To answer this question we will use the following formula for compounded growth:

Where P₀ is the initial population, r is the yearly rate of growth as a decimal number, and t is the number of years.
Substituting P₀=24,800, r=0.012, and t=7 we get:

Simplifying the above result we get:

Answer: In 2017, Statesville's population will be about 26,960.