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Coborrus County Transportation Services Finol Report — September 2015 2.3 DEMOGRAPHICS General Demographic Characteristics The total population of Cabarrus County has more than doubled over the last four decades. According to the US Census Bureau, the county had a population of 85,895 in 1980; 98,935 in 1990; 131,063 in 2000; and 178,011 in 2010. The total population grew by 32.5 percent between 1990 and 2000 and grew by another 35.8 percent between 2000 and 2010. This population growth is largely attributable to the county's proximity to the growing Charlotte metropolitan area. In addition, the North Carolina Research Campus is continuing to develop in Kannapolis and is expected to bring approximately 30,000 jobs to the area over the next 20 years. This will likely increase the demand for employment transportation in the coming decades, but may also lead to increasing urbanization of the County, and by default, additional reductions in rural transit funding for COTS. In 2010, the racial composition of Cabarrus County was 75 percent white, 15 percent African- American, 8 percent other (American Indian, Asian, Pacific Islander, etc.), and 2 percent of two or more races. The county included 9 percent people of Hispanic ethnic background, just slightly above the state average (8.4 percent). The Hispanic population was spread throughout the county, but a concentration of block groups with more than 20 percent Hispanic population is located in central Cabarrus County, south of I -85. In terms of economics, Cabarrus County has a higher median household income and a lower percentage of people living in poverty compared to the state average. Population Projections Population projections for North Carolina counties through the year 2030 are available from the NC Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) (www.osbm.state.nc.us /ncosbm /facts and figures /socioeconomic data /population estimates. shtm ). As shown in Figure 3, the population of Cabarrus County is expected to increase by 33 percent from 2010 to 2030. Age group population projections show that the percentage of the Cabarrus County population over age 65 is expected to grow from 11 percent in 2010 to over 17 percent in 2030. Projected population increases in Cabarrus County, particularly the projected increase in the older adult population, would suggest an increase in demand for CCTS services in the coming years. Older adults are more likely than the general public to use demand - responsive transit services, due to economic, medical, or other issues that limit independent travel by private motor vehicle. Attachment number 1 \n F -3 Page 90