Urban and Rural Growth Disparities Widening in NC

A new biennial analysis from Dr. Michael Walden of North Carolina State University finds the gap in prosperity between NC's urban and rural areas widening.  The report shows Asheville posting strong growth.  Walden classifies Asheville alongside Durham and Wilmington in a 2nd tier group out of four as "above-average growing medium sized metros."  Comparing that with surrounding rural areas finds the gap is worsening since the recession as more people flock to cities because of the prevalence of higher education and modern high-tech jobs.  Walden says the report is a mix of good news and bad.  The state continues to recover from the recession and to perform well in a number of categories, but regional disparities are worsening.  The full interview with Walden is above.