April 21, 2017 | A view of downtown Raleigh from Dorthea Dix Park
After decades of depending on rural areas, North Carolina's economy has been transformed by the growth of its cities. Fueled by a growing tech sector and an influx of highly-educated workers, Raleigh's population and square mileage has nearly tripled since 1980.
(Brett Ziegler for USN&WR)
April 21, 2017 | A couple walks in Brightleaf Square in Durham
A half-hour west of Raleigh, Durham's growth has also outpaced the state as a whole.
(Brett Ziegler for USN&WR)
April 21, 2017 | A house is seen through a construction fence in downtown Raleigh
(Brett Ziegler for USN&WR)
April 21, 2017 | Inside Google Fiber headquarters in Raleigh
Google recently chose Raleigh for one of its coveted Google Fiber hubs, which promises Internet service 100 times faster than most broadband speeds.
(Brett Ziegler for USN&WR)
April 21, 2017 | Downtown Raleigh
(Brett Ziegler for USN&WR)
April 21, 2017 | The North Carolina state capitol in Raleigh
North Carolina's growth can be seen in the state's politics. The conservative state government in Raleigh, whose constituents largely live in rural areas, is often at odds with the progressives of the state's fast-growing urban areas.
(Brett Ziegler for USN&WR)
April 21, 2017 | The Cargill Plant is seen behind the King’s Motel in Raleigh
The agricultural giant Cargill idled this Raleigh soybean processing plant in 2014. Though farming still constitutes a significant part of North Carolina's economy, most of the state's small farmers have been squeezed out by industrial-scale farms and global competition.
(Brett Ziegler for USN&WR)
April 21, 2017 | A musician plays outside the Raleigh courthouse
(Brett Ziegler for USN&WR)
April 21, 2017 | A woman walks in downtown Raleigh
(Brett Ziegler for USN&WR)
April 21, 2017 | The American Tabacco Campus in Durham
The former headquarters of American Tobacco Company – the largest tobacco company in the word for parts of the 20th century – is now a business district in Durham's downtown. The state's iconic tobacco industry has largely disappeared due to declining smoking rates and the end of federal tobacco subsidies. No cigarettes are produced in Durham anymore.
(Brett Ziegler for USN&WR)
April 21, 2017 | The downtown Raleigh skyline
More than $3 billion have been invested in Raleigh's downtown in the past decade. This construction boom brought a bevy of luxury apartments and office space, a growing public transit system, and a transformed skyline.
(Brett Ziegler for USN&WR)
April 21, 2017 | Nightlife in Durham
Fifteen new bars and restaurants opened in Durham's downtown last year.
(Brett Ziegler for USN&WR)
April 21, 2017 | A food truck outside of Bull City Ciderworks in Durham
(Brett Ziegler for USN&WR)
