News & Media

Iredell County, A NC County Where Wealth Has Ballooned

By David Purtell – Digital Editor, Triangle Business Journal

Over the past decade, North Carolina has raced to the top of the list among states where people from across the country, and world, want to live and do business. The trend was accelerated in recent years by the rapid adoption of remote work.

The result has been incredible gains in wealth in some of the state’s most populous areas. Meanwhile, new hotbeds for growth have emerged on the coast and in rural pockets across the state.

An analysis by The Business Journals of data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Internal Revenue Service shows that more than a dozen counties in the state each saw a net gain of more than $100 million in adjusted gross income between 2021 and 2022 when comparing in- and out-migration patterns.

Large and small counties, such as Wake County in the Triangle and Lincoln County in the Charlotte region, are included in the group. Meanwhile, coastal counties such as Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender saw significant gains as well.

On the other hand, Mecklenburg County — the second-largest county in the state behind Wake — saw a net loss of $38.8 million in adjusted gross income from 2021 to 2022. It was among 13 counties statewide that posted a net loss in income from migration.

View the full list as well as where Iredell County ranks here.