GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – It’s no secret that North Carolina is growing. With the mild weather, the job market, and the cost of living; many people, specifically Gen-Z, are attracted to the area with the state’s population booming in the last decade. That’s according to a U.S. Census Bureau analysis.
Not only is North Carolina a hot spot for Gen-Z but Rent Cafe reports that Greenville is the trendiest city for Gen-Z renters in the U.S.
Greenville offers unique restaurants, breweries, shopping, and nightlife all within walking distance of each other.
Jake Siegel, a former Greenville resident says, “I enjoy it as a young person. I think it’s fun to get out, especially around this area downtown. It’s great to get out and enjoy the nightlife and if you don’t enjoy the busy and craziness of the downtown area, there’s a lot of other great places you can go.”
Greenville has emerged as a thriving economic, educational, medical, and central hub of Eastern Carolina according to Rent Cafe.
“Growing up, I think Greenville was a lot different and I know that it’s changed a lot, grown up a lot, and I know there’s been a lot of improvements, particularly to the downtown area,” Siegel told WITN.
Residents aren’t the only people seeing the growth and attraction.
Ryan Griffin, Nash Hot Chicken Owner says, “The other location is on the other side of town. It’s on East 10th Street. The Porter Town area. We needed another outlet to get more chicken to more people.
Siegel and Griffin say they hope this is just the beginning for the area.
“It’s gone through some rough patches but I think there’s some really good momentum that the Gen-Z or younger generation will come here and it won’t be just a pass-through town, which is what I saw a lot of in college but I hope people come here and think it’s a cool spot and want to stick around,” Griffin told WITN.
Siegel also says, “Most likely bring some added revenue to the area, especially with an increased amount of people moving here, there’s going to be a lot of local businesses and I think that’s great for Greenville and Pitt County as a whole.”
The two locations ahead of North Carolina are Connecticut, which claimed the top spot, as well as Washington, D.C. — and are also well known for their universities and proximity to big job markets according to the U.S Census Bureau.