SEE ALSO: Asheville grows; Charlotte, Raleigh and their suburbs grow faster. Though not much to complain about Asheville it is very much lacking in ethnic... Read More Population estimates base, April 1, 2010, (V2019) 83,420. The county had 615 births and 752 deaths. Today’s batch of burning questions, my smart-aleck answers and the real deal: Question: I don't read much of the obituaries, but I do scan the daily list of deaths, which often is in the high teens to low 20s. Asheville All Other Metros No Metro Area Almost all future NC growth projected to occur in urban areas Projected share of 2010-2035 state population growth for select North Carolina metropolitan areas Data Source: NC OSBM. With a 2020 population of 93,758, it is the 12th largest city in North Carolina and the 356th largest city in the United States. The other counties in the MSA have similar stories in the 2016-17 time frame, with lower numbers. Are we in net population decline in Western North Carolina? For the greater Asheville metro area, whose regional population is on track to reach 500,000 by the year 2025, the answer could be a lot. Henderson County: A total population increase of 1,950, with a "natural increase" of minus-279 and a net migration of 2,220. The current … The area was used as an open hunting ground until the middle of the 19th century. Of the 100 counties in North Carolina, 60 have "negative natural change," meaning deaths are exceeding births. Before the arrival of the Europeans, the land where Asheville now exists lay within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation. During that time frame, Buncombe had 2,620 births and 2,639 deaths. © 2020 www.citizen-times.com. Great city but needs ethnic diversity - 1/7/2020 Asheville is a great city moderately fast growing population and booming tourism scene. The Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area (Buncombe, Haywood, Madison, and Henderson Counties) has been growing at an annual pace of 1 percent since 2010. Contact him at 828-232-5847 or jboyle@citizen-times.com. Madison County: A total population increase of 312, with a natural increase of minus-12 and a net migration of 321. This is the opinion of John Boyle. This "in-migration" has been a steady source of population growth for many years, in part because the Asheville region is such a retirement mecca. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035. Real answer: This has always been a fascinating topic to me, as we're actually still growing in WNC, but not because of the birth rate. So essentially, Buncombe has been growing by births (but not much), and largely by in-migration, or people moving here. In 1540, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto came to the area known as Guaxule, bringing the first European visitors along with European diseases, which seriously depleted the native population. 92,870. The natural birth rate versus deaths was that minus-19 figure, but the net migration (people moving here or leaving) came in at 2,287. 34% 34% 10% 7% 5% 10% 1% Triangle Charlotte Triad Wilmington Asheville … "For those counties with overall positive population growth and negative natural change, growth is entirely reliant on net migration," Tveidt said.