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Section V. Draft County Profile (Data) Element Orange County Comprehensive Plan <br />Orange County's total population for <br />2005 is estimated to be 121,991. During <br />the 30 -year time period from 1970 to <br />2000, Orange County more than doubled <br />its population. <br />IX Orange County's population grew at <br />what is considered a moderate rate of <br />23% during the decade of 1990 -2000. <br />Over 1.2 million people live in the <br />Triangle areas including the Durham and <br />Raleigh Metropolitan Statistical Areas. <br />t Population change is not distributed <br />evenly throughout Orange County. In <br />absolute terms, Chapel Hill Township <br />accounted for over two- thirds of the <br />County's growth with 82% of this <br />growth in the urbanized areas of Chapel <br />Hill and Carrboro. <br />Little River Township has shown the <br />largest percent increase in population <br />(104 %) since 1980, growing from 1,493 <br />to 3,047 persons in 2000. <br />N Although 8% of Orange County's <br />land area is within municipal borders <br />(incorporated cities and towns), 61.5% <br />of the population resides in the County's <br />cities and towns. <br />The majority of Orange County's <br />growth (75 %) was attributed to the in- <br />migration of new residents. Between <br />1990 and 2000, 19,000 new residents <br />relocated to Orange County. <br />9/6/2007 132.2 <br />Z The remaining 25% growth was due <br />to natural increases, which is the number <br />of births that exceeded the number of <br />deaths. <br />Although Orange County's <br />population is still predominantly White, <br />the Hispanic /Latino community is the <br />fastest growing segment with 4.5% of <br />the population in 2000 from under I% in <br />1980. It should be noted that minority <br />populations are often undercounted <br />during Census periods. If this was true <br />for the 2000 Census, there may be even <br />more Hispanics /Latinos that now call <br />Orange County home. <br />The median age for Orange County <br />has increased from 25.7 in 1980 to 30.4 <br />in 2000. <br />Z In absolute terms, population growth <br />for the 65( +) age group has doubled <br />since 1980 from 5,783 to 10,639. <br />t The school age population (5 -18) has <br />grown by 8,000 since 1980. <br />Orange County's population is <br />slightly younger when compared to the <br />State, with age spikes in the 15 -19 and <br />20 -24 age groups, due to the presence of <br />UNC- Chapel Hill and other universities <br />in the area. <br />