April 6, 2026
In this week’s Catawba County United Way’s monthly Podcast, Catawba County Manager Mary Furtado talks about her approach to community leadership and how collaboration is the key to improving the lives of residents.
She also explains an important approach to easing housing instability in the county.
“When you compare our weekly wages across the state, we’re near the bottom. Of all the Metropolitan Statistical Areas in North Carolina our concentration of low-wage jobs causes us statistically to have a lagging weekly wage metric,” Furtado said.
“Our average wage can’t buy the house, but if you look at our housing prices relative to across the country, across the state…our housing is still relatively affordable in the context of other communities’ housing. Our wages just don’t have enough buying power.”
See the full conversation online at the link below.