The Triangle has been one of the leading regions for adding residents with college degrees since the pandemic, a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau finds.

Why it matters: The Triangle has long prided itself on how much talent its universities produce, helping make the region one of the biggest areas for job growth over the past decade.

Go deeper (1 min. read)

• Duke, N.C. State and UNC-Chapel Hill have all grown in recent years. UNC-Chapel Hill's Carolina North expansion, for instance, is expected to help it continue to expand its student population.
• But increasingly, the Triangle is also attracting those with college degrees from elsewhere and convincing them to settle down.

Driving the news: The share of Americans 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher rose from about 34% to 38% between the 2015-2019 and 2020-2024 periods, Alex Fitzpatrick and Jacque Schrag report from new census data.

Zoom in: The Durham-Chapel Hill metro area, home to UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University, saw the biggest gain in education of all metro areas over that time period, according to the data.

• Durham's share of residents with a bachelor's degree or higher grew to 53%, up from 45%.
• Raleigh's grew from to 51% from 47%, the 18th biggest jump.

Between the lines: These are the numbers that the state and its economic development officials are touting to future companies right now as they work to lure expansions.

The big picture: A metro's growth in college-educated residents has far-reaching societal effects, from rising incomes and pressure on the local housing market to political and cultural shifts.

📊 How it works: That's based on the Census Bureau's latest 5-year American Community Survey estimates.

• 🚚 A given metro's share can increase if more residents get their degrees, or if more people with degrees move into town.

Go deeper.

Flag football is set to have a big year in North Carolina, Axios Charlotte's Ashley Mahoney writes.

Why it matters: The modified version of the country's most popular sport is serving as a catalyst for the growth of football in girls' and women's sports.

Catch up quick: Conference Carolinas — an NCAA Division II conference featuring schools across North Carolina, like Barton College and the University of Mount Olive — will play its inaugural women's flag football season this spring.

The big picture: Flag football has been getting support from a range of big organizations. The NFL's Pro Bowl, its annual all-star showcase, moved to a flag football format in 2022.

• The Carolina Panthers have provided more than $1.3 million in grants for girls' pilot high school flag football programs since 2022, says Riley Fields, Carolina's director of community relations.
• Additionally, flag football will be an Olympic event at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

What's next: Conference Carolina's season, which includes 11 programs competing, this spring will culminate in a conference championship April 17-19 at Durham County Memorial Stadium in Durham.

Go deeper

🏥 UNC Health will become the first health system in the Triangle to offer proton therapy, an advanced form of radiation treatment. (WUNC)

The Holly Springs Town Council voted to approve Wake County's non-discrimination ordinance, four years after originally considering the measure. (INDY Week)

🏗️ Kane Realty founder John Kane said he hopes to begin construction on the first buildings at the company's ambitious Downtown South project later this year. (Triangle Business Journal 🔒)

🏙️ Robinson Bradshaw has signed a lease at Imperial Tower, the Durham office building formerly home to IQVIA's headquarters. The move consolidates the Charlotte law firm's Raleigh and Chapel Hill offices. (Business NC)

• In separate law firm relocation news, Horseshoe at Hub RTP has signed its second office tenant: K&L Gates, a global law firm relocating from its Research Triangle Park office, according to a company press release.

"Top Chef" alum Katsuji Tanabe's expansion blitz in Research Triangle Park continues.

Why it matters: Tanabe, who made a big splash in Raleigh with his restaurant High Horse before the pandemic closed it, is betting big that the Hub RTP area will become a dining hot spot.

Driving the news: This week, Tanabe announced he would open KatSushi Bar, a new fast-casual sushi, handroll and ramen restaurant in Boxyard RTP, a collection of shipping containers turned restaurants and shops on the edge of Hub RTP.

The big picture: It's the third restaurant he's announced in the heart of Research Triangle Park. The park's leadership, the Research Triangle Foundation, is trying to transform it from a collection of walled-off campuses into a place where employees can also live, eat and shop.

• Tanabe's other spots include a revival of High Horse at the Hub RTP development and La Taqueria by Katsuji, which will serve tacos inspired by the chef's Mexico City upbringing in Boxyard RTP.

🖼️ Join the Third Friday Durham Art Walk and check out galleries across downtown.

🪡 Explore the art of quilting with QuiltCon taking over the Raleigh Convention Center all weekend.

🏟️ Watch the North Carolina legend Gravedigger tear it up at Lenovo Center for Monster Jam on Saturday and Sunday.

🎤 Take in the Broadway Show "Hell's Kitchen" across multiple performances at DPAC this weekend.

⚾️ Attend a special in-state rivalry game between UNC and ECU's baseball teams at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Saturday.

🎭 Celebrate Mardi Gras with drinks and a musical stroll around downtown Raleigh with Crank Arm Brewing's Carnival du Crank on Sunday.

🏀 Cheer on the N.C. State women's basketball team as it takes on Syracuse in Raleigh on Sunday afternoon.