The lay of the land: to survey the economy across the state, we measure ups and downs in each county and its largest cities.

• Position: BY THE NUMBERS

THE LAY OF THE LAND To survey the economy across the state, we measure ups and downs in each county and its largest cities. POPULATION 2007 (000s) Avg. annual Density per Change from change square mile migration 1997-2007 2007 2000-07 NORTH CAROLINA 9,069.4 1.7% 184.1 8.3% Alamance 143.2 1.5 330.9 6.5 Alexander 36.7 1.5 142.9 6.5 Alleghany 11.1 0.8 46.7 6.1 Anson 25.3 0.1 49.0 (0.9) Ashe 26.0 0.9 60.9 7.5 Avery 18.3 1.3 73.8 7.2 Beaufort 46.1 0.4 56.1 1.5 Bertie 20.0 (0.1) 27.9 1.3 Bladen 32.5 0.3 38.0 (0.8) Brunswick 99.4 4.2 111.9 34.7 Buncombe 225.6 1.3 338.1 7.9 Burke 88.4 0.3 175.8 (2.3) Cabarrus 164.4 3.3 433.6 19.3 Caldwell 79.4 0.5 167.8 1.0 Camden 9.5 3.7 40.1 35.4 Carteret 63.3 0.7 123.7 7.3 Caswell 23.5 0.3 56.6 0.1 Catawba 153.4 1.3 381.5 4.6 Chatham 59.2 2.5 85.4 16.9 Cherokee 27.0 1.7 59.2 12.6 Chowan 14.7 0.2 84.4 3.7 Clay 10.3 2.3 47.6 20.3 Cleveland 97.1 0.4 210.4 (0.6) Columbus 54.5 0.2 58.7 (2.2) Craven 96.4 0.8 132.1 (0.2) Cumberland 313.6 0.5 471.1 (4.6) Currituck 23.7 3.4 94.0 27.8 Dare 34.3 2.2 94.2 10.6 Davidson 156.4 1.0 285.2 3.8 Davie 40.4 2.3 153.1 14:0 Duplin 53.1 1.3 65.4 3.9 Durham 254.7 1.9 856.0 6.7 Edgecombe 51.8 (0.9) 103.5 (8.9) Forsyth 338.7 1.3 819.5 6.1 Franklin 56.5 2.5 114.8 15.8 Gaston 201.0 0.8 552.4 3.0 Gates 11.8 1.5 33.7 12.6 Graham 8.1 0.4 282 1.8 Granville 55.7 2.3 103.3 124 Greene 21.1 1.5 78.2 8.5 Guilford 460.8 1.4 700.8 5.2 Halifax 55.4 (0.4) 77.3 (4.5) Harnett 106.5 2.4 178.4 11.3 Haywood 57.0 0.9 103.9 6.8 Henderson 102.1 2.0 270.9 14.9 Hertford 23.7 0.5 67.9 3.1 Hoke 42.9 3.5 112.2 17.3 Hyde 5.4 (0.0) 9.1 (5.5) Iredell 150.4 3.1 254.3 18.4 Jackson 36.8 1.6 74.4 9.8 Johnston 157.3 3.9 196.9 21.8 Jones 10.3 0.1 21.9 0.6 Lee 56.4 1.8 216.6 9.1 Lenoir 57.6 (0.4) 145.4 (4.5) Lincoln 72.8 1.9 241.5 10.9 Macon 33.6 1.9 65.4 14.4 Madison 20.5 0.9 46.0 4.8 Martin 23.9 (0,8) 52.9 (6.0) McDowell 44.1 0.9 99.3 3.2 Mecklenburg 863.1 3.0 1,601.1 15.5 Mitchell 16.0 0.5 71.9 3.5 Montgomery 27.6 0.8 56.6 (0.4) Moore 83.9 1.7 120.0 12.1 Nash 92.9 0.8 173.0 3.6 New Hanover 189.9 2.2 954.5 15.1 Northampton 21.2 (0.3) 40.4 (2.5) Onslow 169.3 1.4 207.5 0.6 Orange 127.3 1.2 313.7 6.3 Pamlico 12.9 0.6 39.2 2.2 Pasquotank 40.9 1.6 178.4 14.1 Pender 50.4 2.9 56.4 20.8 Perquimans 12.7 1.5 50.5 13.4 Person 37.6 1.0 96.4 4.2 Pitt 152.0 1.7 226.7 8.2 Polk 19.0 0.8 81.7 8.3 Randolph 139.4 1.2 179.2 3.3 Richmond 46.7 0.1 99.0 (1.6) Robeson 129.4 0.9 137.5 (0.3) Rockingham 91.6 0.1 162.5 (0.8) Rowan 136.5 0.8 265.2 2.7 Rutherford 62.9 0.3 113.2 (0.1) Sampson 64.5 1.3 69.6 3.7 Scotland 36.8 0.4 117.0...