RALEIGH – North Carolina’s real gross domestic product grew at a 2.9% annualized rate in the second quarter, above the revised 2.2% U.S. pace, while state personal income increased 5.1%.
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Wednesday that North Carolina real GDP rose from a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $690.38 billion in the first quarter to $695.41 billion in the second quarter, measured in chained 2017 dollars.
North Carolina personal income increased from a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $786.16 billion to $796.01 billion. The state’s 5.1% annualized increase was above the 4.7% national personal-income gain.
The two measures track different parts of the economy. Real GDP estimates inflation-adjusted production inside the state, while personal income includes earnings, property income and transfer receipts received by residents. The annualized rates show what the quarter-to-quarter change would be if it continued for a year; they are not year-over-year growth rates.
Real GDP increased in 44 states and the District of Columbia. State growth ranged from 4% in New York to a 2.3% decline in West Virginia. Personal income increased in 49 states and the District of Columbia.
Nationally, BEA revised second-quarter real GDP growth to 2.2% from its prior 1.5% estimate. Consumer spending, investment and exports contributed to the increase, while higher imports subtracted from the GDP calculation. Reuters and The Associated Press separately reported that strong consumer spending and business investment supported the revised result.
BEA said real estate and rental and leasing, information, durable goods manufacturing, and finance and insurance were the leading national industry contributors to growth. Those national industry results should not be read as a North Carolina-specific breakdown.
The release incorporates BEA’s 2026 annual update to national and regional accounts. Revised historical estimates can change comparisons with figures published before Wednesday.