State Resources


North Carolina Business Resources

North Carolina lies on the Atlantic Coast, south of Virginia and north of South Carolina. Historically, it is known for its growth of tobacco as a cash crop and continues to be the nation’s leading producer of tobacco. The early twentieth century saw a proliferation of textile manufacturing in North Carolina as farmers left the fields and went to work in factories. Recently the state has been particularly hard-hit by low cost textiles from Asia, though the industry still plays a vital role in the state economy. Apart from textiles, North Carolina is still a leader in other manufacturing industries. It is the second largest industrial state in the South with chemicals, computers, and machinery comprising the top industries. North Carolina is also host to one of the nation’s oldest and largest science parks. The Research Triangle Park (RTP) is a 7,000 acre development that is currently home to 157 companies.

Business Data

Per Capita Real GDP$36,489 Rank: 20/50 (2006)
Population8,049,310 Rank: 11/50 (2000)
Per Capita Personal Income$32,234 Rank: 36/50 (2006)
Unemployment Rate4.90% Rank: 32/50 (2008)
Business Tax Climate IndexRank: 40/50 (2008)
Corporate Tax Rate6.9%
Individual Tax Rate 6% - 7.5%
Sales Tax Rate 4.25%

Business Tax Climate Index

Individual Income Tax Index Rank44
Sales Tax Index Rank39
Unemployment Insurance Tax Index Rank6
Property Tax Index Rank34
Business Tax Climate Index40
Corporate Tax Index Rank25

State Information

AbbreviationNC
CapitalRaleigh
Nick NameTar Heel State
State Web Site http://www.northcarolina.gov
MottoTo be rather than to seem

Top 5 Export Partner Countries

Canada, Mexico, Japan, China, United Kingdom

Top 5 Export Merchandise

Textile Mills Chemicals Sales Computers and Electronic Products Manufacturing Chemicals Manufacturing Machinery Manufacturing

Major Cities

Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh

GDP

Total Gross Domestic Product (USD Millions) $399,446.00 (2007)
Per Capita Real GDP (USD)$37,053.00 Rank: 22 (2007)

Population Stats

Population 9,222,414 Rank: 10 (2008)

Age Distribution

Under 18 Population1,964,050
Under 18 Percent of Total Population24%
65 and older Population969,048
65 and older Percent of Total Population12%

Gender Distribution

Male Population49%
Female Population51%
Non-English Speaker (at home)486,054
Net International Immigration158,224
Birth Rate14%
Percent of People Under Poverty Level15.1%
Rank12

Expenditure

Per Capita State Spending$3,602
Rank31
Energy Expenditures per Person$3,424
Expenditures of State and Local Government Employee-Retirement Systems$3,016,153

Revenue

Personal Income$39,060
Rank36
State Internal Revenue Collection$75,903,684
Rank13
Cash and Deposits by State Government$17,866
Per Capita State Tax Collection$2,348
Rank30

Education

High School Graduation Rate65.2%
Rank39
Percent of Population with a Bachelor's Degree16.8%
Rank25
Percent of Population with an Advanced Degree8.3%
Rank31

Largest Universities

North Carolina State University, Raleigh University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill East Carolina University
High School Graduation Rate65.2%

Logistics

Public Road Length (Mile)103,500
Gas Tax Rate (%)30.15%
Highway Planning and Construction (USD Thousands)938,729
Number of Public Airports112

Main Airports

CLT: Charlotte GSO: Greensboro RDU: Raleigh/Durham

Ports

Morehead City Wilmington

Weather


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State Business Links

Secretary of State

North Carolina Secretary of State
http://www.secretary.state.nc.us
The Corporations Division is responsible for the examination, custody and maintenance of the legal documents filed by more than 400,000 corporations, limited partnerships and limited liability companies. The duty of the Secretary of State is to ensure uniform compliance with the statutes governing the creation of these entities, record the information required to be kept as a public record, and provide that information to the public. The Corporations Division acts in an administrative capacity only and cannot give legal advice.

Small Business Administration

North Carolina Small Business Administration
http://www.sba.gov/localresources/district/nc/index.html
The District Office is responsible for the delivery of SBA's many programs and services to all 100 counties in North Carolina. Office hours are from 8:00AM until 4:30PM, Monday through Friday.

Top 10 Business Links

Business North Carolina
http://www.businessnc.com/
Business North Carolina provides news articles related specifically to North Carolina. Articles in a large range of industries are available along with archives of previous issues.
Department of Revenue Information for Businesses
http://www.dor.state.nc.us/business/
From this site, businesspersons can find relevant tax information, tax law changes, answers to commonly asked questions, and tax-related reports and statistics.
Employment Security Commission of North Carolina
http://www.ncesc.com/splash.asp
The NCESC provides information for employers pertaining to hiring, labor laws,labor markets, workforce statistics, industry information, and occupational information.
North Carolina Chamber
http://www.ncchamber.net/mx/hm.asp?id=home
This site provides a number of useful business publications, such as a state of business report, business advocate articles, or survey data. Users can also find business laws from the last few years and some news updates.
North Carolina Department of Commerce: Business Services
http://www.nccommerce.com/en/BusinessServices/
This site contains information on starting, supporting, and locating your business. It also provides information on developing your business through international trade and has a number of services to assist entrepreneurs. Free consultation is offered in a variety of categories, such as, funding and incentives or international trade and investment opportunities.
North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, Inc.
http://www.ncruralcenter.org/
The NC Rural Center aims to help rural North Carolinians develop and execute solid economic strategies. This site also provides information on rural policy initiatives, capacity building programs,and a number of research and informational tools.
Small Business and Technology Development Center
http://www.sbtdc.org/
The North Carolina SBTDC aims to help small businesses develop. This site offers business/management counseling and management education. It also contains a number of special market development services including business research, government procurement, export financial services, boating industry, and technology commercialization. Numerous informative publications, like an industry's analysis, are also available.
U.S. Export Assistance Center of North Carolina
http://www.buyusa.gov/northcarolina/
The North Carolina branch of the Department of Commerce specializes in helping small to medium sized companies develop and execute exporting strategies. Fees vary and are based on the service being provided. Additional information, such as free trade agreements, featured trade missions, or the NC export team newsletter, are available for free.