Goldsboro is a Southern town with a diversified economy consisting of several small manufacturers, which make everything from roofing and mechanical pumps to slippers, and a larger Georgia-Pacific plywood mill. There is some agriculture and a major poultry processing plant. Most industry, as well as the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, is outside of town.

The downtown area, once a bright spot, has deteriorated considerably and reflects neglect and economic malaise. However, the cost of living is the low, and the town is close enough to Raleigh and the Durham area (55 miles) and the coast (75 miles) to take advantage of amenities there.

Goldsboro is located in a mostly level coastal plain with deciduous wooded areas. The climate is humid subtropical with some marine and mountain influence. Tropical air makes for hot, muggy summers with occasional thundershowers and steady rains from storms moving up the coast. Mountain protection and the coastal influence make winters fairly mild, with most precipitation as rain, although an occasional dusting of snow or sleet occurs.