With a population of 884,891, Raleigh, NC is the second fastest growing city in the United States. According the the Census Bureau, The City of Oaks grew 63.4% from 2000 to 2010.  It falls behind onto to its sister city, Charlotte which grew 64.6% in the same time period.

Once heavily dependent on Tobacco, the city’s economic stability is now relying more on the many tech firms that call Raleigh home. These companies include Red Hat, the open source software company, and Etix, a web-based ticketing company for sports, entertainment and travel.

There are plenty of prestigious universities in the area that companies can choose recruits from also such as Duke University in Durham, UNC-CH in Chapel Hill and NC State in Raleigh. Even after graduation, many students stay in the area while many parents choose to retire here after getting a chance to see the area.