From business and bourbon to mental health and median income to just plain ole random facts that’ll keep you looking smart at the bar and in the boardroom, Raleigh and NC are trending in all sectors.

• 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness
• 2^nd Fastest-growing large metro in the U.S.
• 5^th  Least expensive state to start a business
• No. 4 Most affordable large U.S. city 
• $6+ mill Dreamville’s direct economic impact on the City of Raleigh
• 4^th Most hackable state, with findings showing about a third of NCers use default password for both accessing router and Wi-Fi
• No. 8 Rank among U.S. cities for youngest-looking based on seven factors—from binge drinking to obesity to stress to physical fitness 
• 3^rd Best place to live in the U.S
• 20+ million Italian and Japanese cuisines ranked most popular worldwide—racking up 20+ million tags each on Instagram—with pizza and BBQ bringing home the bacon for top trending meals.
• 53 Number of extra hours Raleigh commuters spend in rush hour traffic each year
• No. 1 Median household income ($72,996), adjusted for cost of living, among state capitals in 2023
• No. 4 U.S. city for work/life balance and mental health—the highest-ranking of the five largest NC cities
• Best Unemployment rate among state capitals in 2023
• 70%+ New U.S. grads are craving in-person connection post-Zoom-U and prefer a hybrid work arrangement. They’re also reportedly not “chasing big-name companies” in lieu of stability.
• 16 Developments under construction in DTR, with more residential units under construction or recently completed than any time in its history, serving up 2,032 residential units, 408 hotel rooms, 144,410 sq. ft. of office space and 206,542 sq. ft. of retail upon completion 
• No. 10 Raleigh’s rank for large U.S. cities among grads looking to put down roots, while Durham and Cary ranked 3rd and 7th among midsize cities, respectively 
• 18^th  Most sought-after renting city in April 2023—and 2nd in the state
• 69% Historic shift: America’s millennials rep the largest homeowner generation. But Raleigh bucks the national trend, despite a 73% rise in millennial ownership locally in the last five years. Why? Thanks to big siblings Gen X (aka the forgotten generation)—who is the largest generation of homeowners in Raleigh, with a 48% jump over the same timeframe, and a 69% increase in ownership.

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