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Building Vibrant Communities

The NC Rural Center’s mission is to develop, promote, and implement sound economic strategies to improve the quality of life of rural North Carolinians. We serve the state’s 78 rural counties, with a special focus on people with low to moderate incomes and communities with limited resources.

Hurricane Helene Response
Hurricane Helene brought unprecedented flooding and damage in North Carolina, much of it in rural communities. The Rural Center has compiled an evolving list of resources to help people in need of assistance. If you have an existing loan with Thread Capital and your business has been impacted by Hurricane Helene, please call 919-250-4314 or email us at connect@threadcap.org.

News & Stories

Learn more about what we're doing at the NC Rural Center. Catch up on our latest news, client profiles, impact stories, research and press releases. 

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Rural Roots: A Legacy of Service in North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives

As Nelle Hotchkiss tells it, she blew into North Carolina with Hurricane Fran in Fall 1996. The Raleigh area — and much of the state — was in shambles. “I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, what have I gotten myself into?’” says Hotchkiss, a Richmond, Va., native who had come from working with electric cooperatives in […] Advocacy, Board of Directors

Prime Numbers

182 thousand rural people employed in the manufacturing sector.
170 thousand rural people are employed in the health care and social assistance field.
156 thousand rural people were employed in the retail trade industry in 2024.
123 thousand rural people were employed in the accommodation and food services industry in 2024.
95 thousand rural people were employed in the public administration industry in 2024. Elkin Town Hall Cherry Trees

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