High Point, NC

Twice a year, downtown High Point transforms into the center of the global home furnishings world. During the famous High Point Market, tens of thousands of designers, buyers, and exhibitors pack the showroom district, bringing an energetic international buzz to local restaurants, hotels, and shops. For the rest of the year, the town settles back into a relaxed pace, leaving locals to enjoy the open streets and distinctive downtown scenery. The city earned its name back in the 1850s, when the North Carolina Railroad intersected a busy plank road at the highest point along the line.

ATTRCmalaspina / Public domain

What started as a small rail stop quickly grew into a manufacturing powerhouse by the early twentieth century. Today, High Point is home to over 114,000 residents and a diverse modern economy. Furniture design, trade showrooms, and distribution networks still anchor the local business scene, but newcomers will also find growing opportunities in healthcare, aviation, advanced manufacturing, and tech across the wider Piedmont Triad region.

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High Point University plays a big role in town as well, bringing a lively campus energy, NCAA athletics, and thousands of students to the north side of the city. Commercial hubs like Piedmont Centre host dozens of regional and international companies, providing a steady base of corporate jobs. Everyday living is convenient, with short commutes, direct highway links to neighboring Greensboro and Winston-Salem, and local bus routes connecting the main shopping and residential districts.

ATTRSteve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA / CC BY 2.0

Downtown has also found new life by repurposing its historic industrial brick buildings into everyday gathering spots. Congdon Yards is a great example, turning former textile mills into a community space with bright meeting areas, local coffee shops, and modern coworking desks. The city also takes pride in its creative roots as the childhood home of jazz legend John Coltrane. An eight-foot bronze statue of the saxophonist stands near City Hall, celebrating a musical legacy that started right in High Point's historic schools and neighborhoods.