Which metro areas in North Carolina are adding jobs fastest?
Wilmington, NC (+20.5%), Raleigh-Cary, NC (+16.1%) and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (+15.5%) added private-sector jobs fastest among North Carolina metro areas between 2018 and 2023.
Data as of 2023 · updated
All 10 ranked North Carolina metro areas
| Rank | Metro area | Change 2018–23 | Jobs added | Private jobs 2023 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilmington, NC | +20.5% | +28,370 | 166,626 | 492,772 |
| 2 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | +16.1% | +85,698 | 617,511 | 1,595,720 |
| 3 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | +15.5% | +41,149 | 307,194 | 625,485 |
| 4 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | +14.3% | +154,959 | 1,238,884 | 2,938,830 |
| 5 | Winston-Salem, NC | +6.1% | +14,811 | 257,305 | 712,206 |
| 6 | Fayetteville, NC | +5.3% | +5,278 | 104,346 | 395,412 |
| 7 | Asheville, NC | +4.5% | +7,347 | 169,531 | 422,345 |
| 8 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | +3.3% | +4,565 | 142,342 | 376,890 |
| 9 | Rocky Mount, NC | +2.8% | +1,358 | 50,593 | 148,486 |
| 10 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | +0.6% | +1,848 | 324,893 | 805,945 |
How this is ranked
The change in paid employees of private employers in mid-March between 2018 and 2023 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns). Government jobs and the self-employed are not counted. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built.
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Questions
Which metro area in North Carolina has the fastest job growth?
Wilmington, NC: +20.5%, ahead of Raleigh-Cary, NC (+16.1%) and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (+15.5%), of 10 North Carolina metro areas ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
The change in paid employees of private employers in mid-March between 2018 and 2023 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns). Government jobs and the self-employed are not counted. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.