Governor Stein Launches Rural Listening Tour in Western North Carolina

Josh Stein kicked off a statewide rural listening tour on March 16, meeting with business leaders, local officials, and community members to hear concerns and discuss priorities for strengthening rural communities.

Stein began the tour in Marion, where he also visited Flavors on Main to speak with its owners about the challenges and opportunities facing small businesses in rural areas.

“With more than 3.5 million people, North Carolina is home to the second-largest rural population in the country,” Stein said. “We have more work to do to expand opportunity to every corner of the state because if you work hard, where you come from should never limit how far you can go.”

The listening sessions are part of what the Stein administration describes as a “whole-of-government” approach to rural development. In the coming months, cabinet secretaries will host additional sessions across North Carolina focused on health care, economic development, jobs, and infrastructure.

State officials say the tour builds on ongoing investments across rural counties.

In health care, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services secured $213 million in December from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services through the Rural Health Transformation Program. The funding is expected to support more than 400 rural health care facilities and strengthen the workforce in underserved areas.

Stein has also highlighted efforts to address opioid addiction. In January, he held a roundtable in Clay County to discuss how opioid settlement funds — secured during his tenure as attorney general — are being used to expand treatment and recovery services, particularly in rural communities.

On the economic front, officials reported that more than $12.5 billion in investment and nearly 5,000 jobs were brought to rural North Carolina in 2025. The state also received recognition as “State of the Year” from Business Facilities magazine, citing efforts such as the Selectsite Readiness Program aimed at preparing industrial sites for development.

Rural communities were awarded more than $136 million through state grant programs last year to support housing, infrastructure, and business development projects. Earlier this year, Stein visited Pitt County to review how federal Community Development Block Grant funding is being used to improve housing and public spaces in the town of Bethel.

Infrastructure investment remains another focus. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality announced more than $472 million in funding last month for drinking water and wastewater projects in 66 counties. The upgrades are intended to improve water systems and help communities better withstand severe weather.

In addition, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration approved North Carolina’s plan to bring more than $300 million in high-speed internet projects to homes and businesses, primarily in rural areas, through the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

Stein said the administration remains committed to investing in all 100 counties as the tour continues in the weeks ahead.