The index measures economic vitality in 200 large metropolitan areas and 203 small metropolitan areas by assessing performance of the labor market, tech sector, and access to economic opportunities. The 2025 version of the index emphasizes jobs, wages, high-tech growth, housing affordability, and broadband coverage, in addition to metrics of community resilience and income inequality.
To ensure that population size doesn’t skew results, the index divides US metropolitan areas into large and small cities, which are then classified into five tiers, with Tier 1 being the highest-ranked cities and Tier 5 being the lowest-ranked cities.
Raleigh, NC ranked as the number 1 city in the country for 2025. Here are the other cities in the Carolinas that made the Tier 1 and Tier 2 lists with their national ranking in (parenthesis).
Large US Cities:
- Raleigh, NC (1)
- Charleston, SC (11)
- Myrtle Beach, SC (12)
- Wilmington, NC (13)
- Durham, NC (16)
- Charlotte, NC (24)
- Greenville, SC (45)
Small US Cities:
- Jacksonville (8)
- Burlington, NC (17)
- Hilton Head, SC (54)
- Greenville, NC (63)
Source: Milken Institute
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