Population: 1,001,313
Income Growth: 5.7%
Cost of Living Index: 100
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Median Household Income: $57,974
Percentage of Workforce in Creative Class: 36%
Raleigh couldn't escape two big economic hits over the past year. For one, the state of North Carolina has had a bad run, losing thousands of jobs in two particularly vulnerable sectors in this recession: manufacturing and financial services. And construction was also a major force during the boom years. The bursting of the real estate bubble has killed off that sector.
Nevertheless, Raleigh still has an enviable economic base, built on three universities and Research Triangle Park, where employers in everything from biotech to computers still thrive.
Although Raleigh's unemployment rate has doubled in the past year, to 8.6%, it's still much lower than the 10.8% rate for the state as a whole. And people continue to move here, recognizing -- as we do -- that the Raleigh area will boom again.
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How to Find Foreclosed Homes: Best Foreclosure Listings SitesMaking Your Money Last Find foreclosed homes for sale on these foreclosure listing websites. Search for properties on these free, paid or government sites.
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How to Figure Out How Much Life Insurance You Needinsurance Instead of relying on rules of thumb, you’re better off taking a systematic approach to figuring your life insurance needs.
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Amazon Big Deal Days Is Coming! We’ve Got All the DetailsAmazon Prime To kick off the holiday season with a bang, Amazon Big Deal Days runs Tuesday, October 8 and Wednesday, October 9.
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How to Shop for Life Insurance in 3 Easy Stepsinsurance Shopping for life insurance? You may be able to estimate how much you need online, but that's just the start of your search.
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