Greensboro’s Economy in 2026: Who’s Hiring, What’s Being Built & Why People Keep Moving Here
Notes from this week’s economic development update, and what they mean if you’re thinking about calling Greensboro home.
When people ask me why so many families are moving to Greensboro right now, I usually talk about the parks, the food and the easy pace of life. But this week I sat in on an economic development update from Brent Christensen, President and CEO of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, and it filled in the rest of the story: the companies, the jobs and the everyday perks that make this area stand out next to bigger cities.
Here’s what stood out to me.
More than 100 people move here every day
According to the presentation, more than 100 people move to the area daily. Most come from up and down the East Coast, with others arriving from as far away as California, Seattle and Miami. PODS Moving & Storage named Greensboro one of the top 20 U.S. cities for move-ins in 2023, and U.S. News ranked the area #23 on its Best Places to Live list for 2024-2025.
As someone who moved here in 2022 without ever having heard of Greensboro, I’m not surprised. This is one of those places people discover and then can’t stop telling their friends about.
Who’s building here: the recent announcements
The list of companies that have recently announced plans in the area covers a lot more than one industry.
Aerospace and aviation
- HondaJet: Business jets, built right here at PTI.
- JetZero: A blended-wing aircraft designed to burn about 50% less fuel. Its demonstrator plane is being built in California’s Mojave Desert, funded by the U.S. Air Force.
- Boom Supersonic: Supersonic passenger jets, with a facility at PTI.
Automotive and batteries
- Toyota: The battery plant in nearby Liberty has a little over 3,000 employees today, with a goal of 5,000 by about 2034. It supplies batteries for hybrids and for other companies, not just electric vehicles.
Technology and data
- Lenovo: Computer manufacturing in southeast Guilford County, including servers for data centers.
- Lumentum: Optical and photonic technology.
- EAS Companies: HVAC systems manufacturing, including cooling systems for data centers.
Life sciences
- Gilero, a Sanner Group company: Life sciences manufacturing.
Manufacturing and distribution
- Swamp Rider: Amphibious all-terrain and utility vehicles.
- Cascade Die Casting Group: Metalworking.
- Ahold Delhaize USA / Food Lion: A food distribution center.
The big names already here
The region is also home to operations for a long list of Fortune 100 companies, including Amazon, Bank of America, FedEx, UPS, UnitedHealthcare, Lowe’s, The Home Depot, AT&T, Publix, Procter & Gamble, American Express, Performance Food Group, Cardinal Health, The Coca-Cola Company and General Dynamics.
One fun fact: American Express has quietly run a data center in southeast Guilford County for about 15 years. Most people never know it’s there.
A manufacturing powerhouse in a top state for business
About 96,000 people work in manufacturing across the region, and that number is growing. The presentation ranked the area #2 in North Carolina for manufacturing employment and top 10 in the Southeast.
North Carolina as a whole keeps landing at the top of national lists, too. Site Selection Group named it the #1 Best State for Manufacturing in 2024, and CNBC has ranked it its #1 Top State for Business. The state’s 2.0% corporate income tax rate is the lowest in the country among states that have one, and the individual income tax rate is 3.99% for 2026.
The area is more international than many people realize, with more than 400 international businesses and about 165,000 international residents.
How Greensboro compares to other cities
This was my favorite slide. The cost-of-living index measures everyday expenses for a mid-management household (housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, health care) against a national average of 100. Here’s how the Greensboro-High Point area stacks up:
| Area | Cost-of-Living Index |
|---|---|
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 93.9 |
| Raleigh, NC | 97.2 |
| Charlotte, NC | 98.4 |
| Charleston, SC | 101.8 |
| Richmond, VA | 104.0 |
| Miami, FL | 111.8 |
| Washington, DC | 117.3 |
| Baltimore, MD | 130.7 |
Source: C2ER, 2025 average, from the Guilford County Economic Development Alliance’s 2026 presentation, shared by the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce.
That’s about 6.1% below the national average, and lower than both Raleigh and Charlotte. For a deeper dive, see our [cost of living comparison](ADD LINK).
A few other things that set this area apart:
- Easy commutes: Around here, “45 miles means 45 minutes.” The roads near the airport were built with growth in mind and are running at only a fraction of their capacity. In many metros, 45 minutes might get you 10 miles.
- An airport without the hassle: PTI offers 14 nonstop destinations and about 50 daily flights. Need an international nonstop? Charlotte is about 90 minutes away, and RDU is about an hour. Brent’s favorite story: a company once considered moving to the Rock Hill area for airport access. He pointed out that if he left his house at 8 a.m. and flew out of PTI to Charlotte, he’d meet their Rock Hill employee at the gate, or beat them there. The company stayed.
- College-town energy: The region has 18 colleges and universities, about 120,000 students and roughly 26,000 degrees and credentials awarded each year, including UNCG, NC A&T and High Point University. Brent said he’d stack our higher-education population up against the Triangle’s. We just don’t get the national TV time.
- A real shipping advantage: Greensboro has a 24-hour intermodal rail yard, where shipping containers from ports like Norfolk arrive by rail and finish the trip by truck. It’s a big reason companies choose to build here.
New to the area? Our [Getting Around Greensboro guide](ADD LINK) covers PTI and more.
The everyday things people love
The numbers are great, but they’re not why people stay. A few favorites the presentation highlighted:
- Housing variety: Lake living, classic single-family neighborhoods, historic lofts, rural acreage and downtown living, all within the same metro.
- Sports without the big-city price tag: The Greensboro Swarm, Greensboro Grasshoppers, Greensboro Gargoyles and Carolina Core FC play close to home, and the Carolina Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes are an easy drive away.
- Shows, golf and big events: The Tanger Center, the Greensboro Coliseum and plenty of golf keep weekends full.
What this means if you’re moving here
If you’re relocating for one of these employers, a few tips from my own move:
- Test your commute at the time you’d actually drive it before you fall in love with a house.
- Explore more than one area. Greensboro, High Point, Summerfield, Oak Ridge, Jamestown and Kernersville each have their own feel. Our [Greensboro Neighborhoods Guide](ADD LINK) is a great place to start.
- Visit at different times of day so you get a real feel for the area.
Thinking about a move to Greensboro?
I’m Sarah Marchwiany, a Realtor with Tyler Redhead & McAlister, and I moved to Greensboro without knowing a single thing about it. Now I help people do the same thing, with a lot less guesswork. If you’re relocating for one of these jobs (or you’re just curious), my free Greensboro Relocation Guide walks you through the areas, the process and the local favorites I wish I’d known about on day one. And if you’re ready to talk, I’d love to hear from you.
Sarah Marchwiany, Realtor with Tyler Redhead & McAlister | Thinking about moving to Greensboro? Grab my free Greensboro Relocation Guide: https://sarahmarchwiany.myflodesk.com/k8gzvjahkr | Call or text 815-790-6070 | sarahmarchwiany.trmrealestate.com
