Burke County has set a new record for visitor spending, reaching $154.26 million in 2024, marking an 11.9% increase from the previous year.
According to a release from the county, this growth represents the second highest percentage increase in visitor spending among North Carolina counties.
The data, commissioned by VisitNC, highlights Burke County’s significant growth in tourism despite challenges faced by the region, including the impact of Hurricane Helene.
Ed Phillips, CEO of the Burke County Tourism Development Authority, noted a 71% increase in visitors to the county’s Visitor Center from January to September 2024, alongside strong hotel demand and rising rates.
“The study confirms the strength of North Carolina’s tourism industry,” Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit NC, said.
Tourism in Burke County directly employed over 931 individuals in 2024, reflecting a 7.6% increase from the previous year, which was also the second highest growth rate in the state.
The study shows the total payroll generated by the tourism industry in Burke County amounted to $32.8 million.
State tax revenue from tourism in Burke County reached $5.86 million, while local taxes generated $4.6 million from travel-related businesses.
Despite the disruptions caused by Hurricane Helene, Burke County’s hospitality businesses experienced less damage compared to other nearby destinations.
Statewide, visitor spending in North Carolina rose 3.1% to a record $36.7 billion in 2024, with direct tourism employment increasing to 230,338.
Visitors to North Carolina generated nearly $4.5 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2024, representing a 5.8% increase from 2023.
As the area continues to recover, county leaders say its tourism sector remains a crucial contributor to the local economy and workforce.
VIDEO: Burke County couple returns home after Helene floodwaters devastate property
You’ve done it. You’ve finally punched your time clock for the last time and are about to step into living your retirement dreams. Now that you don’t have to worry about a work commute you can explore where you want to retire in style based on your preferred overall cost of living in some of America’s largest cities.
Whether you want to cut down on your living expenses or move to a place with more natural beauty and outdoor activities, your retirement destination can be catered to your budget. Not only is living comfortably near family and friends an option but also finding a place where your Social Security benefits can stretch a little further is also beneficial to save room for your healthcare costs and state taxes that may come into play.
GOBankingRates conducted a study to analyze the fastest-growing retirement hot spots from around the country, and the good news is that the U.S. has no shortage of options to live your retirement dreams in a real-life scenario. Here are some key takeaways:
Four of the top 10 retirement hot spots are Florida cities like Clermont, North Port, Fort Meyers and Vero Beach South.
Arizona has the No. 1 ranking with Goodyear as it has shown the largest percentage increase of people in retirement age living there.
Florida also has the most cities out of all the states on the top 50 lists as it landed 12 retirement hot spots overall, which is good to know when planning long-term goals as to where you want to move upon retirement.
Here is the list GOBankingRates has ranked from highest to lowest based on the biggest percentage increase in the retirement age population over five years.
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1. Goodyear, Arizona
5-year percentage increase in retirement age population of people 65 and over: 61%
1-year percentage increase in population of people over 65: 11%
2022 percentage of the population who are 65 and older: 18%
5-year percentage increase in retirement age population of people 65 and over: 24%
1-year percentage increase in population of people over 65: 8%
2022 percentage of the population who are 65 and older: 17%
Nyttend / Wikimedia Commons
48. Middletown, Ohio
5-year percentage increase in retirement age population of people 65 and over: 23%
1-year percentage increase in population of people over 65: 6%
2022 percentage of the population who are 65 and older: 18%
Spondylolithesis / iStock.com
49. Napa, California
5-year percentage increase in retirement age population of people 65 and over: 23%
1-year percentage increase in population of people over 65: 4%
2022 percentage of the population who are 65 and older: 18%
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto
50. Lafayette, Louisiana
5-year percentage increase in retirement age population of people 65 and over: 23%
1-year percentage increase in population of people over 65: 4%
2022 percentage of the population who are 65 and older: 17%
For the methodology for this piece, GOBankingRates looked at every city in the U.S. that met the following criteria: at least 7,500 people aged 65+ living in the area as of 2022 AND a 65+ population above the national average of 16.5%. With the qualified cities isolated, GOBankingRates was able to find the following for each: (1) 2022 population aged 65+; (2) 2022 percent of population aged 65+; (3) 2021 population aged 65+; (4) 2021 percent of population aged 65+; (5) 2017 population aged 65+; (6) 2017 percent of population aged 65+; (7) year-over-year change in population aged 65+; (8) year-over-year percent change in population aged 65+; (9) 5-year change in population aged 65+; and (10) 5-year percent change in population aged 65+. With these 10 figures, only those cities that outpaced the national average in factors (8) and (10) were moved into the final rankings. For final rankings only factor (10) was considered. All data was sourced from the 2022, 2021 and 2017 American Community Surveys conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. All data was collected and is up to date as of June 3, 2024.
