Main Street NC

One of the state’s only cryptocurrency mining operations is located a few miles outside Murphy at North Carolina’s far-western tip. And it’s driving the locals crazy.

The town of Star’s leaders want to build on the success of an arts facility by finding new uses for the other shuttered textile buildings and historic structures that line Main Street. But while most of Star’s historic buildings are standing strong, the town’s water and sewer infrastructure is showing its age.

In recent years, many Lumbees have helped shift Robeson County politically from a place with a reliable majority for the Democratic Party to a county that largely supports Republicans. A push for federal recognition for the tribe is one of the factors.

Mayor Billy Hammond and other town leaders came up with a dramatic plan to address repeat flooding: build a whole new downtown-style commercial district a few blocks up the street on higher ground.

East of Raleigh, the once sleepy suburb of Wendell ranked as the fastest-growing town in North Carolina between 2020 and 2021, with a population that increased by 16% in a single year.

While North Carolina’s urban areas are seeing rapid growth, more than 20 of the state’s 100 counties have seen their population decrease in recent years as residents move away for better opportunities elsewhere. Those population declines are sharpest in northeastern North Carolina.