Jobs & Economy in Pinehurst
Pinehurst's economy is genuinely built on golf and tourism, not a diversified metro job base -- Moore County punches far above its population weight in tourism spending, and Pinehurst Resort itself is the county's 2nd-largest private employer, alongside a real, growing healthcare anchor.
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Learn moreGolf and tourism: the real, dominant economic engine
Moore County reported approximately $860 million in visitor spending for 2024, up nearly 7% from the prior year -- ranking the county 10th in North Carolina for tourism spending despite ranking only 27th by population, a genuinely disproportionate tourism footprint. That spending is cited as supporting nearly 6,300 jobs county-wide. The area hosts 40 golf courses within a 15-mile radius drawing more than 1 million rounds of visitor play a year, and Pinehurst Resort itself is Moore County's 2nd-largest private-sector employer.
A genuine institutional anchor: the USGA and Golf House Pinehurst
Beyond tourism spending, the USGA's May 2024 opening of Golf House Pinehurst -- a second headquarters campus housing equipment-testing/research facilities, a visitor experience, and the relocated World Golf Hall of Fame -- adds a real, permanent institutional employment presence distinct from seasonal tourism jobs, and signals a long-term commitment (the U.S. Open Anchor Site designation runs through 2047) rather than a one-time event.
Healthcare is a real, second employment anchor
FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, a 402-bed acute-care hospital based in Pinehurst, serves as the referral center for a 15-county region -- a genuine, substantial local employer beyond golf/tourism. See the healthcare topic for the fuller picture of what it does and doesn't cover locally.
What this research pass could not confirm
A Pinehurst-village-specific (as opposed to Moore County-wide) unemployment rate was not confirmed with a precise, independently sourced 2026 figure this session -- Moore County's overall rate was 4.1% in November 2025, matching the statewide rate, but that describes the whole county, not Pinehurst specifically, and is disclosed here as a gap rather than substituted as a village-level number. A precise, current employee count for Pinehurst Resort itself was also not independently confirmed this pass.
Key takeaways
- Moore County's tourism economy generated approximately $860 million in 2024 visitor spending (ranking 10th in NC despite being only the 27th-most-populous county) and supports nearly 6,300 jobs -- a genuinely disproportionate tourism footprint for the county's size.
- Pinehurst Resort is Moore County's 2nd-largest private-sector employer; the area's 40 golf courses within a 15-mile radius draw more than 1 million rounds of visitor play a year.
- The USGA's Golf House Pinehurst (opened May 2024) adds a real, permanent institutional employment presence, backed by a long-term U.S. Open Anchor Site commitment running through 2047.
- FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital (402 beds, a 15-county referral center) is a genuine second employment anchor beyond golf/tourism. A Pinehurst-specific unemployment rate was not confirmed this pass; Moore County's overall rate was 4.1% in November 2025.
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