Area Accolades

The Triangle area has received praise and recognition from many sources
over the years. I've listed just a few samples from the last several years.
You can click on a year below to view examples.

2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008 

2008 Rankings:

Named Best Large City for Business (Raleigh-Cary)
NewGeography.com, December 2008

Named #10 Quirkiest New Year's Eve Drop (Raleigh's acorn)
TripAdvisor, December 2008

Named #2 Metro Entering Slow Period With Most Positive Momentum (Raleigh, NC)
Bizjournals, November 2008

Named #2 Metro Entering Slow Period With Most Positive Momentum (Raleigh, NC
Bizjournals, November 2008

Named #1 Lowest Metro Crime Ranking in North Carolina (Raleigh-Cary)
CQ Press, November 2008

Named #15 Lowest City Crime Ranking in United States (Cary)
CQ Press, November 2008

Named #1 Most Political City (Raleigh, NC)
Men’s Health, October 2008

Named #2 Best Performing City (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
The Milken Institute, September 2008

Named #2 Best City to Live, Work and Play (Raleigh, NC)
Kiplinger’s, July 2008

Named #2 State with the Best Business Climate (North Carolina)
Development Counsellors International, July 2008

Named #4 Best State for Business (North Carolina)
Forbes.com, July 2008

Named #10 U.S. City with the Largest Numerical Increase (Raleigh, NC)
U.S. Census Bureau, July 2008

Named #1 Best Place to Live in the U.S. (Raleigh, NC)
msnbc.com, June 2008

Named #1 Pro-Business State (North Carolina)
Pollina.com, June 2008

Named #8 Best City for Recent College Grads (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Forbes.com, June 2008

Named #12 Highest Concentration of Tech Workers (Raleigh, NC)
AeA’s Cybercities 2008, June 2008

Named #5 Best Medium-Sized City for Families with Children (Raleigh, NC)
Who’s Your City?, May 2008

Named #1 Best Place for Young Adults (Raleigh, NC)
Bizjournals, May 2008

Named Top 15 Place for Cultured Retirement (Raleigh, NC)
Smithsonian.com, April 2008

Named #5 Recession-Proof City (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes.com, April 2008

Named #1 Best Place for Business and Careers (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes.com, March 2008

Named #3 Most Romantic City for Baby Boomers (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC)
Sperling’s BestPlaces, March 2008

Named #6 Medium-Sized Metro (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Site Selection, March 2008

Named #2 Best City for Bargain House-Hunters (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes.com, February 2008

Named The Best American City for Singles (Raleigh, NC)
Every Day with Rachael Ray, January 2008

Named #9 Best City for Jobs (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes.com, January 2008

Named Top Five Strongest Real Estate Market (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Veros.com, January 2008

Named #3 Most Wired City (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes.com, January 2008

Named #1 Healthiest City for Men (Raleigh, NC)
Men’s Health, January 2008

2007 Rankings:

Named in the Top 5 City for Young Singles (Raleigh, NC)
Listed in the Top 25 Cities for Every Stage of Your Life List
Kiplingers Finance, May 2007

Named in the Top 10 – Best Place to Find A Mate
Men's Health, April 2007

Named in the Top 10 Tech Towns
Wired, January 2007

Named #7 Top Appreciating Metro Area (Raleigh, NC)
Money, December 2007

Named #1 Seller’s Market-Residential (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes.com, June 2007

Named #3 Best City for Relocating Families (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Worldwide ERC and Primacy Relocation, 2007 Report

Named #8 County for Business Recruitment and Attraction (Wake County)
Expansion Management, May/June 2007

Named #10 Large Metro for Business Recruitment & Attraction (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC)
Expansion Management, May/June 2007

Named #3 America’s Best Jobs in the Hottest Cities (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Business 2.0, May 2007

Named #7 Business Boomtown (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Inc., May 2007

Named #4 Hottest Job Market for Young Adults (Raleigh, NC)
Bizjournals, April 2007

Named #1 Best Place for Business and Careers (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes, April 2007

Named #3 Metro for College Educated Workers (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Expansion Management, April 2007

Named #8 Fastest Growing Metro in the Nation (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
U.S. Census Bureau, April 2007

2006 Rankings:

Named #1 Area for Tech Business (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Silicon Valley Leadership Group, September 2006

Named #3 Best City for Entrepreneurs (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC)
Entrepreneur.com, August 2006

Named #3 Most Educated City (Raleigh, NC)
American Community Survey, US Census Bureau, 2004 (Released January 2006)

Named #3 Top Metro Overall (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Expansion Management Mayor's Challenge, August 2006

Named #6 Best City for Singles (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Forbes.com, July 2006

Named 5-Star Quality of Life Metro (Raleigh, NC)
Expansion Management "Quality of Life Quotient," May/June 2006

Named #2 Best Place for Business & Careers (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes, May 2006

Named Top 10 Projected Home Appreciation Market (Raleigh, NC)
MSN.com, April 2006

Named #6 Brainiest Mid-sized Metro (Raleigh, NC)
Bizjournal, June 2006

Named #10 Best Walking City (Raleigh, NC)
Prevention, March 2006

Named #3 Best US City for Bargains (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Hotwire Travel Value Index, January 2006

2005 Rankings:

Named #7 Richest City (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes, November 2005

Named #5 Best Inner City for Small Businesses (Raleigh, NC)
Small Business Administration, November 2005

Named #1 Area for Tech Business (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Silicon Valley Leadership Group, September 2005

Listed in the Top "Seven Cool Cities" for Young Professionals (Raleigh, NC)
Kiplinger's Personal Finance, October 2005

Named #3 Hottest City for Entrepreneurs (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Expansion Management, August 2005

Named #4 Best City for Singles (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Forbes, July 2005

Named #2 Best Public Education System (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Expansion Management, April 2005

Top 20 Business Opportunity Metro (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Expansion Management, July 2005

Named #2 Best Place for Business and Careers, (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Forbes, May 2005

2004 Rankings:

Named #2 Best Place for Business (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Forbes, May 2004

Named #4 Best City for Entrepreneurs and Small Business
Gold Guide, May 2004

Named #1 City with the Happiest Workers (Raleigh, NC)
Hudson Employment Index, March 2004

Named #4 City That Rocks (Raleigh, NC)
Esquire, April 2004

Named #3 Best Education In The Biggest Cities (Wake County Schools)
Forbes, February 2004

Named #1 Hottest Job Market (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC)
Business 2.0, March 2004

Hottest Town in the East (Cary, NC)
Money magazine, January 2004

Named #6 Most Fun City
Cranium, January 2004

2003 Rankings:

Named #1 Best Place to Live (Raleigh, NC)
MSN House & Home, July 2003

Named #1 Best Place to Live & Work (Raleigh, NC)
Employment Review, June 2003

Named #3 Best Place to Reinvent Your Life (Raleigh, NC)
AARP magazine, May/June 2003

Named #1 Best City for Education (Raleigh, NC)
Places Rated Almanac, Millennium Edition

Named #1 Fastest Growing Local Online Population (Raleigh, NC)
Nielson/Netratings Report, February 2003

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