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  3. North Carolina

NORTH CAROLINA

Charlotte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363

Greensboro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375

Raleigh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389

North Carolina

The State in Brief

Nickname: Tar Heel State; Old North State

Motto: Esse quam videri (To be rather than to seem)

Flower: Dogwood

Bird: Cardinal

Area: 53,818 square miles (2000, U.S. rank: 28th)

Elevation: Ranges from sea level to 6,684 feet above sea level

Climate: Warm and mild with abundant rainfall; subtropical in southeast, cooler in the mountains

Admitted to Union: November 21, 1789

Capital: Raleigh

Head Official: Governor Mike F. Easley (D) (until 2009)

Population

1980: 5,882,000

1990: 6,628,637

2000: 8,049,313

2004 estimate: 8,541,221

Percent change, 1990–2000: 21.4%

U.S. rank in 2004: 11th

Percent of residents born in state: 63.0% (2000)

Density: 165.2 people per square mile (2000)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 392,826

Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2000)

White: 5,804,656

Black or African American: 1,737,545

American Indian and Alaska Native: 99,551

Asian: 113,689

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 3,983

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 378,963

Other: 186,629

Age Characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 539,509

Population 5 to 19 years old: 1,653,851

Percent 65 years and older: 12.0%

Median age: 35.3 years (2000)

Vital Statistics

Total number of births (2003): 117,981

Total number of deaths (2003): 73,443 (infant deaths,931)

AIDS cases reported through 2003: 6,545

Economy

Major industries: Textiles, agriculture, tobacco, furniture, bricks, metalworking, chemicals, paper, tourism, manufacturing

Unemployment rate: 5.2% (December 2004)

Per capita income: $28,301 (2003; U.S. rank: 37th)

Median household income: $38,096 (3-year average,2001-2003)

Percentage of persons below poverty level: 14.2% (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Income tax rate: Ranges from 6.0% to 8.25%

Sales tax rate: 4.5% (food and prescription drugs are exempt; food sales are subject to local sales taxes)