In southeastern North Carolina, Pender County ranks second in growth behind Brunswick County, which increased 46.9 percent.

PENDER COUNTY – Data from the 2010 census is slowly being dispersed but recently information about North Carolina was released and it revealed that Pender County is the 13th fastest growing county in the state.

According to the census bureau, Pender County’s population has increased 27.1 percent from 41,082 to 52,217.

In the 10 years since the last census, the white population has increased 5.5 percent, the black population 5.4 percent and the Hispanic population 2.5 percent, and the population density is 60 people per square mile.

In southeastern North Carolina, Pender County ranks second in growth behind Brunswick County, which increased 46.9 percent.

In the state, Union County grew the most at 62.8 percent followed by Brunswick County, Camden County at 45 percent, Wake County at 43.5 percent and Hoke County at 39.5 percent.

As a state, North Carolina’s population grew 18.5 percent from just over eight million people to a little more than 9.5 million, making it the sixth fastest growing state behind Nevada (35.1 percent), Arizona (24.6 percent), Utah (23.8 percent), Idaho (21.1 percent) and Texas (20.6 percent).

North Carolina’s percentage of growth nearly doubled the nation’s, which grew 9.7 percent to a population of a little less than 309 million.

In Pender, County Manager Rick Benton said the census is important but more so than when it comes to state and federal funding, which base a lot of its allotments on population.

Commissioner David Williams agreed but said the new census data will be used locally.

“It is nice to see where the population is growing,” he said. “We will also be using those numbers to redistrict locally, because I already know there are too many people in my district.”