Wake County, North Carolina is the ninth fastest-growing county in the United States. Wonder why? It could be the buzz on the street about our high rankings; Wake County is consistently rated one of America’s best places to live and work.
Wake County is home to NC State University, Research Triangle Park and the center of state government – the state capital and county seat – in Raleigh. The county is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region, which encompasses the cities of Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill and surrounding suburban areas.
Forbes.com has ranked Raleigh as its number one “Best Place for Business and Careers” choice not once, twice or three times – but 2011 marks the fourth time Wake topped the list! Among the reasons are this city’s low business costs, at 18 percent below the national average.
Also fueling this area’s growth is the local university presence of North Carolina State University, Duke University, and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, three elite schools that contribute to a smarter labor force.
When it rains, it pours; no sooner did Wake County win Forbes.com’s award did Businessweek.com name Raleigh as its number one “Best City in America.” The publication evaluated 100 of the nation’s largest cities based on 16 criteria, including number of restaurants, museums, colleges, libraries, professional sports teams, income, poverty level, crime, foreclosure rates and green space. Wake County’s high quality of life, combined with new and expanding business, has attracted more and more residents here; the population in the metro area expanded by more than 12 percent from 2009 to 2010.
Wake County’s relative cost of living is low, the state is pro-business, and the cost of real estate is dramatically lower here. In fact, Builder magazine has named the Raleigh-Cary area the healthiest of the 100 largest US housing markets, based on home price appreciation or depreciation, job growth, household and income growth, unemployment rates and building permit activity.
Still not convinced? In a collaborative report between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Wake County ranks number one in North Carolina for overall health, considering percent of low birth-weight babies, obesity rates, high school graduation rates, unemployment, pollution, lifespan, exercise habits and medical access.
Data provided by GreatSchools.org 2025 © 2025. All rights reserved.
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