Though 2020 is off to a dismal start, no matter how you look at it, Raleigh, North Carolina, has had much to boast about over the past decade. For years, the city benefited from strong population growth, bolstered by the region's expanding job market and affordable cost of living. In fact, the metropolitan area's population increased by roughly 2% from 2018 to 2019, a rate second only to rival technology hub, Austin, Texas.