WAKE FOREST, N.C. —  If you've ever looked around and thought North Carolina seems more crowded, you're absolutely right. The latest figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show that North Carolina's population grew by about 140,000 from July 2022 to July 2023. That's more than any other state in the country except for Florida and Texas.

What You Need To Know

  • The latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau shows North Carolina ranks third in population growth

  • The top five states where people are coming from are Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, New York and California

  • Reality TV podcaster and former "Survivor" contestant Rob Cesternino made the decision to leave Los Angeles for the Triangle

Among those who now call the Tar Heel State home is former "Survivor" contestant Rob Cesternino, who now runs a reality TV podcast network. He and his wife Nicole didn't foresee themselves moving away from California, but the COVID-19 pandemic made them reconsider whether it was where they wanted to raise their two boys.

"We were starting to feel like we would like to buy a house, but we weren't happy with what we were able to do in Los Angeles," said Cesternino, who finished third on season six of "Survivor."

"I just kept Googling best places to raise a family, and Raleigh was just No. 1, No. 1, No. 1," said Nicole Cesternino, a nurse. 

Nicole Cesternino made one trip to North Carolina. The visit lasted less than 48 hours, but she saw an empty community in Wake County that just felt like home. The decision was made. Rob Cesternino moved to the area sight unseen.

"She found this place in this area, and she said she loved it," said Rob Cesternino, a New York native. "That was all I needed to hear. Nicole says this is the thing, then I know it's going to work out."

The family says they haven't looked back. They are enjoying the extra space in their home and the weather. They're relatively close to family in the northeast. It also costs a lot less money and time to get around compared to their lives in Los Angeles. Most importantly, their kids are thriving. In California, they didn't have dedicated teachers for classes like music, art and gym.

"They're doing sports and so many extracurriculars, and we wouldn't have gotten that in Los Angeles," Nicole said. "The schools are definitely better here."

"We like our house and our backyard. I like playing in the cold weather," said 10-year-old Dominic Cesternino.

His 8-year-old brother Anthony has taken a liking for the food around here.

"I like the Chinese restaurants here. They're better than the old ones," Anthony Cesternino said. 

As we watched the family play outside, the Cesterninos basked in the backyard they had always dreams of, but it did come with some extra responsibilities he hadn't expected.

"I wasn't quite ready for the amount of maintenance that goes into having more outside," said Rob Cesternino, as Nicole chuckled in the background.