a lasting impact on reentry efforts. This round of grant-making will support a two-year implementation grant. 

Learn more.

You are invited to join Rural LISC for the latest "Raising the Roof" webinar on June 20 at 3 p.m. where we will focus on federal rural affordable housing and community development policy.

This informative session will cover the status of key bills and funding levels for federal rural housing programs. Don't miss this chance to gain valuable information and participate in the discussion. 

Register now. 

Season two of the Reimagine Rural Podcast hosted by Brookings Fellow Tony Pipa, a keynote speaker at the 2024 Rural Summit in Raleigh, has launched with two new episodes.

This season will focus on exploring the new kinds of economic opportunities available to rural towns and how local people are coming together to take advantage.

Listen now.

Join the North Carolina Department of Information Technology from 10-11 a.m. on June 6 for its quarterly Local Government Town Hall.

This Town Hall will provide an opportunity for local governments to connect with the department on available services and resources, ask questions and engage in meaningful dialogue.

Topics will include artificial intelligence, statewide IT contracts, and the state's new IT billing system.

Register now.

NC Tourism Spending Hits All-Time Record

The North Carolina tourism economy reached its highest level ever in 2023 with travelers spending more than $35.6 billion on trips to and within the state. The previous record of $33.3 billion was set in 2022.

The state’s tourism-supported workforce increased 4.8 percent to 227,200 jobs in 2023. Tourism payroll increased 6.6 percent to $9.3 billion. Also, as a result of visitor spending, state and local governments saw rebounds in tax revenues to nearly $2.6 billion.

With nearly 43 million visitors from across the United States, North Carolina ranks fifth behind California, Florida, Texas and New York in domestic visitation. North Carolina also saw gains in the international market with nearly 700,000 international travelers and spending rising 9.5 percent to $997 million.



“North Carolina residents in all 100 counties benefit from the money visitors spend on pursuits from our smallest towns to our largest cities,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “Tourism means jobs for more than 50,000 small businesses and our first-in-talent workforce.”

Learn more.

Advocates across North Carolina are pushing for initiatives to address the shortage in affordable housing. Some local governments have commissioned housing studies and supported protections against eviction, among other efforts.

While many areas are “trying a little bit of everything” to address the shortage, the scale of investment into efforts like housing trust funds is far outpaced by the need, said Stephanie Watkins-Cruz, director of housing policy at the North Carolina Housing Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy group.

The crisis affects the entire state, with both urban and rural communities feeling the pressure of housing costs, Watkins-Cruz said.

The coalition estimates that almost half of renters and 19 percent of homeowners in North Carolina have difficulty affording their homes. Even people with higher incomes, such as those making $80,000, are now also struggling, Watkins-Cruz said.

Housing supply isn’t keeping pace with demand, and wages haven’t caught up with rising living costs, she said. The cost of development also rose, she said, increasing housing prices.

-Courtesy of Carolina Public Press

Learn more.

For several years Robeson County consistently ranked in the top 10 counties in the state for opioid overdoses. Until recently. The county has used money from settlements from opioid manufacturers and distributors over the first two years to get 27 initiatives funded and functioning - the highest of any county in the state. They include recovery housing support, naloxone distribution, and early intervention.

During those two years, the county's opioid overdose rate has been cut in half, drastic improvement in short time.

-Courtesy of WRAL

Learn more.

Beckie Spears, principal of Wilkesboro Elementary School since 2019, is the 2024 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year.

Spears had been a student, teacher, and parent at the school before being named principal.

“Diverse student needs, changing curriculum, rigorous standards, new initiatives and staff turnover can impact how we spend our time and energy," Spears said. "It is essential that we know our students, families and staff so that we can accomplish our mission of empowering all learners to reach their greatest potential.”

Learn more.

NCSSM-Morganton Graduates First Class

After two years living and learning on the school’s campus nearly 150 students of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics' Morganton campus celebrated the end of their high school careers surrounded by family and friends.

NCSSM-Morganton Chief Campus Officer Kevin Baxter said he was immensely proud of each of the students. More than 80 percent of the graduating class are planning to stay in North Carolina to obtain their undergraduate degrees. Others are attending Ivy League universities, Baxter said.

“It’s exactly what we expect from our NCSSM graduates in terms of the talent they have. But while they were here, they were able to basically create this campus from the ground up,” Baxter said. “They created every club and organization, competed in robotics and performed in plays. They did everything you would imagine from a high school population, but this group built it all from the ground up.”

-Courtesy The News Herald

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Isothermal Community College is one of seven rural-serving community colleges around the United States to participate in an initiative focusing on transforming students’ experiences. The nonprofit Achieving the Dream selected the colleges to join its second cohort of its Accelerating Equitable Outcomes initiative.



Community colleges are how almost 40 percent of undergraduates, including the majority of Hispanic undergraduates and the largest number of lowest income students, start their college career. Most of those students aspire to earn bachelor’s degrees.

-Courtesy of Daily Yonder

Learn more.

The University of North Carolina Pembroke will soon be home to the state’s only public doctoral program in optometry — charting a new path for comprehensive primary care for eye and visual health in North Carolina and surrounding states.

UNCP received unanimous approval from the UNC System Board of Governors to establish a Doctor of Optometry program. The new program will be one of 24 nationwide and will help fill a significant void in the southeastern part of the country. There are no optometry schools in South Carolina, Virginia or Georgia.

The university will immediately start the process to achieve national accreditation and plans to welcome its first class in the fall of 2027. Over time, graduates will help address the demand for skilled professionals to practice in rural communities, which often have limited access to needed eye care. Currently, there are 12 counties in North Carolina without a single optometrist. 

-Courtesy of The Robesonian

Learn more.

St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Bath was established in 1696, originally meeting in people's homes. The existing church building was constructed in 1734 and is the oldest surviving church building in North Carolina. The church remains open for services every Sunday and its recent programs include a weekly nutrition program for 40 local children and support for the Pet Food Pantry of Eastern North Carolina.

Learn more.