ABOUT THE TRIANGLE Copyright By Anne Parker Triangle Home Showcase, REALTORS 709 Benchmark Drive Raleigh, NC 27615 Be Sure to Go To The "Triangle Links of Interest" Page of This Website Raleigh, North Carolina Durham, North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina Schools  Arts and Entertainment HOW THE TRIANGLE IS FORMED The Triangle is formed by the joining of three unique communities and is really the heart of these three major cities: Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill These three geographic points originally referenced the area within the parameters of three major area universities: North Carolina State University (Raleigh); Duke University (Durham); and the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill). The Research Triangle Park (RTP) is the home of 40,000 Business entrepreneurs and cutting edge Research and Development. "The Park" is approximately 7,000 acres (an area 8 miles long and 2 miles wide) and employs almost 45,000 people. The RTP geographical area is privately owned by the Research Triangle Foundation (RTF), a non profit organization, but it is home to many of the world's most profitable companies. There are nearly 140 organizations within The Park representing a number of fields: Computer Hardware; Software; Telecommunications; Biotechnology; and Statistics. Some of the top RTP firms include IBM: Nortel Networks: Cisco Systems; MCI; Ericsson; Glaxo-Smith-Kline; DuPont; BASF; and EMC2 to name a few. Situated in the heart of North Carolina, and often referred to as "The Greater Triangle", this is one of the nation's fastest growing areas. Over the last several years The Triangle has received numerous accolades from national news and magazine publications as one of the country's best places to live, work and raise a family. Fortune Magazine and Money Magazine have ranked The Triangle as one of the premier places in the US to live. The Greater Triangle, composed of Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and all the smaller towns in between, this area is ideally located in what is known as the "Piedmont" region of North Carolina. To the west of the Triangle lies the majestic Blue Ridge and Great Smokey Mountains. And, to the east, we have an historical strand of barrier islands and miles of white sandy beaches. Here in the Triangle there are myriad lakes and championship golf courses, some with the finest club and recreational facilities to be found anywhere. As you may be aware, we are located within about an hour's quick driving distance of Pinehurst, North Carolina, the Golf Capital of the World. We are 2 to 3 hours away from gorgeous Beaches and only 4 to 5 hours from mountain Resorts. It's where everybody wants to live! Raleigh and most of the Greater Triangle is not much more than a 2 hour drive from the ocean with its trendy resorts, more golf courses than you can count and its gorgeous Beaches. That region of the state is known as the "Coast". Also, we here in the Triangle are only about a 4 to 5 hour drive from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, with its mountain resorts. That region is simply called the "Mountains". No wonder it's where everybody wants to live! The Triangle has the best the state can offer with all the amenities of a metropolitan area including professional and collegiate sports, The BTI Performing Arts Center, many museums, excellent restaurants, historical sites and a diverse cultural lifestyle. The Triangle is a perfect place to live. There are many developments and subdivisions with plenty of room for children to run and play. We are proud of our educational institutions. The Triangle area has a large number of public schools, private schools, and magnet schools. There are also six colleges and universities in the area. Be sure to take advantage of the Links on this website to Schools, Colleges and Universities, Public and Private; get into the interesting facts and learn how the Research Triangle Park (RTP) was formed here because of the colleges and universities being close by and then the development of the "Park" has fueled the growth, allowing our educational system to rise to a level beyond compare. RALEIGH, N. C. Click here return to top of page Raleigh and Wake County The state capital, Raleigh, is the largest city in the triangle with a current population of 311,000 with a total population of the Triangle, nearing 1.2 million. Trendy condos pop up downtown among the 19th century mansions where you can walk to your favorite restaurant. If you prefer a quaint neighborhood, you can find it here too. You will fall in love with The Triangle area. It's a great place to live, work and raise a family. The City of Raleigh is wonderfully charming town centrally located North Carolina. Established in 1792 as the state capital in Wake County, Raleigh has a long history of warmth, charm and charisma. For the past two decades, Raleigh has been among the fastest growing cities in the United States. From 1980 to 1990, Raleigh's annual population increase was 4.04 percent. From 1990 to January 1999, Raleigh registered a 30.1 percent increase in population. That reflects an average annual population increase of 3.34 percent. Raleigh's land area has grown 21.4 percent in the nineties, expanding from 91.088 square miles in 1990 to over 110.59 square miles now. The population of the City of Raleigh is 69 percent white, 28 percent black and 3 percent other races, based on the 1990 Census. Fifty-two percent are female and forty-eight percent are male. The median age in 1990 was 30.3 years. RALEIGH GEOGRAPHY Land area 117.30 square miles 434 feet above sea level Avg. annual high 70.3 F Avg. annual low 47.7 F Mean annual temperature 59.8 F Hottest Month-July 78.3 F Coldest Month-January 41.0 F Avg. Annual rainfall 44.75 inches Avg. Annual snowfall 2.4 inches Wettest Month-July 5.17 inches Driest month-Nov 2.63 inches Avg. relative humidity 71.30 percent Growing season 190-210 days Raleigh is located in the rolling hills of North Carolina's Piedmont. Raleigh is 150 miles west of the Atlantic coast and 190 miles east of the Great Smoky Mountains. The climate offers moderate temperatures featuring four distinct seasons. RALEIGH EMPLOYMENT Raleigh's six colleges, as well as Raleigh's place as the state capital of North Carolina, heavily influence Raleigh's employment demographics. Manufacturing 7.7% Mining & Construction 7.6% TCPU 6.1% Trade 24.3% FIRE** 5.3% Services 31.9% Government 17.1% Raleigh's Unemployment Figures 5-Year Average Raleigh 1.5%, 2.2% Wake County 1.3%, 1.9% North Carolina 3.0%, 3.7% United States 4.3%, 5.0% Estimated Raleigh Employment Now: 180,676 Projected Raleigh Employment 2025: 324,833 RALEIGH EDUCATION Raleigh is the home of six colleges: INSTITUTION ENROLLMENT North Carolina State University 28,011 Shaw University 2,528 Meredith College 2,591 Saint Augustine's College 1,589 Peace College 603 Wake Tech 8,780 Wake County Public Schools Enrollment - 94,850 According the 12th edition of "The County and City Data Book", Raleigh ranks first among U.S. cities as the most educated. Over 41 percent of the Raleigh's residents are college graduates. Raleigh tops America for PhDs per capita. Raleigh's 86.6 percent of residents with high school diplomas is among the highest rates in the country. Raleigh Newspapers NandO.net, Raleigh The News & Observer, Raleigh The Business Journal, Raleigh North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, Raleigh Raleigh TV Stations Raleigh WLFL Raleigh WRAL Raleigh WRAZ Raleigh WRDC Raleigh WTVD DURHAM, N. C. Durham, North Carolina is one of the finest mid-sized cities. Offering a mix of small town etiquette with big city activities, Durham residents find this balance to provide a well rounded quality of life. Click here return to top of page DURHAM GEOGRAPHY Durham is located in North Carolina's rolling Piedmont region, four hours east of the Blue Ridge Mountain Range and three hours west of the Atlantic Ocean's beaches. Durham is located at the apex of the Research Triangle Park, one of America's most distinguished research areas. Durham offers moderate temperatures with four distinct seasons. Mean annual temperature 59.0 F Mean Annual Rainfall 41.7 inches Average Annual Snowfall 7.5 inches Average Sunshine Days 217 days Annual Days w/ Precipitation 114.0 days Annual Days w/ High > 90 F 34.4 days Annual Days w/ Low < 0 F 0.2 days Hottest month July (Mean temp. 77.7 F) Coldest month January (Mean temp. 39.6 F) Wettest month August (Mean 4.4 inches) Driest month October (Mean 2.7 inches) DURHAM EMPLOYMENT Durham's economic center is firmly rooted in high-technology industries such as biopharmaceutical, computer, telecommunications and electronics. The four largest employers in the Durham community are: Duke University and Medical Center, IBM, Nortel, and Glaxo-Smith-Kline. Durham's job growth parallels the growth and development of the Research Triangle Park area. The 130+ firms there employ 40,000 workers, and more than 20 other industrial, office and research parks ring the perimeter of RTP. North Carolina's biotechnology and microelectronics centers, also located in Durham County, enhance the supply of intellectual and technical assets and resources available to business. DURHAM EDUCATION Duke University is regarded as one of the Research Triangle area's most valuable assets. Ranked as the 4th Best University in America by the U.S. News and World Report, Duke is renowned for the quality of its faculty as well as its academic and research programs. Other Schools: North Carolina Central University Durham Technical Community College Durham Public Schools Enrollment: over 30,000 DURHAM NEWSPAPERS Chronicle Online, Duke University, Durham Herald Sun, Durham DURHAM DEMOGRAPHICS Countrywide City Only Total County Population 223,314 187,035 Median Age 32.2 years 31.0 years Households 89,015 74,981 Housing Units 95,452 80,797 Gender Female 51.8 51.9 Male 48.2 48.1 Age Distribution Under 5 6.9% 7.2% 5-10 6.6% 6.6% 10-14 6.1% 6.0% 15-19 6.7% 6.9% 20-24 9.4% 10.4% 25-34 19.0% 20.1% 35-44 15.8% 15.5% 45-54 12.7% 11.8% 55-59 4.1% 3.9% 60-64 3.0% 2.7% 65-74 4.9% 4.6% 70-74 3.5% 3.5% 75-84 3.5% 3.5% 85 and Over 1.2% 1.3% CHAPEL HILL, N. C. Chapel Hill..."The Southern Part of Heaven" Home to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill is a growing town with deep southern ties. Chapel Hill is nestled in the rolling hills of North Carolina three hours from the coast and three hours from the mountains. This ideal setting has awarded Chapel Hill and Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) the following accolades: Click here return to top of page The A & E channel recognized Chapel Hill as the #2 city in their "Top Ten Cities to Have it All". Money magazine's selection of the Triangle as the "#1 Best Place to Live in America". Fortune magazine's rating of the Triangle as #1 for "The Best Cities For Knowledge Workers". Sports Illustrated's nod as the "number one college town in the United States". Chapel Hill Population Chapel Hill's population is over 45,000. Chapel Hill's growth and development is directly linked with that of the University of North Carolina. The University and its hospital continue to be the town's largest employer. Chapel Hill has one of the largest choices of restaurants in the country. In fact, Chapel Hill offers a restaurant for every 300 residents. Chapel Hill is also becoming a popular retirement community. Chapel Hill Climate The climate in Chapel Hill is one of the most appealing aspects of the city. With an average high temperature of 70 degrees, our community is known for its mild four-season climate which includes short summers and winters and picturesque falls and springs. The winters reflect temperature highs near 51, while summer temperature highs hover around 86. The area enjoys an average annual rainfall of 41.43 inches a year and 7.9 inches of snow. Chapel Hill Newspapers The Chapel Hill News The Daily Tar Heel, Chapel Hill Chapel Hill Demographics Population by Race/Origin Age of Population White 31,875 82.3% Under 20 years of age 26.67% African American 4,853 12.5% 20 to 39 years of age 47.13% American, Indian, Eskimo Aleut 123 0.3% 40 to 59 years of age 15.25% Asian/Pacific Islander 1,684 4.3% 60+ years of age 10.94% Other 184 0.5% Total 36,719 100% Income Educational Attainment Median Family Income $50,217 (persons 25 years and older) Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level 16.1% No High School Diplomas 4.85% High School Graduate 11.61% Some College, No Degree 31.08% Associate Degree 2.78% Bachelors Degree 26.64% Graduate or Professional Degree 23.04% School Facilities School Enrollment (Chapel Hill-Carrboro School District) (Persons 3 years and older) Elementary 6 Pre-primary School 702 Middle 3 Elementary or High School 3,619 High 2 Percent in Private School 22.17% Total 11 College 15,339 Workforce - Occupation Executive, Administrative, Managerial 12.07% Other Service 10.08% Professional Specialty 34.15% Farming, Forestry & Fishing 0.95% Technical and Related Support 8.72% Precision Production, Craft & Repair 3.09% Sales 10.53% Machine Operators Assemblers & Inspectors 1.32% Administrative Support 15.28% Transportation & Material Moving 1.07% Private Household 0.73% Handlers, Equipment Cleaners, Helpers & Laborers 1.18% Protective Service 0.84%

 

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