Eastern North Carolina in particular is seeing significant growth- Brunswick County is the sixth fastest growing country in the country, and Brunswick, Pender, Johnston, and Franklin counties make up 4 of the 5 fastest growing counties in NC. With this rapid population growth, it is important to ensure that the needs of the population are being met. This analysis focused on spatial access to healthcare- specifically where a new hospital could/should go to accommodate the region’s fast growth.

Hospital point data, population density by block group, and road data were rasterized into a single suitability 1000m x 1000m raster so each criterion can be weighted on a cell-by-cell basis. These layers were chosen to capture population need, current healthcare supply, and spatial accessibility.

The pixel (1 sq. km) with the highest suitability score is on the Western edge of the map in the unincorporated community of Flowers, NC (located just east of Clayton in Johnston County.) The suitability score of this pixel was 0.75 / 1.00. High suitability scores were clustered around southern Wilmington, near the Cape Fear River. Low suitability scores were clustered around Halifax, Northampton, Bertie, Martin, and Hertford counties.