15 Facts About North Carolina's Economy That May Surprise You

Beyond its southern charm, North Carolina boasts a robust economy. 

From fertile fields to cutting-edge research labs, the state fosters diverse industries that fuel a thriving job market and empower its residents to build wealth.

Check out these fascinating facts about North Carolina’s business, employment, and more.

Although neither of these crops is North Carolina’s top agricultural producer, the state grows more tobacco and sweet potatoes than anywhere else in the U.S. North Carolina’s top crops by acreage are corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, and hay.

Removing water from the acreage total, North Carolina is 60% forest. The abundance of lumber has led to a booming furniture and wood processing industry, making the state (particularly the city of High Point) the “Furniture capital of the world.”

In addition to its manufacturing and agricultural industries, North Carolina hosts many jobs and innovations in research and development. 

The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area (dubbed the Research Triangle) is home to several universities that fuel various technological research and development activities.

The cities of Wilmington and Morehead City are home to North Carolina’s two deepwater ports that ship cargo all over the world. These ports ship over four million tons of cargo each year. There’s also one inland port in Charlotte.

According to research by CEOWorld, North Carolina’s gross domestic product (GDP) for 2023 was just over $565 billion — around the same size as several developed countries. For perspective, Norway’s GDP for the same period was $554 billion.

With a highly educated workforce and the lowest corporate tax rate in the U.S., North Carolina has attracted many global financial companies. 

According to the Charlotte Region Business Alliance, the Charlotte area alone supports over 91,000 jobs in the finance industry.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that North Carolina’s unemployment rate is slightly lower than the U.S. at large — 3.5% vs 3.7%. Except for the pandemic years, the state’s unemployment rate has maintained steady lows since about 2017.

By revenue, the biggest money-maker for the Tar Heel State is life insurance and annuities. According to IBISWorld, this industry was responsible for $60.6 billion in revenue in 2023. The next-largest industries are commercial banking and hospitals.

The North Carolina government employs 1.6% of its workforce, approximately 82,000 people. Walmart (1.2%) and Duke University (0.9%) are the next-largest employers.

Jobs in telecom, video games, software publishing, and more are hot, growing 12.6% by 2023.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, North Carolina’s economy is growing steadily, at 4.6% annually as of Q3 2023. North Carolina is the sixth-most populous state in the nation.

With its white sand beaches of the Outer Banks, beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, and epic barbeque, it’s easy to see why North Carolina drew 43 million visitors in 2022. According to NC State University, this makes it the sixth most visited state in the nation.

This includes both utility-scale and small-scale sources. According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Solar eclipsed hydroelectric power as the largest source of the state’s renewable energy in 2017. 

As of 2022, solar was responsible for 9% of North Carolina’s energy in general and around 60% of renewable energy.

North Carolina gave rise to many companies you know and love, including Harris Teeter and Food Lion (grocery stores), Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Lowe’s, Hanes, and Pepsi. North Carolina is also home to nearly one million small businesses.

These include nationally known names such as the various locations of the University of North Carolina, as well as Duke and Wake Forest Universities. It also includes several smaller colleges and numerous seminaries and schools of theology.

North Carolina’s mild Atlantic climate and beautiful scenery make it a desirable place to call home. 

However, its thriving tech and banking sectors, low corporate tax rate, and abundant jobs and educational opportunities make that a real possibility for residents of the Tar Heel State.

North Carolina boasts a healthy economy that provides several ways for residents to make money and save for the future.