Issue link: http://townofcary.uberflip.com/i/791946
2. LIVE Cary's Changing Population Cary's evolving popula on will have an impact on housing demand in the future. One of the biggest challenges facing Cary is making sure there are adequate housing choices for the changing popula on, while maintaining the tradi onal character of Cary. Challenges and Opportunities The U.S. Census defines a family household to be one where a minimum of two people in a household are related by birth, marriage, or adop on. A non-family household is defined by the Census as a household where a person lives alone, or that none of the household members are related by birth, marriage, or adop on. 16 Na onal and regional trends are changing the face of Cary. The onset of aging baby boomers and the region's increasing a rac veness to re rees has led Cary's median age to become the 3rd oldest of the 14 largest ci es in North Carolina, surpassed only by Asheville and Gastonia. The median age of Cary residents in 2000 was 33.7 increasing to 37.7 in 2011. An Aging Population In addi on to the Town's tradi onal African American minority popula on, Cary has become more racially and ethnically diverse over the last decade, with the Asian popula on rising from 8.1% in 2000 to 13% in 2010. The Hispanic/La no popula on rose from 4.3% to 7.7% during the same period. The area east of Downtown Cary is home to the 6th highest concentra on of Hispanic / La no residents in North Carolina. In total, Asian and Hispanic/La no residents make up 20% of the Town's total popula on. Cary's residents that are foreign born are also on the rise from 5% in 1990 increasing to 20% in 2010. Growing Ethnic and Racial Diversity Households are becoming smaller with more single person households, more couples wai ng longer to marry, more married couples without children, and more households with unrelated roommates. For example, the number of unmarried singles in Cary increased from 23.5% in 2000 to 28.2% in 2010, and the number of people living alone increased from 21% to 23.9%. Between 1990 and 2010, the number of family households decreased from 85% to 70%. Na onal projec ons an cipate that by 2025, the number of single person households will equal the number of family households. Changing Household Types and Sizes The one na onal and regional trend that is not tracking in Cary is the increase in the millennial popula on born between 1980 and 2000. In 2010, 10.9% of Cary's popula on were millennials compared to 13.7% in North Carolina and 13.9% for the en re U.S. Missing Millennial Generation