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the south is the fastest growing region in the country, by a good margin. Tennessee outperformed the national average for GDP growth by 25% last year. Whats actually happening is people are leaving high tax, high cost of living, bankrupt older industrial areas in the northeast and upper midwest and coming to lower taxed, suburban and sprawling urban neighborhoods in the south and west.
That's what a lot of recent transplants from the NE like to believe. That they are the "trend-setters"....but that's an oversimplification of the population patterns in NC.
There are A TON of folks from rural NC who move to the Triangle and Charlotte metros in droves. Many if not most are college-educated and came to the more prosperous areas of the state for college and then stayed for careers. I would say this is the majority of people I know who are my age in the Triangle who did not grow up here. I have a lot of friends form places like Hickory, Wilson, Clinton, Salisbury....declining post-textile or post-tobacco towns in NC who attended UNC or NC State and then started their adult lives here in the Triangle. Marrying, breeding, and adding to that population increase even more!
High-tax/cold-weather "refugees" (as many apparently see themselves) are a more vocal set of transplants to the NC metro areas...but they aren't the majority of them.
It's simple; relocate or go broke. If Ohio, NY, NJ, Cali, etc transplants can make the move by the thousands for NC jobs; why can't our rural NC residents relocate 1.5 hrs " down the road".
Because they hate the freaking cities! The dirtier air, the congestion, the crazy drivers, on, and on. And everything else that large cities bring with them. They enjoy the quality of life that they find in the country. I can't say that I blame them. Peace, and quiet are just two of the qualities to be found there.
That's what a lot of recent transplants from the NE like to believe. That they are the "trend-setters"....but that's an oversimplification of the population patterns in NC.
There are A TON of folks from rural NC who move to the Triangle and Charlotte metros in droves. Many if not most are college-educated and came to the more prosperous areas of the state for college and then stayed for careers. I would say this is the majority of people I know who are my age in the Triangle who did not grow up here. I have a lot of friends form places like Hickory, Wilson, Clinton, Salisbury....declining post-textile or post-tobacco towns in NC who attended UNC or NC State and then started their adult lives here in the Triangle. Marrying, breeding, and adding to that population increase even more!
High-tax/cold-weather "refugees" (as many apparently see themselves) are a more vocal set of transplants to the NC metro areas...but they aren't the majority of them.
Very true statement, much of our growth can be attributed to folks from other parts of the state. Most of the people leaving these declining counties arent heading out of state but rather moving to our larger cities. Thats whats currently driving a lot of Greenvilles growth, even here in Zebulon many folks from extremely small towns such as Maysville NC or Swanquarter even. Lots of Hyde county folks out here.
Because they hate the freaking cities! The dirtier air, the congestion, the crazy drivers, on, and on. And everything else that large cities bring with them. They enjoy the quality of life that they find in the country. I can't say that I blame them. Peace, and quiet are just two of the qualities to be found there.
IMO driving here are pretty frustrating, because people here don't generally want to get anywhere.
People like to complain about the taxes, but an often ignored item is that northern cities usually have constraining geographic features that have driven up the prices. Philly and Chicago aren't that bad for prices, but they weren't constrained. Likewise NYC, and Miami are in 2 way different states, but geographic features have constrained the metro.
US center of population has been moving west forever, and it's been on a southern direction since 1920. It's not simply low tax.
Because they hate the freaking cities! The dirtier air, the congestion, the crazy drivers, on, and on. And everything else that large cities bring with them. They enjoy the quality of life that they find in the country. I can't say that I blame them. Peace, and quiet are just two of the qualities to be found there.
That is perfectly understandable and is totally their right to do, but then don't complain that good jobs can't be had in these areas. Employers offering "good" jobs don't relocate to areas where they can't get the most qualified workers to perform those good jobs. It's very simple. If you want to live in rural areas you'll need to have a more self-sufficient way of supporting you and your family. Either that or live on government cheese like most do. Not a very glorious or productive way to live life, but I understand for some it's the only option they have.
That is perfectly understandable and is totally their right to do, but then don't complain that good jobs can't be had in these areas. Employers offering "good" jobs don't relocate to areas where they can't get the most qualified workers to perform those good jobs. It's very simple. If you want to live in rural areas you'll need to have a more self-sufficient way of supporting you and your family. Either that or live on government cheese like most do. Not a very glorious or productive way to live life, but I understand for some it's the only option they have.
Sadly this is true. The same thing is happening to small town America in other states too. Leaving small towns for larger population centers . Western Kansas has some very cute little towns with reasonably priced houses. And there are jobs if you need to work. And a number of years ago I read an online article about an area in rural Nebraska on how some of the little towns are dying, and returning to the "wild" with hardly anyone left to care for them. I'm sure this phenomenon is not just confined to those places.
But there are people of all ages that prefer a more peaceful lifestyle in some of those small towns, and are actively looking for such. Maybe not in droves, but it's still a reality since I see it in threads on CD.
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. Western Kansas has some very cute little towns with reasonably priced houses. And there are jobs if you need to work. And a number of years ago I read an online article about an area in rural Nebraska on how some of the little towns are dying, and returning to the "wild" with hardly anyone left to care for them. I'm sure this phenomenon is not just confined to those places. 
