The Triangle is Bigger Than It Feels

BIGGER PICTURE | Our region's robust economy sprawls, which masks how large it really is

Nominal GDPs of the Charlotte, Nashville, and greater Triangle Metropolitan Statistical Areas (Source: FRED)

This graph shows the nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of three Southeastern metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), contrasting Charlotte and Nashville against the "greater Triangle" of Raleigh, Durham-Chapel Hill, and Fayetteville. The Census treats these Triangle cities as three separate metros, even though they’ve long since sprawled together — especially as Raleigh’s satellite suburbs spread south from Johnston to Lee and Harnett counties.