North Carolina Grows Urban

With new home seekers sticking in the Tarheel State at a growth rate of over 10% since 2000, North Carolina now has an estimated population of 8,856,505, exceeding the average growth in the U.S. as a whole.  About one third of its growth can be attributed to natural increases since the last census (births) and the other two thirds to increased migration.  Of those who moved into the state, about two thirds relocated from another state and one third migrated from another country altogether.

North Carolina New Homes

What is motivating these residents to settle on new homes in North Carolina?  The primary factor may be the prospect of high-paying jobs and strong economic growth.  Once primarily a rural state, North Carolina’s largest city - Charlotte - has become a finance, technology and research mecca and the destination of choice for many looking for new homes in the state. 

North Carolina still produces a sizable agricultural crop, yielding goods such as tobacco, sweet potatoes, soybeans, milk, poultry and eggs, hogs, cattle and nursery stock.  The state’s tobacco crop, one of the earliest revenue sources, still remains vital to the economy; but many farmers have switched to other crops or left farming, concerned that they may no longer receive government farming subsidies.  North Carolina remains the largest tobacco producer in the country.

The state is also known for its industrial output, namely textiles, chemicals, paper/pulp products and electrical equipment.  In fact, the state gets its unusual nickname, historians say, from its long history as a producer of naval stores like tar, pitch and turpentine, all culled from the state’s vast pine forests.

Most of North Carolina’s small towns initially developed around textile and furniture factories.  But as these factories have closed and moved to low-wage markets in Asia and Latin America, the small towns that depended upon them have suffered.  Still, the state remains the largest textile employer in the country.  North Carolina’s two largest cities, Charlotte and Raleigh, have grown into major urban centers with more diverse populations as economic growth and opportunities in the finance, technology and research industries attract educated and more affluent Americans and immigrants from Southeast Asia, India and Latin America. 

The North Carolina Landscape

The state’s natural beauty and diverse landscape also draws those who enjoy the Great Outdoors.  Geographically, North Carolina is divided into three distinct areas: the Appalachian Mountain region, the Piedmont region and the Coastal Plains region.

The Appalachian Mountain range runs through the western part of the state, and two thirds of its mountains are covered with hardwood forests with over 120 species of trees.  The Great Smoky Mountains in the southwest portion of the state are one of the country’s top natural destinations, and tourism now accounts for the primary source of revenue for this region.  With some spots logging over 30 inches or snow a year, the area is a favorite destination for skiers and snowboarders.

Covering about 35% of the state across the central portion, the Piedmont region of North Carolina is characterized by gently rolling foothills broken by the occasional mountain ridge.  As the most densely-populated and urban portion of the state, the Piedmont region contains all five of the largest cities in the state - Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham and Winston-Salem.

The Coastal Plain region, found in the eastern 45% of the state, is the most rural portion.  Its relatively flat landscape and rich soil grows the state’s tobacco, soybean and cotton crops.  Toward the coastline are wetlands, giant sand dunes and pristine beaches.  One of the area’s most defining characteristics may be the Outer Banks, a chain of fragile barrier islands - 130 miles of unspoiled coastline surrounded by 900 square miles of water.  One of its most famous are the shores at Kitty Hawk, where the Wright Brothers launched the era of flight back in 1903.

Be it mountains, rolling hills, rural lands or waterfront views, North Carolina has a place to appeal to anyone looking for career opportunities and new homes for sale in a great state to live. 

[tag] North Carolina New Homes, Homes for Sale in North Carolina, North Carolina Real Estate Listings [/tag]

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