Greenville is the county seat of
Pitt County, principal city of the
Greenville metropolitan area, and the
10th largest city in the state of
North Carolina. Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina's
Tidewater and
Coastal Plain. The city's official population as of the 2013 United States census estimate is 89,130 residents while the Greenville Metropolitan Area includes 174,263 people. In January 2008 and January 2010, Greenville was named one of the nation's "100 Best Communities for Young People" by the America's Promise Alliance. In June 2012, Greenville was ranked in the top ten of the nation's "Best Small Places For Business And Careers" by
Forbes Magazine. In 2010 Greenville was ranked twenty-fourth in mid-city business growth and development by
Forbes Magazine.