National Recognitions & Accolades
Money Magazine, March 2007
Money Magazine wrote:
Wake County's main city is Raleigh, capital of North Carolina and one corner of the Research Triangle that includes Durham and Chapel Hill. One of Money Magazine's Best Big Cities, 2006, Raleigh has a low crime rate, mild winters and a vibrant economy focused on electronics, medicine and pharmaceuticals. [
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(Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Forbes, February 2007Forbes wrote:
Raleigh has a lot to offer, mainly the fact that it has nothing bad to offer. Unlike Florida, North Carolina's housing market has been relatively stable, so Raleigh probably doesn't have a downturn to look forward to. The three universities in the area--Duke, the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University--help attract highly educated workers and technology firms. Says Steven Cochrane, an economist with Moody's Economy.com: "It has a lot of the amenities of Florida, except not the hurricanes." [
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News and Observer, March 2007
The News & Observer reported that U.S. census figures show that Wake's population growth was the 14th highest in the nation from 2000 to 2006. The current population of Wake County for 2006 is estimated at 786,522, only 41,000 people less than the state's most populous county, Mecklenburg. [
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Other 2007 National Recognitions:
- #1 Best Place for Business and Careers (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes, April 2007
- #1 Best Place to Sell a Home (Raleigh, NC) view article
Forbes Magazine, July 2007
- #1 School District in the Nation for Certified Teachers (Wake County)
National Board of Certified Teachers, January 2007
- Gold Rating (Wake County Schools)
Expansion Management's Education Quotient, January 2007
- Top 10 Metro Areas for Job Growth
Business 2.0, May 2007
- Top Ten Tech Town (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Wired Magazine, January 2007
- Top 50 Hottest Cities for Expanding and Relocating Companies
(Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Expansion Management, February 2007
- #3 City for African Americans to Live (Raleigh, NC)
Black Enterprise Magazine, 2007
- #7 Business Boomtown (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Inc., May 2007
- #4 Hottest Job Market for Young Adults (Raleigh, NC)
Bizjournals, April 2007
- #5 Best Place to Find a Mate (Raleigh, NC)
Men's Health, March 2007
- #8 Fastest Growing Metro in the Nation (Raleigh, NC)
US Census Bureau, April 2007
Past National Recognitions & Accolades
2006
#13 Fastest Growing Cities (Raleigh, NC)
US Census Bureau, June 2006
#6 Brainiest Mid-sized Metro (Raleigh, NC)
Bizjournal, June 2006
5-Star Quality of Life Metro (Raleigh, NC)
Expansion Management's Quality of Life Quotient, May/June 2006
#2 Best Place for Business & Careers (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes, May 2006
#13 Boom Town (Raleigh, NC)
Inc. Magazine, May 2006
Top 10 Projected Home Appreciation Market (Raleigh, NC)
MSN.com, April 2006
Top 20 Business Schools (Duke University #11, UNC-CH #20)
US News and World Report, 2006
#2 Best Value Public Colleges (North Carolina State University)
Princeton Review, March 2006
#1 Highest Growth County in NC (Wake County, NC)
US Census Bureau, March 2006
#1 City for Federally Funded Economic Development Incentives (Raleigh, NC)
Public Policy Forum, March 2006
#10 Best Walking City (Raleigh, NC)
Prevention, March 2006
#16 Hottest City for Business Relocation & Expansion (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Expansion Management, February 2006
#3 Most Educated City (Raleigh, NC)
American Community Survey, US Census Bureau, 2004 (Released January 2006)
#3 Best US City for Bargains (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Hotwire Travel Value Index, January 2006
2005
#10 Safest City (Cary, NC)
Morgan Quitno Press, November 2005
#7 Richest City (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes, November 2005
Top 20 Best Places to Live, Work and Play (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC)
Homebuilder.com, November 2005
#5 Best Inner City for Small Businesses (Raleigh, NC)
Small Business Administration, November 2005
Top Ten Fast Cities/Hubs for Creative Class Talent (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Fast Company, October 2005
#3 Best Large Metro Areas for New Businesses and Entrepreneurs (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
National Policy Research Council, October 2005
#1 Area for Tech Business (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Silicon Valley Leadership Group, September 2005
Top "Seven Cool Cities" for Young Professionals (Raleigh, NC)
Kiplinger's Personal Finance, October 2005
#3 Hottest City for Entrepreneurs (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Expansion Management, August 2005
#12 Top Real Estate Market (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Expansion Management, August 2005
Top Ten Best Budget Weekend City (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
MSN City Guides, August 2005
Five-Star Business Opportunity Metro (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Expansion Management, July 2005
#2 Schools that Rock (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC)
Rolling Stone, July 2005
#4 Best City for Singles (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Forbes, July 2005
Top 20 Business Opportunity Metro (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Expansion Management, July 2005
#5 Knowledgeable Workforce (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Expansion Management, July 2005
#1 Fastest Growing Life Science Workforce
#5 Overall Life Science Cluster
Milken Institute, June 2005
#17 Healthiest City (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC)
Sperlings Best Places, June 2005
#2 Best Place for Business and Careers, (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Forbes, May 2005
#2 Most Educated City (Raleigh, NC)
US Census Bureau-American Community Survey, 2003 Survey
(Released April 2005)
#2 Best Public Education System
(Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Expansion Management, April 2005
#1 Fastest Growing Life Science Workforce
#5 Overall Life Science Cluster
Milken Institute, June 2005
#8 High-Tech City (Raleigh, NC)
Popular Science, February 2005 Science
#17 Healthiest City ( Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC)
Sperlings Best Places, June 2005 Places
#17 Best City for Runners (Raleigh, NC)
Runner’s World, June 2005
#8 Most Wired City (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC)
Intel Annual Survey, 2005 Survey
Five Star Knowledge-Worker Metro
#7 Best Educated Workforce
#10 Top Metro for University R&D Spending
#7 Top Metro-Scientists and Engineers Per Capita ( Raleigh-Cary , NC)
Expansion Management, May 2005
Top Five Most Innovation-Entrepreneurial Regions (Raleigh, NC)
US Small Business Administration, April 2005
Top 50 5-Star City for Quality of Life ( Raleigh-Cary , NC)
Expansion Management’s Quality of Life Quotient, March 2005
2004
#2 Best Place for Business (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Forbes, May 2004
#4 Best City for Entrepreneurs and Small Business
Gold Guide, May 2004
#6 Best Public School System ( Raleigh - Durham -Chapel Hill MSA)
Expansion Management's MSA Education Quotient Rankings, April 2004
#1 City with the Happiest Workers (Raleigh, NC)
Hudson Employment Index, March 2004
#3 High Value Labor Market Quotient 2004
Expansion Management, March 2004
#4 City That Rocks (Raleigh, NC)
Esquire, April 2004
#6 Least Expensive Midsize Metro Area for Businesses (Raleigh, NC)
KPMG LLP, February 2004
2004 National Superintendent of the Year (Bill McNeal, Wake County Public Schools)
American Association of School Administrators, 2004
#3 Best Education In The Biggest Cities (Wake County Schools)
Forbes, February 2004
#1 Hottest Job Market (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC)
Business 2.0, March 2004
Hottest Town in the East (Cary, NC)
Money magazine, January 2004
#6 Most Fun City
Cranium, January 2004
#4 Top State for New Business Sites and Facilities
Plants, Sites & Parks, January 2004
#13 Hottest Cities (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Expansion Management, January 2004
2003
#1 Best Place to Live
MSN House & Home, July 2003
#1 Best Place to Live & Work
Employment Review, June 2003
#9 Best City for Corporate Headquarters
Business Facilities, April 2003
#3 Best Place to Reinvent Your Life
AARP magazine, May/June 2003
#4 Top Metro for 2003
Plants, Sites & Parks, March 2003
#1 Best City for Education
Places Rated Almanac, Millennium Edition
#1 Fastest Growing Local Online Population
Nielson/Netratings Report, February 2003