Demographic Voter Makeup: North Carolina

*Editor’s note: This is part seven in a series that will break down the demographic statistics of voters in all six of FPP’S designated swing states plus the states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Later Today Pennsylvania

North Carolina is usually a dark a red state that has only voted blue twice since 1964 in 1976 and 2008; the fact the state voted for Obama in 2008 is an ever so small glimmer of hope for a 2012 win for Democrats. The Tar Heel State was the 2nd closest race of the 2008 election (behind Missouri); Barack Obama defeated John McCain by a mere 14,000 votes. The state has definitely changed demographically and will make it more likely for a Democratic win, but it will be a longshot. The state is nearing 10 million in population making it an electoral powerhouse with 15 electoral votes. Like we learned about New Hampshire in an earlier preview the state legislature leans strongly conservative, while statewide residents support a liberal governor; however, the democrats will most likely lose control of the governorship this year.

Population

Population: 9,535,483 (2010)
State rank: 10^th
Change since 2000 census: up 18.5%
Most populated cities
Charlotte 731,424
Raleigh 403,892
Greensboro 269,666
Winston-Salem 229,617
Household Income
Under $15K: 15.1%
$15K-$50K: 39.4%
$50K-$100K: 29.8%
$100K-$200K: 12.8%
Over $200K: 2.9%
Median Income: $45,131

Read more after the jump
Home Value
Under $100K: 28.2%
$100K-$300K: 54.6%
Over $300K: 17.1%
Median Value: $151,800
Education
H.S. grad: 83.6%
College grad: 26.2%
Grad degree: 8.7%
Military Veterans
% of Pop: 10.5%
Ethnicity
White: 65.3%
Black: 21.2%
Hispanic: 8.4%
Asian: 2.2%
Native Am.: 1.1%
Hawaiian: 0.1%
Age
Median age: 36.8 years
Over 65: 12.5%
Under 18: 24.4%
State Legislature
Senate: 19D 31R
House: 52D 67R
Work
Private: 77.0%
Government: 16.7%
Self-employed: 6.1%
Unemployment (Sept 2012): 9.6%
Registered Voters in 2010
Democrats: 2,769,324
Republicans: 1,958,503
Independents/Other: 1,472,876
Voter Turnout in 2010: 2,700,383
Turnout as % of voting age in 2010: 37.2%