Davie, Surry and Randolph counties improve in state's economic tier rankings

Davie, Surry, and Randolph were among the four counties that improved their rankings under the latest North Carolina Department of Commerce’s economic tier system.

Under the annual ranking released last month, Surry and Randolph counties moved up a notch from the lowest tier to the middle tier, while Davie County moved into the “least distressed” category.

“Our goal is to stay diverse in our economy with encouraging tourism development, encouraging downtown and housing growth, and then obviously supporting our manufacturers and larger employers to help them be more successful here,” he says.

The change in Davie County’s ranking was attributed to its lowering unemployment rate. For Surry and Randolph counties, it was due to an increase in median household income.

Surry County Economic Development Partnership President Blake Moyer says county leaders are looking to solidify their standings in the rankings. He says they’ve gone back and forth between Tiers 1 and 2 since the ranking’s inception.

Moyer also noted that the city of Mount Airy is getting a $1.5 million Golden LEAF grant for additional industrial development, which he says will play a part in helping Surry County continue to grow.