The Economist recognizes Durham's success as a city

"Nuvotronics is part of a cluster of high-tech firms that has increased Durham’s GDP per-person by 28% since 2001. By the same measure, North Carolina as a whole grew by just 3% over the same period. Durham’s success reflects an emerging trend: high-flying cities, and the successful firms they contain, are detaching from the rest of the economy."

—"America’s most successful cities, states and firms are leaving the rest behind" Economist