By 2045 High Point is projected to grow by more than 26,000 people and 10,000 new households. There are several major employers from Ralph Lauren to High Point University to Thomas Built Buses - the oldest surviving bus manufacturer in North America. By way of the Carolina Core initiative, the world’s first Toyota battery manufacturing facility is coming to the High Point area. The battery manufacturing facility in Liberty, NC, is expected to be operational in 2025. This could not only add job opportunities for High residents it could lead to additional demand for housing in High Point. In addition, there are thousands of people that work in High Point every day that do not live in the city. High Point should find ways to entice these commuters to live and/or open a business in the city. Most residents are within 10-minutes of one of High Point’s 42 parks or 15 miles of greenway. Quality of life is high for many in High Point. However, early in the High Point 2045 process, it became clear that despite all the great things High Point has to offer, residents want more. Rather than business as usual, the High Point community is looking to make a course correction. Like most American cities, it wants to continue to grow but wants to do so in a way that is more dense, more walkable, and more inclusive. In short, more urban. It wants to ensure that there is greenspace for future generations and that downtown is vibrant, and neighborhoods are strong. It aspires to have a city where everyone has the opportunity to share in High Point’s success.

As it has grown over the past several decades, the university has brought increasing national recognition to the city that bears its name. Since 2005, enrollment has grown from around 1,500 to 6,000 and the campus has added over 100 new buildings. In 2023 it was the third largest employer in High Point with approximately 2,200 employees. In addition to spending by its students and faculty, the more than 80,000 annual visitors it brings to the area have an estimated economic impact of $464.5 million on the local economy. The university also plays a role in providing cultural offerings, such as music and theatrical performances, lectures, art exhibits, and sports events. For example, the president of the university, Dr. Nido Qubein, and his wife Mariana were responsible for a popular children’s museum that opened in 2021. This ‘town and gown’ relationship will continue to be an influential factor in how the city grows in the future.

The High Point Market is the largest home furnishings industry trade show in the world, with more than 11 million square feet of showroom space and attracting nearly 100,000 buyers and exhibitors annually from across the world. The home furnishings industry has been a defining feature for High Point since the late 19th Century and is still the linchpin to the local economy, however there is much more to High Point than furniture.
Since the adoption of the City’s first comprehensive plan in 1928 it has continued to produce comprehensive planning documents on a regular basis with plans adopted in 1947, 1958, and every decade after that up to the City’s current land use plan, which was adopted in April 2000. A lot has changed in High Point since 2000 and it was time to renew the community’s vision and craft a plan to achieve it. High Point 2045 is a comprehensive plan that reflects the community’s vision with strategies and actions to move it forward. It provides leaders and organizations throughout the community with the tools for making consistent, well-informed, and strategic decisions to achieve well-defined outcomes. It’s an exciting time for High Point!