Raleigh - The Hub of Wake's Economic Activity

Even if it was not located in the middle of Wake County, Raleigh no doubt would be considered the hub of economic activity for the county. It has the most diverse economy of all the municipalities in the area – make that in the state of North Carolina.  You can find state government jobs that employ tens of thousands in the downtown area, since Raleigh is the state capital; two public and four private colleges and universities with their own tens of thousands of students, staff and support personnel; and a professional sports team, the Carolina Hurricanes. There is much more, of course. 

Raleigh has been growing immensely as a result of these opportunities, with more than 100,000 new residents during this decade alone.  It attracts and retains newcomers because it is a distinct location with unique amenities.  For example, its new free Downtown Circulatorattracted more than 2,000 riders in its first week of operation. This is a green-friendly bus service on the R Line that runs every 10-15 minutes seven days a week to shuttle employees, residents and visitors in the central business district to retail and entertainment venues, restaurants and parking. 

Helping Raleigh remain an economic hotspot is its relatively low cost of living and its highly educated workforce (more than half the residents ages 25 and up hold at least an undergraduate college degree).  For companies looking to relocate or open a business in Raleigh, there are many business support organizations available to help make that happen.  One of them, the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, will host the 2009 Business Expo on May 7, the largest business-to-business trade show of its kind in the Carolinas, with more than 300 vendors and some 5,000 attendees expected.

With all these activities, the possibilities of doing business in Raleigh are endless.