SECTION 3: PLANNING AREA PROFILE
It should be noted that approximately 7.3 percent of the County’s population includes non-U.S. citizens, however, this number is likely under-reported. Immigrants and undocumented residents often face increased vulnerability during and after hazard events. Challenges include limited language proficiency; limited knowledge of local environmental conditions, including natural hazards, legal framework and institutions, and markets; limited social networks; lack of trust in authorities; restrictions on mobility; and discrimination. All these challenges can make it difficult for immigrant communities to access necessary information, resources, and opportunities to prepare, cope with, and recover from hazard events. 3.10 JURISDICTION INFORMATION The following information pertains to social vulnerability, growth and development, and land use trends observed among the unique jurisdictions located in Wake County. Social vulnerability data comes from sources such as the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and Environmental Justice Index 5 (EJI) published by the Centers for Disease Control Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) as well as statistics from the United States Census Bureau. Growth and development trends along with supporting land use information are identified from municipal planning resources where available 6 .
3.10.1 TOWN OF APEX
3.10.1.1 SOCIAL VULNERABILITY
Several census tracts near the central Apex area are rated as a low-medium and medium-high level of social vulnerability based on 2022 SVI data. These tracts have higher ratings in the housing type & transportation vulnerability theme and the household characteristics theme, which covers age, disability status, household composition, and language. One census tract around the Apex area is rated as low to moderate impacts of environmental burden based on 2022 EJI data. The ACS 2022 5-year estimates for the total population of Apex also note that approximately 4 percent of people over the age of five have limited English proficiency, 6.3 percent have a disability, and 2.6 percent live below the poverty level.
3.10.1.2 GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT TRENDS
The population of Apex grew by approximately 56.8 percent between the 2010 Decennial Census and 2020 Decennial Census. According to the Advance Apex: The 2045 Plan documentation as of 2019, three guiding principles of the updated 2045 Land Use Map include preservation of rural character in its western areas, creation of walkable mixed-use areas, and further investment in key corridors and emerging activity centers. Additionally, major factors expected to drive future development include (1) readily available water and sewer infrastructure, (2) completion of NC 540 and other roadway improvements, (3) completion of the Apex Peakway, (4) Pleasant Park surrounding areas, (5) rural preservation and mixed-use investment initiatives, and (6) draws of high-quality schools and the local park system. Proposed development of the S-Line rail corridor through the Southeast, recently awarded to North Carolina in late 2023 in the form of a $1.09 billion discretionary federal grant, could eventually include Apex as a direct stop as a future phase and could generate many promising economic and development opportunities in the future.
5 CDC/ATSDR Environmental Justice Index. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/eji/index.html 6 Please note that the information used in this section comes from officially adopted plans and data at the time of this Wake County plan update. As municipalities update their own plans and associated resources, please refer to the most recent and/or official version.
Wake County, NC Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan
WSP June 2024 Page 53
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