Raleigh ranked No. 2 on Forbes’ fastest-growing cities list

Forbes credits Research Triangle Park and the major universities nearby as two main reasons for that growth.

Jason deBruyn, Staff Writer-Triangle Business Journal

When financial research firm Ipreo chose Raleigh for an expansion, it was enough to turn some heads nationally.  “The primary goal was access to talent, and the (Research) Triangle was our top choice in the U.S.,” O’Hara Macken, Ipreo executive vice president and managing director told Forbes.

As drivers in the Triangle likely already know, this area is growing rapidly. In fact, Raleigh is growing fast enough to land at the No. 2 spot on Forbes‘ annual list of “America’s Fastest-Growing Cities”, and the magazine credits Research Triangle Park and the major universities nearby as two main reasons for that growth.

The fastest-growing ranking accounts for more than simple population increase. It includes job growth, unemployment, median salaries and gross metro product as well. Raleigh’s jobs grew at a rate of 2.44 percent year-over-year while the population jumped an estimated 2.15 percent in 2013, according to Forbes, which noted that even faster population growth is expected in 2014.

“We’ve got great quality of life. You’ve got the university system, great health care, a decent climate year-round, and affordable cost-of-living,” Harvey Schmitt, chief executive of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, told Forbes.

As with many of these lists, Austin, Texas, edged out Raleigh for the No. 1 spot. In fact, Texas had three cities in the top 10 with Dallas at No. 4 and Houston at No. 10.