Out & About: Growing with Purpose in Johnston County
Johnston County is growing. The bigger question is how we grow — and what we want that growth to look like.
That was the focus of the 2026 Triangle East State of the Region, where Local70’s Susan Keller joined local leaders for a conversation about infrastructure, utilities, development, economic opportunity and what Johnston County needs to support continued growth.
The morning included an economic outlook from Ted Abernathy of Economic Leadership, followed by a panel discussion facilitated by Chris Johnson of Johnston County Economic Development.
As part of the panel, Susan shared a developer’s perspective on several of the questions that come with growth.
Does growth have to come at the expense of quality of life?
There is plenty of conversation about what communities stand to lose as they grow. Susan offered another way to look at it.
Growth can create opportunities for people to find good jobs and housing close to family. It can bring services and amenities closer to home. And thoughtful development can create the kinds of places people increasingly want — places where they can walk, connect and feel part of a community.
"Development can increase quality of life and not take away from it"
— Susan Keller/Keller Development
What does smart growth look like?
For Susan, it starts with location and making good use of what is already there.
Local70 is one example. The community was intentionally located where water and sewer are already available and where the existing parkway provides important transportation infrastructure.
"Smart growth is utilizing things that are already here and not putting an additional burden on taxpayers."
That idea came up elsewhere during the morning, too. One of the messages from the economic outlook was simple:
"The goal is not more growth–it's better growth".
— Ted Abernaty/Economic Leadership
The presentation highlighted housing choice and affordability, creating places rather than subdivisions, planning for infrastructure, building local talent and preserving what growth can threaten.
Those are important distinctions as Johnston County continues to change.
Why Johnston County?
Susan was also asked what makes Johnston County attractive from a private investment perspective.
For Keller Development, proximity to Raleigh is certainly part of the equation. But Susan also pointed to the collaborative environment and local leadership that is willing to plan for growth and work with the private sector.
"I think the question is not why are we here, but why wouldn't we be here?
— Susan Keller/Keller Development
The numbers shared during the program help explain that confidence. Johnston County’s prime working-age population grew 36.5% between 2015 and 2025, compared with 8.5% statewide. The presentation also projected the county’s total population to reach more than 342,000 by 2036.
Growth is already happening. The conversation at State of the Region was about what we do with it — and how we make sure Johnston County remains a place where people want to live, work and invest.
Out & About with some familiar faces
One of our favorite parts being out in the community is seeing so many familiar faces.
We caught up with several people we’ve featured through Your Future Neighbor, along with members of the Local70 team and Cameron Medlin from Garman Homes. A good morning for talking about Johnston County’s future — and spending time with some of the people who will be part of it.
