Snapshot: NC’s Military Economy

North Carolina’s military installations and the goods and services required to support them play a critical role in our state’s economy.  Leveraging North Carolina’s assets to grow our military economy will promote economic development and create new jobs.  Underscoring this potential, if North Carolina could grow its share of U.S. defense procurement from 1.0 percent of the U.S. total to 1.5 percent by 2010, the state would earn an additional $1.7 billion in defense contracts each year. Those contracts would support 30,000 new jobs and generate $150 million in new annual state and local tax revenue.

• Six major military installations, over 100,000 active duty personnel.  Additional 46,000 civilian, reserve and national guard

• USCG Air Station Elizabeth City serves to protect the homeland:  air station executes Homeland Security and Maritime Safety missions throughout the eastern Atlantic region; approximately 250 personnel

• Closing the Gap:  third largest military state measured by boots on the ground, but only 38th in DoD contracts measured as a percentage of gross state product (source:  AngelouEconomics, 2005)

• 25th in the nation ranked by total DoD prime contract awards (source:  DoD, 2006)

• Most recent study says Military has combined +$18 billion direct economic impact on North Carolina, or 7% of gross state product (source:  ECU Study, 2004)

• BRAC impact:  FORSCOM and USARC relocation will result in increase of +20,000 active duty, civilian, contractor personnel and dependents (source:  BRAC RTF, 2006)

• Additional increases:  Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command (MARSOC) at Camp Lejeune and additional changes will result in significant gains

• No less than 12 economic development stakeholders working on military economy