GDP / Output
+5.7% YoY
79
$21.3B
Output changed +5.7% in 2024.
Vintage date unknown
State growth6.2%
U.S. growth5.3%
Jobs
Unemployment rate
74
3.2%
Unemployment is 3.2% for April 2026.
Vintage date unknown
State avg3.7%
U.S. avg4.3%
Population
+5.7% 5-year
84
274,360
Population moved +5.7% over the latest ACS window.
Vintage date unknown
State population10,730,404
U.S. population334,922,499
Housing
Rent share of income
69
22.0%
Median rent consumes 22.0% of median household income: Affordable.
Vintage date unknown
State rent$1.2K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.
Federal Funds
$13.4K per resident
100
$3.6B
$3.6B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.
Vintage date unknown
State total$129.4B
U.S. total$5.3T
Population and output
Trend Snapshot
Reported share
Industry Breakdown
FY2025
Federal Money
Federal obligations
$3.6B
$13.4K per resident in reported federal flow.
Top agencies
Dollars1. Social Security Administration$1.6B
2. Department of Defense$996.5M
3. Department of Housing and Urban Development$296.7M
Top recipients
Dollars1. ASHBRITT INC$821.4M
2. ASHEVILLE, CITY OF$232.6M
3. TRANSPORTATION NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT$82.4M
Affordable
Housing Affordability
22.0%
of median income
1BR estimate$1,117
2BR estimate$1,471
Median income$74,436
Median home value$391,800
ACS context
Quick Facts
Population
274,360
Median age
42.6
Bachelor's degree+
45.9%
Poverty rate
11.8%
Labor force participation
59.1%
Prime rate
6.8%
CPI YoY
+3.9%
U.S. GDP YoY
+5.9%
Sources and warnings
Data Provenance
Census ACS 5-year
2024
BLS LAUS / CPS
April 2026
BEA regional CAGDP1
2024
USAspending
FY2025
FRED
2026-06-10
HUD Fair Market Rent
Latest available
Data notes
- HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.
5-year compound growth
Historical Trends
Population CAGR
+1.1%
GDP CAGR
+7.5%
Federal flow
5 years
Population (5 years)
2020259,576
2021266,981
2022269,449
2023271,790
2024274,360
GDP (5 years)
2020$14.8B
2021$16.6B
2022$18.3B
2023$20.1B
2024$21.3B
2-year linear forecast
Predictive Outlook
Population forecast
2024274,360
2025278,744 *
2026282,182 *
R² = 92.3% · * projected
GDP forecast
2024$21.3B
2025$23.1B *
2026$24.8B *
R² = 99.5% · * projected
Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.
housing affordability breakdown
Cost of Living
Median household income$74,436/yr
Median rent$1,362/mo
Rent share of income22.0%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$23,774/yr
Mortgage share of income31.9%
Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.
employment snapshot
Job Market
Unemployment rate3.2%
State avg3.7%
U.S. avg4.3%
Labor force participation59.1%
Poverty rate11.8%
Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. April 2026.
valuation snapshot
Real Estate
Median home value$391,800
Median monthly rent$1,362
Price-to-rent ratio24.0x
High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.
composite score
Investment Climate
Investment climateStrong
Composite score79/100
Economic growth79/100
Labor market74/100
Population momentum84/100
Overall stability78/100
Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.