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The North CarolinaThe North CarolinaRural Economic Rural Economic Development CenterDevelopment Center

One Perspective on One Perspective on

North CarolinaNorth Carolina

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Rural and Urban CountiesRural and Urban Counties

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Why a Rural Why a Rural Center?Center?

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Big versus SmallBig versus Small

Category Mecklenburg TyrrellPopulation 2000 695,454 4,149 Population Change 90-00 130,608 314 % Change 90-00 36% 8%Population per Sq Mile 1,319 11

Unemp Rate 01 % 4.1% 8.7%Per Capita Income 96 37,321 16,581 Poverty Rate 97 9.7% 25.5%Child Poverty Rate 97 14.7% 34.4%

65+ Total % 10% 18%0-18 and 65+ % 36% 44%

% Completed High School 90 83% 62%

Persons/Physicians 365 3,886

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Political Power follows PeoplePolitical Power follows People

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Median Family Income, 1997Median Family Income, 1997

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Child Poverty Rates, 1997Child Poverty Rates, 1997

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North CarolinaNorth CarolinaDemographicsDemographics

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Population ConcentrationsPopulation Concentrations

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Population GrowthPopulation Growth

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African-American PopulationAfrican-American Population

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North CarolinaNorth CarolinaEconomic Economic StructureStructure

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Tobacco, of courseTobacco, of course

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Tobacco ProductionTobacco Production

Pitt

Wake

Bladen

Duplin

Hyde

Bertie

Wilkes

Pender

Moore

Halifax

Union

Nash

Surry

RobesonOnslow

Iredell

Sampson

Columbus

Swain

Burke

Johnston

Ashe

Guilford

Anson

Randolph

Harnett

Brunswick

Wayne

Jones

Chatham

Macon

Rowan

Martin

Hoke

Stokes

LeeStanly

LenoirCraven

Granville

Franklin

Warren

Tyrrell

Buncombe

Davidson

Haywood

PersonGates

Jackson

Dare

Caswell

Forsyth

Caldwell

Carteret

Beaufort

Cumberland

Orange

Madison

Rutherford

Wilson

Polk

Yadkin

Gaston

Rockingham

Cherokee

Catawba

Davie

Hertford

McDowell

Richmond

Northampton

Cleveland

Vance

Clay

Avery

Alamance

Mecklenburg

Edgecombe

Lincoln

Yancey

Montgomery

Pamlico

Cabarrus

Durham

Graham

Greene

Scotland

Watauga

Henderson

Washington

Mitchell

Transylvania

Camden

Alexander

CurrituckAlleghany

ChowanPerquimans

New Hanover

Pasquotank

Tobacco Growing CountiesNo tobaccoUp to 2 m pounds2 to 10 m ppounds10 to 20 m poundsAbove 20 m pounds

Sources: 1997 Census of Agriculture,U.S. Department of Commerce; and1999 North Carolina Manufacturers Directory

Location of manufacturing plants in SIC 21, including stemming anddrying and cigarette production.

Plants employ over 17,000full and part time employees.

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Traditional and Emerging Traditional and Emerging ManufacturingManufacturing

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Locations of Traditional Locations of Traditional Manufacturing Manufacturing

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Layoffs in North CarolinaLayoffs in North Carolina

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Textile Layoffs in NC, 2001Textile Layoffs in NC, 2001

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Unemployment Rate IncreasesUnemployment Rate IncreasesDecember 2000 to December 2001December 2000 to December 2001

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Unemployment Rate IncreasesUnemployment Rate IncreasesDecember 2000 to December 2001December 2000 to December 2001

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Work Force Skills Rural vs Work Force Skills Rural vs UrbanUrban

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A Sample of North Carolina’s Think A Sample of North Carolina’s Think Tanks, Policy and Advocacy GroupsTanks, Policy and Advocacy Groups

Common Sense Foundation http://www.common-sense.org/

John Locke Foundation http://www.johnlocke.org/

NC Justice & Community Development Center http://www.ncjustice.org/

MDC, Inc. http://www.mdcinc.org/

RTS , Inc. http://www.rtsinc.org/

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North Carolina’s Philanthropic North Carolina’s Philanthropic OrganizationsOrganizations

Duke Endowment http://www.dukeendowment.org/

Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation http://www.zsr.org/

Mary Babcock Reynolds http://www.mrbf.org/

Golden Leaf Foundation http://www.goldenleaf.org/

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Contact InformationContact Information

Chris BeachamChris BeachamResearch DirectorResearch DirectorNC Rural Economic Development CenterNC Rural Economic Development CenterRaleigh, NC 27610Raleigh, NC 27610(919) 250-4314(919) 250-4314(919) 250-4325 (fax)(919) 250-4325 (fax)cbeacham@ncruralcenter.orgcbeacham@ncruralcenter.org

www.ncruralcenter.orgwww.ncruralcenter.org www.e-nc.orgwww.e-nc.org