Forbes.com ranks Raleigh as the No. 1 Best Place for Business and Careers

You may have heard that Forbes.com ranked Raleigh as the No. 1 Best Place for Business and Careers, but what you may not know is that this is the fourth time out of the past five years that Raleigh has been ranked No. 1.

With low businesses costs (18 percent below the national average), and the second highest net migration rate in the U.S. over the past five years, it’s no wonder why Raleigh continues to receive this accolade.

Raleigh’s local university presence of North Carolina State University, Duke University, and University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, help fuel local growth in the area. The city receives a strong boost from these three elite schools surrounding the area, which contributes to a smarter labor force (42 percent of Raleigh’s population have a college degree).

The Best Place for Business and Careers rankings look at the 200 largest metro areas in the United States. Forbes looks at 12 metric relating to job growth (past and projected), costs (business and living), income growth, educational attainment, and project economic growth. Also included are quality of life factors such as crime rates, cultural and recreational opportunities, and number of highly ranked colleges in the area.

“This ranking once again confirms what so many of us know from first-hand experience: our educated and diverse workforce combined with a very good quality of life sets us apart from most communities,” said Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker.

For addition information on this most recent accolade contact Raleigh Economic Development Director, James Sauls atjsauls@raleighchamber.org or 919.664.7049.