CHARLOTTE — Charlotte-based companies outperformed their peers across the country last year, pushing the city to the top of a new CNBC ranking that tracks how major employers move the stock market.
CNBC earlier this month named Charlotte the No. 1 city on its 2025 Power City Index, a measure of stock performance among top employers in 36 large U.S. metro areas. Charlotte finished ahead of Silicon Valley and the Washington, D.C., region, which ranked second and third, respectively.
According to CNBC, Charlotte’s index rose more than 22%, narrowly topping tech-heavy markets that have dominated recent years. The result highlights the region’s growing influence beyond banking — and the advantage of a more diversified corporate base.
Several of the Charlotte area’s most recognizable Fortune 1000 companies factored into the ranking, including Bank of America, Truist and Coca-Cola Consolidated. But the strongest gains came from companies outside the traditional financial sector, including lithium producer Albemarle, aerospace manufacturer Curtiss-Wright and steelmaker Nucor.
That mix matters. While Charlotte is widely viewed as a national banking hub, no single industry accounts for more than 10% of the region’s total gross regional product outside of manufacturing, which anchors 11 of the area’s 18 Fortune 1000 headquarters.
Charlotte also punches above its weight when it comes to corporate leadership. New analysis from the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance shows the metro has more than double the Fortune 1000 headquarters per capita than the national average for a region its size, placing it ahead of many larger metros Charlotte competes with for corporate relocations.
“Charlotte’s success isn’t accidental,” said Kieth Cockrell, president of Bank of America Charlotte. “Business and community leaders have worked together for years to build the workforce and infrastructure companies need to grow.”
That foundation continues to pay off. CNBC also ranked North Carolina the top state for business in 2025 — the third time in four years — and the Charlotte region logged nearly $3 billion in announced investments last year. Major projects included a new Scout Motors headquarters, a Citigroup investment and an expansion by Maersk.
Companies expanding in the region often cite talent as the deciding factor. AVL Manufacturing, which is adding a new production facility in Charlotte, said access to skilled workers and strong partnerships drove its decision.
Beyond the boardroom, quality of life remains a draw. The region’s cost of living sits below the national average, helping companies recruit and retain employees across income levels — a growing challenge in higher-cost markets.
Taken together, the data points to a region that’s not just landing projects but sustaining them.
