Charlotte Again Ranks No. 2 Best U.S. City for Corporate Headquarters

Published on January 30, 2026

Charlotte skyline from CLT airport runway. An American Airlines plane sits in the foreground.

For the second consecutive year, Charlotte has ranked as the No. 2 best city in the United States for corporate headquarters in Site Selection magazine’s Site Selectors Survey.

The survey, based on feedback from leading site selection consultants who advise corporate executives on location strategy, highlights markets with the strongest mix of business climate, workforce, infrastructure and quality of life. Site Selection identifies Charlotte as one of two “rapid risers,” noting that “decades of hard work are paying off” as the city competes for some of the nation’s top corporate facility projects.

Strong Business Momentum in 2025

In 2025, Charlotte’s had its most successful year for business recruitment in more than a decade. The city and Mecklenburg County supported 15 project announcements across multiple sectors. These projects are expected to deliver more than 3,880 new jobs and over $424 million in capital investment across the city in the coming years.

Among the high-profile projects for the year were global and regional headquarters, including Scout Motors, Maersk North America and Daimler Truck Financial.

Nineteen Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in the Charlotte region, creating a robust ecosystem of executive leadership, professional services and global connectivity that attracts new headquarters and corporate expansions.

#1 State for Workforce

This is one of several rankings that were released as part of the Site Selectors 2026 Survey. North Carolina also ranks as the No. 1 state in the nation for workforce development, recognizing the state’s deep talent pipeline, employer-aligned training programs, world-class university system and nationally respected community college system.

"Charlotte's strong showing in the corporate headquarters rankings, coupled with our state’s No. 1 workforce development ranking, reflects our growing reputation as a top location and the strength of our talent," said Shahid Rana, director of Charlotte Economic Development. "These recognitions are especially meaningful because they come directly from site selection consultants, the experts who advise executives on where to locate major operations."

North Carolina also ranked among the top 10 states for business climate and top three states for manufacturing.

Recent Charlotte Accolades

This is just one of several honors the City of Charlotte has earned so far this year. Additional rankings include:

CNBC Power City Index: Charlotte topped CNBC’s Power City Indexes, with seven Charlotte-based companies seeing stock gains of more than 20% in 2025.
U-Haul Growth Index: For the second consecutive year, Charlotte ranks among the top five U.S. regions for do-it-yourself movers.
Zillow Best Housing Markets: Charlotte placed No. 3 on list of the most buyer-friendly large housing markets of 2026, recognized for affordability, lower competition and expected growth.

A full list of Charlotte’s recent rankings and accolades is available on the Charlotte rankings and accolades page.