The DCHC MPO forecasted population and employment (or, Socioeconomic Data – SE Data) for the year 2050 to plan the future highway projects, transit services and other transportation facilities through the MPO’s 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). This SE Data is a key input into the transportation model and therefore it is presented in a zonal format called Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZs) that the model uses. The following link provides the Tableau Public tool for accessing 2020 and 2050 population and employment maps, tables and forecasts. This is not an official DCHC MPO tool or dataset:

 2020-2050 Demographic Data and Maps

The document below briefly describes the methodology for forecasting population and employment, and provides land use assumptions and county-level forecasts.  Additional information on land use can be found in chapter six of the 2050 MTP report.

• Demographic Methodology
• 2050 MTP Report - Chapter 6

The location of population and employment are among the most important determinants of transportation demand and ultimately of the location and attributes of highways, transit and other transportation facilities. The DCHC MPO invests considerable resources into estimating current and forecasting future demographic data, which is a key input into the Triangle Regional Model (TRM).

The MPO often uses data from the following agencies to complete its estimates and forecasts.

• DCHC MPO Region Household Population Growth from 2020 to 2050 
• Population and demographic data by city, town, region and county (US Census)
• Updated population and demographic data (US Census – American Community Survey)
• Population and employment data (state and federal agencies)

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