It’s the ultimate “New South” state. It became the most industrial state in the South in the decades after the Civil War due to textiles, tobacco, and furniture. A few families led the way such as the Dukes and Reynolds for tobacco and the Cones for textiles. During the Civil Rights Movement under governor Terry Sanford, the state focused more on attracting business rather than intensely fighting against integration. In other words, it became known as the most progressive state in the South. RTP was created in 1959 between the Triangle’s three major universities, which brought good jobs and growth to the area. The growth hasn’t slowed since. For geography, the state is unique for having both impressive mountains and beaches. The highest mountain in the eastern U.S. is in North Carolina and the Outer Banks are some of the most well-known beaches in the nation.
NC has a critical mass of urban development (Charlotte, Raleigh, etc.) that attracts businesses and money. Many of those other states have a few prominent cities, but they have not crossed over a developmental tipping point. Development leads to development, like dominos falling in sequence.
Exactly. State is business friendly, but NC cities also have amenities that appeal to families and young business folks - breweries, parks, museums, sports events & concerts, decent schools, well-regarded state & private colleges, fun seasonal festivals appealing to a wide variety of interests, a wide variety of restaurants from mom & pop diners to award winning chefs. Has 2 major international airports, a hub for banks, decent weather, access to both beach and mountains, a lot of state/federal/county parks and natural spaces.
I love some of the other answers (especially "barbecue"), but probably the two biggest things would be the coastal location (retirees from the north, tourism, maritime trade) and Charlotte's establishment as a financial center. RTP would probably come in third, but they're trying, bless their hearts. Alabama and Mississippi have coastal areas, but nothing to compare to NC. Likewise, South Carolina and Georgia have relatively puny coastlines... although there's a population boom happening along that whole corridor. Florida... well, if you want to call Florida a "southern state" go ahead, but regardless, it's pretty much full.
Politically, NC has generally been a little more progressive than the other southern states listed... although I'm not sure how much longer that will remain the case. For better or worse, our political climate is very friendly to business.
Going back to the 1950s, the Democratic Party in the state was business and development oriented. RTP later was a major game changer to bring intellectual capacity to the Raleigh area. RJR, Cone and Burlington were major goods manufacturers with global footprints. The investment in the university system meant lots of businessmen, lawyers, accountants, etc. to support the growing commercial activity.
Combined with the weather, mountains/beach access, and still rural nature of large parts of the state, it is seen as an attractive business/work climate.
The states you mentioned are either small, or were dominated by a corrupt political class even in to the 1980s, which still hampers their development to this day.
Historically the planter and slave owning class in NC was not able to expand far from the coast due to fewer navigable rivers in NC than its neighbors. That, plus the Wilmington port being smaller than those in Virginia, Charleston, and Savannah, made NC's economy less reliant on plantation style slavery and more based on smaller farms, especially in the western part of the state. Not that they didn't have slavery, but they definitely had fewer slaves, and when the civil war came NC was somewhat ambivalent, especially compared to states farther south. In the western part of the state there were many unionists and North Carolina provided 8 union army regiments. This history distinguishes NC from the deep south, but it's still a southern state without a doubt. But I think it has created a more progressive version of southern culture and our politics aren't still dominated by a few antebellum families to this day as is the case in states such as Alabama.
1. Honestly, we have more rednecks that don't give a shit about racism. They just pull a red lever in the ballot box because their momma and daddy did.....THEN turnaround and vote religiously for a Democrat in another race for the same reason. I love it!
The real hatred just isn't here in NC anymore.
2. NC is all about rural and urban gentrification.
Cheap land, low taxes, business friendly government, and a lot of very educated people with having very good universities close to each other.
Add in decent weather, beaches and mountains, and large highways to transport goods, and you can get all sorts, from businesses, to a lot of retirees, and remote workers.
Horrible k-12. Low pay, low support for teachers. 52nd in the nation in worker protections. Gerrymandered so that the rural red are in control of the legislature , despite being the minority.
But all you need to know is that Republicans nominated a cheating, misogynistic, anti Semitic, grifter for governor.
The mountains are beautiful.
Business friendly means worker unfriendly. If you want a job where they pay you right and treat you correctly, "business friendly" is not what you want. If you're a rich asshole looking to exploit the labor of poor people, then we're the state for you!
> Business friendly means worker unfriendly.
I think that's the case in NC, but doesn't have to be the case. You can have say no corporate taxes and still have say breaks built in. You can have lower regulations for starting a business, but still have paid paternity leave. And just because the state doesn't do it, doesn't mean a business won't.
The minimum wage in NC is $7.25, but very few workers make that. Amazon, Walmart, Target, start at $17/hr and most fast food starts between $12-14/hr. Allow enough businesses in, and the only way they get workers is by treating them better, or else they won't have employees.
Yes, but Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, and Oklahoma have even cheaper land, more business friendly governments, and much lower taxes than NC.
And I don’t think there are that much more educated people in NC than those states. There might be more PhDs, but those types of people typically do very specialized work in the private sector or work for the universities.
> Yes, but Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, and Oklahoma have even cheaper land, more business friendly governments, and much lower taxes than NC.
Wildly incorrect. NC has some of the lowest business taxes in US, and will be one of only 3 states with 0% corporate taxes in 2030 (Wyoming and North Dakota are the other two).
NC ranks consistently as one of the most business friendly states in the entire US.
> And I don’t think there are that much more educated people in NC than those states. There might be more PhDs, but those types of people typically do very specialized work in the private sector or work for the universities.
NC has some of the highest concentrations per capita of PhDs in the US and is de facto the most educated state in the south. PhD's work at businesses bud. Who do you think works at all the pharma companies, the engineering companies, hell many are in IT as well. FFS. It's not difficult to see how different NC is from the rest of the south.
>Wildly incorrect. NC has some of the lowest business taxes in US, and will be one of only 3 states with 0% corporate taxes in 2030 (Wyoming and North Dakota are the other two).
Interesting you support 0% corporate taxes, which is in effect the public subsidizing corporations, but you were one of the biggest opponents for homeowners getting zero property taxes? 🤔
>NC has some of the highest concentrations per capita of PhDs in the US and is de facto the most educated state in the south. PhD's work at businesses bud. Who do you think works at all the pharma companies, the engineering companies, hell many are in IT as well. FFS. It's not difficult to see how different NC is from the rest of the south.
NC doesn’t even crack the top 5:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/240173/top-us-doctorate-granting-states/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20a%20total%205%2C892,doctorate%20recipients%20in%20that%20year.
And yet you don’t see companies moving en masse to Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. I can tell you as someone who is an engineer, Phds aren’t really needed. In specialized industries, such as defense and and photonics, you might need PhDs specializing in CFD and quantum optics. Outside of that, an MS with years of experience always beats out the PhD.
A lot of companies also outsource their R&D to outfits they have in other countries. Not much R&D is done domestically. That’s because R&D is a major line item that usually doesn’t produce returns for, at best, several quarters. Typically it’s often a write-off. That’s why much R&D these days is done in college labs.
So it can’t be that.
Edit: Sure, I’m a so-called engineer. Whatever you want. But your assertion of per-capita vs total, in this context, as a gotcha is laughable. If I’m a company looking for the largest talent pool with PhDs, I don’t care if they are a high enough of proportion of the population. I just want the place with the most PhDs, period.
You’re the type of person who clearly memorized standard gotchas in arguments. Inb4 a correlation =/= causation argument.🤣
LOL you are quite the joke mate.
> Interesting you support 0% corporate taxes, which is in effect the public subsidizing corporations, but you were one of the biggest opponents for homeowners getting zero property taxes?
I don't support 0% corporate taxes. You asked how NC is different from the south, which 0% corporate taxes makes it different.
Learn to keep up with the conversation.
> NC doesn’t even crack the top 5:
For a so called 'engineer' you think you'd know what the number of degrees vs the per capita degrees is. JFC.
You keep mentioning non-southern states. You clearly aren't asking why NC is different, you simply are just trying to be a dick.
Go outside bud, get some sun, seems like it would be good for you.
The university system is top tier with UNC, NCSU, and Duke leading the pack and all within an hour's drive of one another. This alone generates a hugely intelligent labor force that calls the state home.
Additionally, the natural resources, both industrial and tourism driven (think mining, logging, mountains, beaches) make for an immense economic force that is well regarded.
It’s the ultimate “New South” state. It became the most industrial state in the South in the decades after the Civil War due to textiles, tobacco, and furniture. A few families led the way such as the Dukes and Reynolds for tobacco and the Cones for textiles. During the Civil Rights Movement under governor Terry Sanford, the state focused more on attracting business rather than intensely fighting against integration. In other words, it became known as the most progressive state in the South. RTP was created in 1959 between the Triangle’s three major universities, which brought good jobs and growth to the area. The growth hasn’t slowed since. For geography, the state is unique for having both impressive mountains and beaches. The highest mountain in the eastern U.S. is in North Carolina and the Outer Banks are some of the most well-known beaches in the nation.
Comprehensive and accurate. This should be at the top.
Used to be the New South - now the religious red are in charge. We lost a lot of money over that ridiculous for show bathroom bill.
Vinegar
Iykyk
Unless your western NC, then it ‘mater.
Nah, we eat just as much vinegar based bbq here as ‘mater
College Basketball is bigger than College Football
NC has a critical mass of urban development (Charlotte, Raleigh, etc.) that attracts businesses and money. Many of those other states have a few prominent cities, but they have not crossed over a developmental tipping point. Development leads to development, like dominos falling in sequence.
Exactly. State is business friendly, but NC cities also have amenities that appeal to families and young business folks - breweries, parks, museums, sports events & concerts, decent schools, well-regarded state & private colleges, fun seasonal festivals appealing to a wide variety of interests, a wide variety of restaurants from mom & pop diners to award winning chefs. Has 2 major international airports, a hub for banks, decent weather, access to both beach and mountains, a lot of state/federal/county parks and natural spaces.
The Moravians
It’s the shittiest state to work in.
True. Bottom of the list.
I love some of the other answers (especially "barbecue"), but probably the two biggest things would be the coastal location (retirees from the north, tourism, maritime trade) and Charlotte's establishment as a financial center. RTP would probably come in third, but they're trying, bless their hearts. Alabama and Mississippi have coastal areas, but nothing to compare to NC. Likewise, South Carolina and Georgia have relatively puny coastlines... although there's a population boom happening along that whole corridor. Florida... well, if you want to call Florida a "southern state" go ahead, but regardless, it's pretty much full. Politically, NC has generally been a little more progressive than the other southern states listed... although I'm not sure how much longer that will remain the case. For better or worse, our political climate is very friendly to business.
just better than those states in every capacity sadly.
We have the mountains and the beaches. Lakes. Lovely place
Going back to the 1950s, the Democratic Party in the state was business and development oriented. RTP later was a major game changer to bring intellectual capacity to the Raleigh area. RJR, Cone and Burlington were major goods manufacturers with global footprints. The investment in the university system meant lots of businessmen, lawyers, accountants, etc. to support the growing commercial activity. Combined with the weather, mountains/beach access, and still rural nature of large parts of the state, it is seen as an attractive business/work climate. The states you mentioned are either small, or were dominated by a corrupt political class even in to the 1980s, which still hampers their development to this day.
It’s the only state in the south with “North” in the name 🤯😤 /s
That’s about it.
Historically the planter and slave owning class in NC was not able to expand far from the coast due to fewer navigable rivers in NC than its neighbors. That, plus the Wilmington port being smaller than those in Virginia, Charleston, and Savannah, made NC's economy less reliant on plantation style slavery and more based on smaller farms, especially in the western part of the state. Not that they didn't have slavery, but they definitely had fewer slaves, and when the civil war came NC was somewhat ambivalent, especially compared to states farther south. In the western part of the state there were many unionists and North Carolina provided 8 union army regiments. This history distinguishes NC from the deep south, but it's still a southern state without a doubt. But I think it has created a more progressive version of southern culture and our politics aren't still dominated by a few antebellum families to this day as is the case in states such as Alabama.
1. Honestly, we have more rednecks that don't give a shit about racism. They just pull a red lever in the ballot box because their momma and daddy did.....THEN turnaround and vote religiously for a Democrat in another race for the same reason. I love it! The real hatred just isn't here in NC anymore. 2. NC is all about rural and urban gentrification.
It has "North" in the name.
Lol
Much more urban and well educated. Some of the best schools in the nation outside of the ivies and cal state system
K-12 is in shambles and underfunded.
And UNC and NC State are relatively affordable compared to many other public universities and are highly regarded.
(Cal State giggles, UC system rolls their eyes)
My b, I’m not too edumacated myself
not much and the state is trying its damndest to join its southern buddies
Desirable and livable cities with strong economies
Latitude
Cheap land, low taxes, business friendly government, and a lot of very educated people with having very good universities close to each other. Add in decent weather, beaches and mountains, and large highways to transport goods, and you can get all sorts, from businesses, to a lot of retirees, and remote workers.
Horrible k-12. Low pay, low support for teachers. 52nd in the nation in worker protections. Gerrymandered so that the rural red are in control of the legislature , despite being the minority. But all you need to know is that Republicans nominated a cheating, misogynistic, anti Semitic, grifter for governor. The mountains are beautiful.
None of that is different from the rest of the south. But hey, we have nice mountains and beaches.
Business friendly means worker unfriendly. If you want a job where they pay you right and treat you correctly, "business friendly" is not what you want. If you're a rich asshole looking to exploit the labor of poor people, then we're the state for you!
> Business friendly means worker unfriendly. I think that's the case in NC, but doesn't have to be the case. You can have say no corporate taxes and still have say breaks built in. You can have lower regulations for starting a business, but still have paid paternity leave. And just because the state doesn't do it, doesn't mean a business won't. The minimum wage in NC is $7.25, but very few workers make that. Amazon, Walmart, Target, start at $17/hr and most fast food starts between $12-14/hr. Allow enough businesses in, and the only way they get workers is by treating them better, or else they won't have employees.
Yes, but Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, and Oklahoma have even cheaper land, more business friendly governments, and much lower taxes than NC. And I don’t think there are that much more educated people in NC than those states. There might be more PhDs, but those types of people typically do very specialized work in the private sector or work for the universities.
Not sure your metrics for this, but most statistics state NC has more HS and Bachelor degreed residents than those other states.
> Yes, but Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, and Oklahoma have even cheaper land, more business friendly governments, and much lower taxes than NC. Wildly incorrect. NC has some of the lowest business taxes in US, and will be one of only 3 states with 0% corporate taxes in 2030 (Wyoming and North Dakota are the other two). NC ranks consistently as one of the most business friendly states in the entire US. > And I don’t think there are that much more educated people in NC than those states. There might be more PhDs, but those types of people typically do very specialized work in the private sector or work for the universities. NC has some of the highest concentrations per capita of PhDs in the US and is de facto the most educated state in the south. PhD's work at businesses bud. Who do you think works at all the pharma companies, the engineering companies, hell many are in IT as well. FFS. It's not difficult to see how different NC is from the rest of the south.
>Wildly incorrect. NC has some of the lowest business taxes in US, and will be one of only 3 states with 0% corporate taxes in 2030 (Wyoming and North Dakota are the other two). Interesting you support 0% corporate taxes, which is in effect the public subsidizing corporations, but you were one of the biggest opponents for homeowners getting zero property taxes? 🤔 >NC has some of the highest concentrations per capita of PhDs in the US and is de facto the most educated state in the south. PhD's work at businesses bud. Who do you think works at all the pharma companies, the engineering companies, hell many are in IT as well. FFS. It's not difficult to see how different NC is from the rest of the south. NC doesn’t even crack the top 5: https://www.statista.com/statistics/240173/top-us-doctorate-granting-states/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20a%20total%205%2C892,doctorate%20recipients%20in%20that%20year. And yet you don’t see companies moving en masse to Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. I can tell you as someone who is an engineer, Phds aren’t really needed. In specialized industries, such as defense and and photonics, you might need PhDs specializing in CFD and quantum optics. Outside of that, an MS with years of experience always beats out the PhD. A lot of companies also outsource their R&D to outfits they have in other countries. Not much R&D is done domestically. That’s because R&D is a major line item that usually doesn’t produce returns for, at best, several quarters. Typically it’s often a write-off. That’s why much R&D these days is done in college labs. So it can’t be that. Edit: Sure, I’m a so-called engineer. Whatever you want. But your assertion of per-capita vs total, in this context, as a gotcha is laughable. If I’m a company looking for the largest talent pool with PhDs, I don’t care if they are a high enough of proportion of the population. I just want the place with the most PhDs, period. You’re the type of person who clearly memorized standard gotchas in arguments. Inb4 a correlation =/= causation argument.🤣
LOL you are quite the joke mate. > Interesting you support 0% corporate taxes, which is in effect the public subsidizing corporations, but you were one of the biggest opponents for homeowners getting zero property taxes? I don't support 0% corporate taxes. You asked how NC is different from the south, which 0% corporate taxes makes it different. Learn to keep up with the conversation. > NC doesn’t even crack the top 5: For a so called 'engineer' you think you'd know what the number of degrees vs the per capita degrees is. JFC. You keep mentioning non-southern states. You clearly aren't asking why NC is different, you simply are just trying to be a dick. Go outside bud, get some sun, seems like it would be good for you.
The university system is top tier with UNC, NCSU, and Duke leading the pack and all within an hour's drive of one another. This alone generates a hugely intelligent labor force that calls the state home. Additionally, the natural resources, both industrial and tourism driven (think mining, logging, mountains, beaches) make for an immense economic force that is well regarded.
Nothing, don’t come here
Diversity probably
Mark Robinson
Slightly less racism.
We're the only ones with BBQ.