Military Business

Department of Defense ranks Cumberland County as top location for defense personnel

By Stephanie Meador, posted 3 years ago
Photo provided by US Depart of Defense

Today, the Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation released its “Fiscal Year 2021 Defense Spending by State” report. 

According to this report, Cumberland County was first on the list for top locations for defense personnel across North Carolina with a total of 61,914 defense personnel. Cumberland County was also the top location for defense contract spending and defense personnel spending with $1.2 billion and $4.2 billion spent during the 2021 fiscal year, respectively.

The DoD report includes data on contracting and personnel spending nationally and within each state. The North Carolina Military Business Center previously released data on DoD and Federal Agency contract spending in North Carolina for FY2021 in March 2022.  

“The NCMBC is very pleased with the results included in the DoD report,” said Dorney in a press release. “While defense contracts surged in North Carolina in FY2020 due to the COVID response, the data for FY2021 demonstrates the consistently increasing growth and impact of defense in North Carolina – the second largest sector of the state’s economy.”

Executive Director of the NCMBC Scott Dorney provided additional insight into the statistics of military personnel in Greater Fayetteville Business Journal's coverage area. In North Carolina, over 43 percent of total military personnel in the state (active, civilian, Guard and Reserve) are in Cumberland County. In North Carolina, over 55 percent of military payroll in the state is in Cumberland County. This reflects the higher ranking personnel at Fort Bragg relative to other bases. Although these personnel work in Cumberland County, many also live in Harnett, Moore, Hoke and other surrounding counties.

“The bottom line – the impact of the military on the economy in Cumberland County and the Sandhills region is extreme, and leads the state in many regards.  Nevertheless, North Carolina – across the state – benefits significantly from both DoD contracting and personnel expenditures – making defense the second largest sector of our state economy,” concluded Dorney.  

To view the full report visit https://oldcc.gov/sites/default/files/FY2021%20Defense%20Spending_NC.pdf.

Join The Discussion

Similar Stories

Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT
fayetteville-state-university brittany-mundy headshott

A smart next step: Why adult learners are choosing Fayetteville State University

Brittany Mundy - Executive Director for Adult Learners, Transfer, and Military Students, Fayetteville State University
fayetteville-technical-community-college dr-mark-sorrells headshott

Cybersecurity Is Everyone's Responsibility - North Carolina's Future Depends on It

Dr. Mark Sorrells - President, Fayetteville Technical Community College
united-way-of-cumberland-county scott-embry headshott

Gratitude: Honoring the generosity of a community by maximizing impact

Scott Embry - Executive Director & CEO, United Way of Cumberland County

In The Current Issue

Editor's note: Traditions and new beginnings

Hello, loyal readers. I am writing to you as someone older and therefore wiser (okay, I’m actually writing this the day before my birthday, but you will receive your copy after I’ve already celebrated). I was reminded of how truly blessed I am t


Certified in self-care: Renaissance Day Spa expands luxury offerings, renovates spaces and builds new Fayetteville location

Renaissance offers a broad range of massage services, from standard Swedish and deep tissue massages to signature massages that offer clients aromatherapy, a farmhouse-sourced “honey heel glaze” foot treatment and hot stone therapy. Photo by Style To


Locally sourced, family-owned: No-BS Meats celebrates the opening of its new storefront in downtown Fayetteville

Nikole (pictured) and Lakota Shawn began selling their meat at farmers markets and in an online store in 2024. Now, they’ve opened their first brick-and-mortar location. Photo by GFBJ.The Shawn family believes in quality, locally sourced food, and th