LTN Appendix I

Appendix I

Population and Growth Trends
in the
Little Tennessee River Basin

Appendices

A-I-2

Population and Growth Trends

Below are three different ways of presenting population data for the Little Tennessee River
basin. The data presented by basin allow for 2000 population data to be presented by subbasin.
Population data presented by county allow for analysis of projected growth trends in the basin
based on information from the Office of State Planning (April-May, 2001). Data presented by
municipality summarizes information on past growth of large urban areas in the basin. While the
three different sets of information cannot be directly compared, general conclusions are apparent
by looking at the information. Counties with the highest expected growth are associated with the
largest municipal areas and the most densely populated subbasins in the basin.

Basin Population and Population Density

Information on population density at a watershed scale is useful in determining what streams are
likely to have the most impacts as a result of population growth. This information is also useful
in identifying stream segments that have good opportunities for preservation or restoration. This
information is presented to estimate population and population density by each subbasin and for
the entire basin. It is assumed that county populations are distributed evenly throughout each
county; therefore, subbasins that are within counties with large urban areas may overestimate the
actual population in that portion of the basin. The overall population of the basin based on 2000
Census data is 49,653, with approximately 66 persons/square mile. (See the map of hydrologic
units and population density.) The overall population and persons/square mile is estimated based
on the percent of the county land area that is partially or entirely within the basin.

County Population and Growth Trends

The following table and map show the projected population for 2020 and the change in growth
between 1990 and 2020 for counties that are partially or entirely contained within the basin.
Since river basin boundaries do not coincide with county boundaries, these numbers are not
directly applicable to the Little Tennessee River basin. This information is intended to present
an estimate of expected population growth in counties that have some land area in the Little
Tennessee River basin. For more information on past, current and projected population
estimates, contact the Office of State Planning at [phone] or visit their website at
http://demog.state.nc.us.

County
Percent of
County in
Basin ♦
County
Population
1990
County
Population
2000
Estimated %
Growth
1990-2000
Estimated
Population
2020
Estimated %
Growth
2000-2020
Cherokee 2 20,170 24,298 20.5%30,660 26.2%
Clay 10 7,155 8,775 22.6%11,916 35.8%
Graham 100 7,196 7,993 11.1%8,723 9.1%
Jackson 88 26,835 33,121 23.4%43,630 31.7%
Macon 94 23,504 29,811 26.8%40,288 35.1%
Swain 100 11,268 12,968 15.1%15,728 21.3%
Subtotals 96,128 116,966 119.5%150,945 159.2%
♦ Source: North Carolina Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (CGIA), 1997.
Note: The numbers reported reflect county population; however, these counties are not entirely within the basin.
The intent is to demonstrate growth for counties located wholly or partially within the basin.
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Municipal Population and Growth Trends

The table below presents population data from Office of State Planning for municipalities
located partially or entirely in the basin. These data represent six municipalities in the basin.

Municipality County Apr-80 Apr-90 Apr-2000 % Change
(1980-1990)
% Change
(1990-2000)
Bryson City Swain 1,556 1,145 1,411 -26.4 23.2
Dillsboro Jackson 179 121 205 -32.4 69.4
Forest Hills Jackson ……330 … …
Franklin Macon 2,640 2,873 3,490 8.8 21.5
Highlands * Jackson, Macon 653 948 909 45.2 -4.1
Robbinsville Graham 814 709 747 -12.9 5.4
Santeetlah Graham 80 47 67 -41.3 42.6
Sylva Jackson 1,699 1,809 2,435 6.5 34.6
Webster Jackson 200 410 486 105.0 18.5
• - The numbers reported reflect municipality population; however, these municipalities are not entirely within the basin.
The intent is to demonstrate growth for municipalities located wholly or partially within the basin.
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INSERT

Percent Projected County Population Growth (2000-2020) for Counties of the Little Tennessee
River Basin

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