"Well one thing's for sure," says Dr. Walden, a professor of agricultural and resource economics. "We are going to become an older nation. I think most people know that.

"The Baby Boom generation, which is a gigantic generation, is aging. And as it ages it is going to carry the average age of the U.S. and North Carolina higher.

"Another factor here is the Baby Boom generation is about 20 million people bigger than the generation that's to follow," he adds.

"The other thing that is going to happen demographically is we are going to become a much more diverse nation ethnically. If you look at African Americans, Hispanics, Asians today they account for about a quarter of the total population. In 50 years they will account for one half of the population.

"So we are going to be an older nation and a much more diverse nation. And to add some economics here, hopefully we will be a richer nation."