A recent Triangle Business Journal analysis highlighted a striking reality: many of the fastest-growing counties around Raleigh and Durham are losing the majority of their workforce to daily commutes into the urban core. Franklin County, for example, sees nearly 90 percent of its private-sector workers leave the county each morning, with similar trends in Johnston, Chatham, Harnett, and other surrounding communities.
While this commuting pattern underscores the gravitational pull of Raleigh’s and Durham’s job markets, it also reveals a powerful dynamic for real estate investors. Jobs may be created in the urban centers, but demand for housing and shopping often takes root in the halo counties where workers choose to live. Affordable homes, shorter commutes to schools, and quality-of-life factors continue to attract families and professionals to these areas—even if their paychecks originate in Wake or Durham County.
This migration creates a paradox for local leaders: population growth is booming, but tax dollars and consumer spending often flow back toward the cities. For investors, however, it signals unmet demand for workforce housing and everyday retail in these suburban and exurban markets.
At NC Capital Group, this is exactly where we focus. By investing in multifamily housing and neighborhood shopping centers in North Carolina’s halo counties, we meet residents where they live—not just where they work. The result is stable, cash-flowing investments that serve essential community needs while benefiting from the Triangle’s long-term economic growth.
Doug Kline, PhD, has held income properties in North Carolina for more than 20 years. He holds a North Carolina broker’s license, and is a member of the National Association of Realtors and the Triangle Real Estate Investors Association. He holds an MBA and a PhD in business. In addition to his real estate activities, Doug enjoyed a successful career in academia, achieving the rank of Full Professor in the Cameron School of Business at UNC Wilmington. He was honored with research and teaching awards, served as Director of the MS Computer Science and Information Systems program, and was awarded the endowed position Distinguished Professor of Information Systems.