Study: Chatham received 8th best investment in N.C.

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According to a study from SmartAsset, Chatham County is among the state’s top counties with the most incoming investment from a variety of sources.

The study, which rated each county with an “Incoming Investment Index score” based on several factors, ranked Chatham 8th with a 60.43 score. Brunswick County was first at 73.87. The study tracked business growth over a three-year period, growth in the county’s gross domestic product (GDP), new building permits per 1,000 homes and federal funding per capita.

“There are several ways individuals, governments and businesses can invest money in a county or region,” the study said. “Our study aims to capture the places across the country that are receiving the most incoming investments in business, real estate, government and the local economy as a whole.”

Chatham reported 7.7 percent business growth over the last three years, meaning that the number of businesses established in the county grew by that rate over that time period. Adjusted for inflation, Chatham’s GDP increased by $190 million, and there were 23.2 new building permits per 1,000 homes. The study also found $24 of federal funding per capita, meaning “federal funding in the form of contracts awarded to businesses in each county” divided by the population, the study said.

SmartAsset said the index was created by charting the county with the most incoming investments in America was given a 100 score and the county with the least investment was given a zero.

Chatham was third in its immediate area, with Wake County ranking second in the state at 67.16 and Durham County finishing sixth at 61.1.