Data

Browse and download the datasets behind our reports.

Each dataset is derived from public sources and powers a specific report. Use the column search boxes to filter, click any header to sort, and use the export buttons to download.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census 2000/2010/2020 and Population Estimates Program (PEP) Vintage 2023. Used in: Topic: Population Growth | Data Brief #1

Growth rates, decade-by-decade breakdowns, and hot spot classifications for all 100 NC counties.

Codebook: NC County Population Growth (16 columns)

Population counts, growth rates, and Getis-Ord Gi* spatial hot spot classifications for all 100 North Carolina counties. Growth is measured from the 2000 Decennial Census to the 2023 Population Estimates Program.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Decennial Census 2000 (SF1), 2010 (SF1), 2020 (PL 94-171), and Population Estimates Program (PEP) Vintage 2023. Spatial weights computed via queen contiguity using the spdep R package.

Column Type Description
GEOID character 5-digit FIPS county code (2-digit state + 3-digit county).
county_name character County name, with ’ County, North Carolina’ removed.
pop_2000 integer Resident population, April 1, 2000 Decennial Census (SF1, table P001001).
pop_2010 integer Resident population, April 1, 2010 Decennial Census (SF1, table P001001).
pop_2020 integer Resident population, April 1, 2020 Decennial Census (PL 94-171, table P1_001N). Subject to differential privacy noise.
pop_recent integer Most recent population estimate. July 1, 2023 (PEP Vintage 2023) or ACS 5-Year 2023 estimate (fallback).
data_year integer Year of the pop_recent estimate (2023).
source character Source of pop_recent: ‘PEP’ (Population Estimates Program) or ‘ACS5’ (ACS 5-Year).
pct_growth numeric Percentage population change from 2000 to pop_recent year. Formula: (pop_recent - pop_2000) / pop_2000 * 100.
pct_00_10 numeric Percentage population change, 2000 to 2010.
pct_10_20 numeric Percentage population change, 2010 to 2020.
pct_20_now numeric Percentage population change, 2020 to pop_recent year.
abs_growth integer Absolute population change from 2000 to pop_recent year (persons added or lost).
rank_growth integer Rank among 100 NC counties by pct_growth, descending (1 = fastest-growing).
gi_star numeric Getis-Ord Gi* z-score using queen-contiguity spatial weights with self-inclusion (Ord & Getis 1995). Values above 1.645 / 1.960 / 2.576 indicate statistically significant high-growth clusters at 90% / 95% / 99% confidence.
spot_class character Categorical classification derived from gi_star: ‘Hot Spot (99%/95%/90%)’, ‘Not Significant’, or ‘Cold Spot (90%/95%/99%)’.

The ten fastest-growing NC counties by percentage change, 2000-2023.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates, 2006-2023 (no 2020 release). Used in: Topic: Housing Affordability | Data Brief #2

Raw dollar figures for home values, rents, and household income by year.

Notes: All values are nominal and not adjusted for inflation. Price/Income above 3.0 is conventionally considered unaffordable; Rent/Income above 0.30 indicates rent burden.

Codebook: Cabarrus County Housing Affordability (10 columns)

Annual median home value, gross rent, and household income for Cabarrus County, with derived affordability ratios and an index series anchored to 2006. Covers 2006-2023 with no 2020 release (ACS suspended that year).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates, 2006-2023. Tables B25077 (median home value), B25064 (median gross rent), B19013 (median household income). No ACS 1-Year was published for 2020.

Column Type Description
year integer ACS 1-Year survey year. Ranges from 2006 to 2023; 2020 is absent.
home_value numeric Median owner-occupied home value in nominal dollars (ACS table B25077).
gross_rent numeric Median gross monthly rent in nominal dollars (ACS table B25064).
annual_rent numeric Estimated annual rent cost: gross_rent * 12.
med_income numeric Median household income in nominal dollars (ACS table B19013).
home_to_income numeric Price-to-income ratio: home_value / med_income. Values above 3.0 are conventionally considered unaffordable.
rent_to_income numeric Rent burden ratio: annual_rent / med_income. Values above 0.30 indicate households spending more than 30% of income on rent.
idx_home numeric Home value index, 2006 = 100. Computed as home_value / home_value[year==2006] * 100.
idx_rent numeric Annual rent index, 2006 = 100. Computed as annual_rent / annual_rent[year==2006] * 100.
idx_income numeric Median income index, 2006 = 100. Computed as med_income / med_income[year==2006] * 100.

All series indexed to 2006 to show relative growth rates.

Notes: Values above 100 indicate growth relative to 2006.

Source: USGS/MRLC National Land Cover Database (NLCD), 30-meter resolution, years 2011, 2016, 2021. Used in: Topic: Vanishing Farmland | Data Brief #3

Acreage by Class and Year

Estimated acres of each land cover class within Cabarrus County.

Notes: Pixel counts multiplied by 900 m² per cell and converted to acres (1 acre = 4,046.86 m²). The NLCD uses consistent multi-date methodology designed for temporal comparison; small year-to-year fluctuations reflect classification uncertainty, not actual land change.

Codebook: Cabarrus County NLCD Land Cover Area (3 columns)

Estimated acreage of each land cover class within Cabarrus County for NLCD release years 2011, 2016, and 2021. Pixel counts from the 30-meter NLCD raster are multiplied by cell area (900 m² per pixel) and converted to acres. Six original NLCD classes are grouped into broader categories for cross-year comparability.

Source: USGS/MRLC National Land Cover Database (NLCD), 30-meter resolution, retrieved via MRLC Web Coverage Service (WCS). County boundary from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line shapefiles (tigris R package, 2021 vintage). NLCD uses consistent multi-date methodology designed for temporal comparison, unlike the USDA Cropland Data Layer which is optimized for agricultural classification only.

Column Type Description
year integer NLCD release year: 2011, 2016, or 2021.
class character Grouped land cover class. Six categories derived from NLCD integer codes: ‘Farmland’ (codes 81-82: Pasture/Hay and Cultivated Crops), ‘Developed’ (21-24: Open Space through High Intensity), ‘Forest’ (41-43: Deciduous, Evergreen, Mixed Forest), ‘Shrub/Grassland’ (52, 71: Shrub/Scrub and Grassland/Herbaceous), ‘Wetland’ (90, 95: Woody and Emergent Herbaceous Wetlands), ‘Water/Barren’ (11, 12, 31: Open Water, Perennial Ice/Snow, Barren Land). All unclassified pixels assigned to Water/Barren.
acres numeric Estimated acres of this class within the Cabarrus County boundary. Computed as pixel count * 900 m² / 4046.86 m² per acre.