CHARLOTTE, NC - NOVEMBER 04: An airplane carrying a sign reading, Every voice matters count every vote, flies over downtown Charlotte, North Carolina on November 4, 2020. The presidential race in North Carolina was too close to call on election night as mail-in ballots are still coming in across the state.

Spend 5 minutes driving around and it’s obvious Charlotte is growing. And quickly. And Charlotte was one of two North Carolina cities ranked as one of the 10 Fastest Growing in the country. The list was released as part of the UNC Kenan-Flager Business School’s “The American Growth Project.” The project is self-described as “a new initiative providing up-to-the-minute economic data, analysis, and forecasting for towns, cities, and counties across the country. This effort aims to support government officials, business leaders, and other decision-makers seeking guidance to navigate our nation’s ongoing economic transformation by providing (near) real-time indicators and short-, medium- and long-term forecasts.”

This particular report evaluates the 50 largest cities in the United States, as ranked by the speed of economic growth. It’s wonderful to see both Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham featured on this list. The analysis mentions that Charlotte added around 20,000 new jobs in Q2 2022. Additionally, there have been 12,000 new jobs in the first two months of Q3. This would mark the ninth consecutive quarter of job growth. Charlotte is a hotspot for banking, but industries like healthcare and business are also booming.

Meanwhile, Raleigh-Durham is highlighted by technology and biotech thanks to Research Triangle Park. Apple will soon be adding to the workforce in the triangle, which is currently home to companies like Cisco, Epic Games, IBM, SAS, and Red Hat. As someone who thinks of both these metro areas as “home” it’s great to see both representing North Carolina as some of the country’s fastest growing cities.

Keep reading to see the top 10 list and where 2 other Carolina cities ranked. You can view the full study here.

Fastest Growing Cities of 2022
According to the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
1. San Francisco Bay Area

2022 GDP Growth: 4.8%

GDP (2022, billions USD): 1,383

GDP Share of US Total: 5.50%

GDP Rank: 3

Population (2020) In Millions: 9.7

Population Shares of US Total (2020): 2.9%

Population Rank (2020): 5
2. Austin, TX

2022 GDP Growth: 4.3%

GDP (2022, billions USD): 216

GDP Share of US Total: 0.90%

GDP Rank: 22

Population (2020) In Millions: 2.3

Population Shares of US Total (2020): .7%

Population Rank (2020): 33
3. Seattle, WA

2022 GDP Growth: 3.5%

GDP (2022, billions USD): 583

GDP Share of US Total: 2.3%

GDP Rank: 10

Population (2020) In Millions: 5.0

Population Shares of US Total (2020): 1.5%

Population Rank (2020): 13
4. Raleigh-Durham, NC

2022 GDP Growth: 3.4%

GDP (2022, billions USD): 189

GDP Share of US Total: 0.80%

GDP Rank: 28

Population (2020) In Millions: 2.1

Population Shares of US Total (2020): .6%

Population Rank (2020): 35
5. Dallas, TX

2022 GDP Growth: 3.1%

GDP (2022, billions USD): 682

GDP Share of US Total: 2.70%

GDP Rank: 7

Population (2020) In Millions: 8.1

Population Shares of US Total (2020): 2.5%

Population Rank (2020): 7
6. Denver, CO

2022 GDP Growth: 3.0%

GDP (2022, billions USD): 330

GDP Share of US Total: 1.3%

GDP Rank: 16

Population (2020) In Millions: 3.6

Population Shares of US Total (2020): 1.1%

Population Rank (2020): 18
7. Salt Lake City, UT

2022 GDP Growth: 2.8%

GDP (2022, billions USD): 212

GDP Share of US Total: 0.80%

GDP Rank: 23

Population (2020) In Millions: 2.7

Population Shares of US Total (2020): 0.8%

Population Rank (2020): 24
8. Charlotte, NC

2022 GDP Growth: 2.5%

GDP (2022, billions USD): 233

GDP Share of US Total: 0.9%

GDP Rank: 21

Population (2020) In Millions: 2.8

Population Shares of US Total (2020): 0.9%

Population Rank (2020): 23
9. New Orleans, LA

2022 GDP Growth: 2.4%

GDP (2022, billions USD): 102

GDP Share of US Total: 0.40%

GDP Rank: 40

Population (2020) In Millions: 1.5

Population Shares of US Total (2020): 0.5%

Population Rank (2020): 41
10. Orlando, FL

2022 GDP Growth: 2.4%

GDP (2022, billions USD): 246

GDP Share of US Total: 1.00%

GDP Rank: 19

Population (2020) In Millions: 4.2

Population Shares of US Total (2020): 1.3%

Population Rank (2020): 15
Other North & South Carolina Cities
37. Greenville, SC

2022 GDP Growth: 0.6%

GDP (2022, billions USD): 87

GDP Share of US Total: 0.3%

GDP Rank: 46

Population (2020) In Millions: 1.5

Population Shares of US Total (2020): 0.4%

Population Rank (2020): 43
45. Greensboro, NC
(Photo: Raynor Garey/Getty Images)

2022 GDP Growth: 0.0%

GDP (2022, billions USD): 100

GDP Share of US Total: 0.40%

GDP Rank: 41

Population (2020) In Millions: 1.7

Population Shares of US Total (2020): .5%

Population Rank (2020): 39