In today’s technology-centered economy, attracting and retaining high-skilled talent is vital for metropolitan areas on the road to becoming regional tech hubs.
The newest study published by CommercialCafe ranks the top 20 tech hubs across the South according to nine metrics including data on the ratio of tech businesses within the local economy; tech employment; number of patents granted, as well as data assessing cost of living and educational opportunities.
Charlotte placed 12th among the 20 best Southern metro areas for tech development with a total of 41.1 points, surpassing Savannah, GA, and following Houston, TX.
Here are some of the metro’s standout metrics:
- With 3,668 tech patents approved in Charlotte between 2018 and 2022, the metro area landed 6th on the list for this metric, outranking Raleigh, NC.
- Charlotte saw contributions from 151 different companies between 2018 and 2022, the 9th-largest pool of contributing organizations and companies to tech patents submitted during the five-year timeframe.
- Charlotte’s metro area ranked 7th for tech employment growth with a 29.8% hike between 2017 and 2021.
The other 2 North Carolina metro areas that have secured spots among the top 20 best Southern metro areas for tech development are Raleigh (ranked 4th) and Durham (ranked 8th).
