Charlotte Falls to 24th Place in Best-Performing Cities List as Raleigh Takes Top Spot
In an unexpected shift, Charlotte tumbled to No. 24 in the 2025 Milken Institute’s Best-Performing Cities ranking. At the same time, Raleigh grabbed the number one spot for the first time since 2015. The report looked at 403 metro areas using 13 key metrics. These covered everything from job numbers to tech growth and economic outlook. This represents Charlotte’s lowest ranking since 2022, falling from No. 10 in the previous year. Housing prices hit the region especially hard, with affordability dropping to No. 87. Job numbers also took a hit: Short-term employment fell 95 spots to No. 107, while wage growth slipped 55 spots to No. 72.
“We are not the place where things happen to us, we are the place where people make things happen. We are the embodiment of resourcefulness, resilience, and reinvention,” said Mayor Dan Clodfelter to LawnStarter.
Other Carolina cities performed better than Charlotte. Charleston and Myrtle Beach landed at No. 11 and No. 12. Both Wilmington and Durham-Chapel Hill also ranked higher. Among smaller cities, Jacksonville reached No. 8. Fayetteville jumped up 82 spots, showing how smaller markets are thriving after COVID.
But there’s some good news. Yearly job growth moved up 19 spots to No. 48. The region is expected to reach 2.8 million residents by 2025, an 18% increase from 2014. The state’s economic outlook remains mixed. North Carolina expects 2.3% GDP growth in 2025. Info and tech sectors could grow by 5.1%, mining by 3.4%, and construction by 3.0%.
Income gaps continue to challenge the metro area. Ranking No. 148 on the Gini Index, wealth inequality remains a significant issue.
