Wilmington, N.C., has emerged as a rising tech hub, landing at No. 13 on the South’s Best Metros for Tech 2024. As tech companies increasingly look beyond major markets, Southern cities like Wilmington are drawing attention for their affordability, talent, and quality of life.
Among smaller metros, Wilmington stands out with a 106.5% surge in tech employment—driven largely by its strong banking sector and fintech growth. Companies such as JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, combined with local tech training efforts, have fueled demand for software development and related roles.
This year’s rankings evaluated Southern metros with populations over 200,000 based on job density, wages, and livability. Notably, nearly half of the top 20 metros had populations under 1 million, signaling new opportunities for smaller cities to attract investment and talent—without the high costs of larger urban centers.
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