Best In North Carolina Real Estate™: The Triangle

What’s driving the Triangle’s in-migration surge? The answer isn’t broad regional trends — it’s concentrated flows from specific high-income counties. Mecklenburg County, NC leads with 172 disclosed flows, followed by Alamance and Cumberland. Even Orange County, FL — a top-tier coastal market — ranks fourth. This isn’t about 'the South' or 'the East' — it’s about destination quality. The Triangle is now a magnet for professionals leaving high-cost, high-pressure environments. This data comes directly from ALEX Intelligence’s analysis of IRS Statistics of Income, county-to-county inflows, 2021–22 to 2022–23. https://alex-companies.com/data/2026-10-29-triangle-mig-trend-in-total Year-Over-Year Change in Households Moving In, top 10 (ALEX Intelligence — U.S. Internal Revenue Service 2023) #1 Mecklenburg County, NC — 172 #2 Alamance County, NC — 170 #3 Cumberland County, NC — 108 #4 Orange County, FL — 105 #5 Wayne County, NC — 97 #6 Harnett County, NC — 92 #7 Carteret County, NC — 66 #8 Lee County, NC — 63 #9 Iredell County, NC — 63 #10 Craven County, NC — 55 Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Slide 1: Gaurav (CC BY 4.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=199450497; Slide 2: Warren LeMay from Covington, KY, United States (CC0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=84600033; Slide 3: Willthacheerleader18 (CC0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=182623048; Slide 4: Warren LeMay from Covington, KY, United States (CC0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=84599920 Source: https://alex-companies.com/data/2026-10-29-triangle-mig-trend-in-total View and join any or all of our communities — AI, quantum, and real estate: https://alex-companies.com/reports/linkedin-groups If there's an AI, quantum, or real estate community you'd like to see us convene, tell us — this portfolio grows by request. Real Estate Strategy & Intelligence Leader. Democratized Blue Ocean Strategist & Operator. Diane Hart Alexander, MBA, MHA Chair & CEO, ALEX Companies Designated Broker, Alexander Tiffany Southwest, LLC dba ALEX.realestate, et.al. Texas License #574877-B · Broker License #565194-BB [email protected] · +1 713.591.9902