Nancy McFarlane: It’s not secret – Raleigh is the best place to live and work in the nation. Raleigh continues to receive recognition for business success, growth, sustainable development, arts and culture, education, recreation, the environment… the accolades are endless!
Raleigh is uniquely positioned to continue to lead the nation as the economy improves. Our leadership has played a significant role in keeping Raleigh on top through the recession and has worked to maintain our city’s unqualified AAA bond rating, while working to make critical investments in city infrastructure and amenities – projects that not only help improve our tax base, but spur economic development and create jobs.
Check out just a sampling of recent awards that affirm Raleigh’s continued success:
- #1 City for Business in the Nation – Bloomsberg Businessweek, 2011
Based on metrics like school performance, green space, and cultural amenities, Raleigh, N.C., ranks No. 1 in Businessweek.com’s first Best Cities ranking.
- #1 City for Business and Careers – Forbes Magazine, 2011
Low business costs (18 percent below the national average) and a smart labor force (42 percent have a college degree) make Raleigh, North Carolina’s Capital City, an attractive spot for employers.
- #1 Most Sustainable Mid-sized City – U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2011
Raleigh was named the country’s most sustainable mid-sized community by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the latest green-friendly honor for the city.
- #1 City for Quality of Life – Portfolio.com, 2010
Raleigh has an impressive supply of high-level jobs. Forty-four percent of Raleigh’s workers hold management or professional positions, surpassing all but three markets.
- #1 City for Young People – Kiplinger’s Finance, 2008
Raleigh is recognized throughout the country as one of the best places in the nation to live, work, study, meet new people, and play.
- #1 Fastest Growing City in the South – Fortune Magazine
This Silicon Valley of the East coast attracts flocks of IT-types for jobs at tech giants like Cisco and IBM.
- #1 City for Families – Forbes Magazine
Employment is up, and the cost of living is down in North Carolina’s capital, a mecca for stable high-tech jobs. The region is also home to more acres of parks per capita than most cities of its size.
- #1 Healthiest Housing Market – Builder Magazine
Raleigh continued to add jobs last year, especially in services, lowering its unemployment rate to 8.4%. This is an affordable place to live, and it recently ranked among the best places to retire.
- #2 Best City to Live, Work and Play – Kiplinger’s Finance, 2008
That the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Research Triangle is living up to its reputation as a high-tech hotbed isn’t news.
- #2 Biggest Brain Magnet City – Forbes Magazine
The area is a magnet for technology companies fleeing the more expensive, congested and highly regulated northeast corridor. Affordable housing and short commute times are no doubt highly attractive to millennials seeking to start a family.
- #2 Next Boom Town in the U.S. – Forbes Magazine
Raleigh has experienced the second-highest overall population increase and the third-highest job growth over the past two decades in the U.S. It also ranked among those regions seeing the biggest jump in new immigrants and is the No. 1 city for families with young children.
- #3 City for Small Business Vitality – Portfolio.com, 2011
Raleigh is ranked the 3rd most conducive city for the creation and development of small businesses.
- #5 ‘Can Do” City in the Nation – Newsweek Magazine, 2011
The city tied for fifth place on a list of metropolitan areas ranked on sustainability, transportation and infrastructure, livability and business development.
- Top 10 City for Raising a Family – Yahoo Real Estate, 2010
The region is home to more acres of parks per capita than most cities of its size. The Wake County School District is strong, too, with 77 schools of excellence and distinction — the highest designations in North Carolina
- Raleigh-Durham, “NC’s Axis of Cool” – New York Times Magazine, 2010
Food trucks, design collectives and rehabbed downtowns, the Research Triangle — the patch of North Carolina that is home to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and 150,000 college students — seems to be yet another hipster vibe factory.