America's 50 Hottest Cities For Development in 2005

[cwilson758]

I got this from the Southeast forum, but definately thought that it should be in here too, since KC and Indy are in the Top 5.

America's 50 Hottest Cities For 2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Every year Expansion Management magazine conducts a survey of the leading site location consultants to determine the "hottest cities" for economic development. Site location consultants, through market research, have a good indication of the local market conditions that make a city or region ripe for business investment. This year Nashville topped the list. Last year it was Atlanta. For 2005, the south has 25 of the top 50 "hottest cities" for economic development. It's interesting to view the site location consultant's collective opinions on cities throughout the U.S.

America’s 50 Hottest Cities (2005):

1. Nashville, Tenn.

2. Atlanta, Ga.

3. Kansas City, Mo.-Kan.

4. Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, N.C.-S.C. (tie)

Indianapolis, Ind. (tie)

6. Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.

7. Albuquerque, N.M.

8. Oklahoma City, Okla.

9. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

10. Jacksonville, Fla.

11. San Antonio, Texas

12. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash.

13. Richmond-Petersburg, Va.

14. Knoxville, Tenn.

15. Birmingham, Ala.

16. Memphis, Tenn.-Ark.-Miss.

17. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.

18. Colorado Springs, Colo.

19. Tulsa, Okla.

20. Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, Va.-N.C.

21. Columbia, S.C.

22. Tucson, Ariz.

23. Pittsburgh, Pa.

24. Reno, Nev.

25. Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, S.C.

26. Des Moines, Iowa (tie)

Salt Lake City-Ogden, Utah (tie)

28. Hattiesburg, Miss.

29. Chicago, Ill. (tie)

Roanoke, Va. (tie)

31. Huntsville, Ala.

32. Longview-Marshall, Texas

33. Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.

34. Houston, Texas

35. Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria, Ohio

36. Augusta-Aiken, Ga.-S.C.

37. Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, Wash.

38. Montgomery, Ala.

39. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.

40. Baltimore, Md.

41. Charleston-North Charleston, S.C.

42. Syracuse, N.Y.

43. Austin-San Marcos, Texas

44. Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y. (tie)

Sumter, S.C. (tie)

46. Omaha, Neb.-Iowa

47. Lexington, Ky.

48. Little Rock-North Little Rock, Ark.

49. Miami-Dade, Fla.

50. Rochester, N.Y.

Source: Expansion Management survey of site consultants, November 2004

[JivecitySTL]

Interesting how Pittsburgh-- by all accounts (except this one) a declining city and metro, made the list. I wonder what criteria was used.

[mjtinmemphis]

I don't understand the criteria expansion management uses. It sounds like any city that caters to big corporate people makes the list. I know Tennessee has some of the most liberal work-at-will laws in the nation along with very generous corporate welfare policy to lure large corporations. I know Georgia and North Carolina is in the same boat as Tennessee.

Notice the job winners like Vegas DC Cincinatti and St. Louis never made the list.

[KCDevin]

my only problem is that Minneapolis isn't on there.

I don't believe KC would be 3rd, but it would be in the top ten given the amount of development going on.

[The Urban Politician]

Interesting how Pittsburgh-- by all accounts (except this one) a declining city and metro, made the list. I wonder what criteria was used.

^The criteria for this idiotic list was the following:

"Where can we build ugly suburban office parks without encountering too much opposition from people who actually care about the design and appearance of their communities?"

Also:

"Where are there empty swaths of land where we can cheaply build highways for these people to use so that they can drive 40 miles from their humungous suburban subdivisions to their jobs, thus guzzling more gasoline and driving our economy, yet also justifying more military expenditure so that we can corner all of the oil-producing countries in the world and subdue them for cheaper gas prices to continue to drive this cycle (yet using the excuse that we're promoting freedom and democracy) ?"

Finally:

"What will we do with all of the money generated by powerhouses like NY, Chicago, LA, SF, Boston, etc? Well, reinvesting in those cities won't make us any money, since the biggest consumers are in the suburbs, thus we will use the money generated by these cities to invest in more suburbia; we will then reap the benefits of this investment by creating more consumers whom we shall convince that spending money on gasoline, oil, plastic, car parts, brand new redundant malls, etc etc is a sign of personal freedom and has nothing to do with putting money in the pockets of a small handful of billionaires."

[KCDevin]

Well TheUP, KC doesn't fall into the sprawl catagories. We are filling in the land that was unnecesarrily annexed in the 90s.

[KCN]

Well TheUP, KC doesn't fall into the sprawl catagories. We are filling in the land that was unnecesarrily annexed in the 90s.

That is true (although the land was annexed way before the 90s)...but it's still suburban sprawl. What you should say is we are filling in the land that was drained of population over the past 40 years.

[SChristopher]

GREAT post UP

[KCDevin]

true KCN
I just don't consider it sprawl until it's built like that planned housikng project in Platte County. It becomes sprawl when it is surrounded by land and not other housing areas and cities. like 95% of the projects are surrounded by cities and suburbs instead of being in the middle of nowhere.

I'm glad we aren't annexing more land, Kay Barnes and Wayne Cauthen recognize that the inner city is more important.

[denvernative1982]

Pittsburgh is always high on every list, in fact I am shocked it is rated not in the top 10. Lets be honest, Pittsburgh has everything world-class UPMC, University of Pittsburgh and CMU. I bet Pittsburgh, will in bio-tech and nano-tech will be the equivient of what Silicone Valley was to computer technology in the '90's!!

[sequoias]

woo hoo Seattle made it on the list, ranking 12th. not too shabby.

[VanillaVille]

No Columbus? It is to laugh. Columbus is always, and I mean always, on these types of lists.

[SChristopher]

Hmm too bad so sad that the city of yesterdays tops is now a bottom. I guess it is time to start saving for your inevitable layoff.

[Mouses]

...Austin should the hottest city in Texas, Austin rocks

[cjfjapan]

Im surprised about Indy being one of two non-southern/southwestern cities in top 20. Good news after a tough 2004 for the Circle City. Im really glad to see ATA reconstituted--things are looking up!

[ShayPlan]

...Austin should the hottest city in Texas, Austin rocks
never heard of austin. heard of houston, dallas, el paso, amarillo, fort worth, san antonio...

[The Urban Politician]

Interestingly, despite my earlier criticism Chicago still makes number 29. Not too bad after all :runaway:

[Ingersoll1978]

“Unlike the other rankings we do each year, which are based upon hard economic and demographic data, the Hot Cities poll attempts to measure the perceptions of professional site location consultants, whose business it is to help companies select the best locations for future facility expansions,” said Bill King, chief editor of Expansion Management.

Des Moines made their first appearance on this list by Expansion Management as well at #26! WOO HOO!

Expansion Management's best cities to relocate in 2004...were #1 DES MOINES...#2 KANSAS CITY...for two years straight.

Here is that ranking information...


PRESS RELEASE: Expansion Management Magazine Publishes its 2nd Annual MAYOR’S CHALLENGE™, Identifying the BEST PLACES IN THE U.S. TO RELOCATE A COMPANY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS: Bill King, Chief Editor 913-338-1503 or BillKing@penton.com, or Michael Keating, Research Editor 216-931-9657 or mkeating@penton.com

[ 7/1/2004 ] By: Bill King Related Link...

CLEVELAND, OH — July 18, 2004 —When it comes to work force, business climate, logistics infrastructure and quality of life at a reasonable cost, the Midwest dominates the list of top finishers in this year’s Mayor’s Challenge™.

“Most metros have at least one area of strength when it comes to attracting business,” said Bill King, chief editor of Expansion Management. “These metros are strong across the board. For employers who are trying to find the best location for a new manufacturing facility, distribution center, or regional headquarters, these cities represent an excellent value.”

Expansion Management is a monthly business magazine for executives of companies that are actively looking for a place to expand or relocate their facilities within the next one to three years. Every year, the magazine’s renowned research department compares communities according to a wide variety of characteristics important to corporate site selectors.

This year’s top finishers in the Mayor’s Cup, headed by Des Moines, Kansas City, Seattle, Austin and Iowa City, are heavily represented by Midwestern cities. In fact, only three of this year’s Top 10 — No. 3 Seattle, No. 8 Washington, D.C., and No. 10 Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, Pa., — are not located in America’s Heartland.

Although the Midwest as a region still dominates, the results are a lot more spread out when it comes to the metros that finished in the Top 10 percent. In all, 18 states (21 when you consider multi-state MSAs) and the District of Columbia are represented among the top 33 finishers (there are 331 MSAs overall in the study).

“During the course of the year, we try to look at the various metropolitan areas from a wide variety of perspectives,” said King. “Like most of our readers, we have a tendency to emphasize labor and operating costs in our studies.”

Here are the six major studies over the past year that made up the Mayor’s Challenge:

* Education Quotient™ — the EQ evaluated 2,800 school districts (about 20 percent of all high school degree-granting districts) nationwide as a way to provide our readers with a basis for comparing the type of work force they are likely to encounter in various communities throughout the United States. The EQ focuses on results, not on spending, with the main emphasis placed on how much students learned (college board test results) and whether they finished what they started (graduation rates).

* Health Quotient™ — the HQ looks at health care as being a major cost for employers throughout the nation. It is also something that varies from community to community in terms of cost and availability. This year’s HQ compares all 50 states according to a variety of categories that measured both the availability of quality health care services and the cost to employers of those services. In this ranking, cost is just as important as quality, and vice versa.

* Quality of Life Quotient™ — the QLQ looks at quality of life as being access to the American Dream at a price affordable to most people. While nice, access to the theater, opera, and cutting edge poetry readings are not what most Americans consider important to the daily lives. What is important is the ability to afford to own a decent (read: average) home, or to afford to rent a decent 3- or 4-bedroom apartment, to live in a community that is relatively free of violent crime and property crime, to be able to send their children to good public schools, to be able to afford to save money to send their kids to college, to be able to keep the lion’s share of their income (rather than giving it to the government in the form of taxes), and the ability to improve one’s skills through a quality community college or university. That is what most American workers want. The QLQ compares 331 MSAs based upon their ability to provide that access to the American Dream at the lowest cost to the employer.

* Logistics Quotient™ — the LogQ is an attempt to compare the logistics infrastructure and work force among the various metro areas nationwide. This study compares the logistics work force and logistics companies within each of 331 MSAs, as well as the transportation infrastructure (road, air, rail and water) servicing that metro. The study also looks at taxes and fees imposed on logistics activities in those cities. Since most logistics decisions are driven by the need to locate in a particular geographic region, corporate site selectors can use the results of this study to evaluate how cities did on a national, as well as a regional, basis.

* High-Value Labor Market Quotient™ — the HLQ attempts to identify where companies in the knowledge-based industries are most likely to find the workers they need, both in terms of quality and quantity. It compares 331 MSAs according to such criteria as the percentage of scientists and engineers in the overall work force, the number of patents issued per capita, the number of colleges and universities (and community colleges) in the metro area, and the research and development spending per capita. The idea is to identify where companies are most likely to find that critical mass of highly-educated, technical worker so essential to the New Economy.

* Legislative Quotient™ — the LQ attempts to compare the business climate created by the 50 state legislatures in terms of the areas over which they actually have control: taxes and government spending. While all politicians love to take credit for a good economy (but are nowhere to be found when it comes to taking credit for a bad economy), it is in the type (e.g., corporate income tax, sales taxes, franchise taxes, excise taxes, inventory taxes, etc.) and degree (e.g., the tax rate) of taxes levied on local businesses that they have their greatest impact on the local economy. Right behind that in terms of importance to business is how these legislatures choose to spend the money they raise, specifically in the areas of education and infrastructure. For a copy of the 2004 Mayor’s Challenge article, visit Expansion Management’s Web site at www.ExpansionManagement.com.

Expansion Management is a monthly magazine published by Penton Media, Inc., a leading, global business-to-business media company that produces market-focused magazines, trade shows and conferences, and Web sites. Penton's integrated media portfolio serves the following industries: Internet/broadband; information technology; electronics; natural products; food/retail; manufacturing; design/engineering; supply chain; aviation; government/compliance; mechanical systems/construction; and leisure/hospitality. For more information, visit www.penton.com.

TOP 50 METROS in 2004 Mayor’s Cup:

1. Des Moines, Iowa
2. Kansas City, Mo.-Kan.
3. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash.
4. Austin-San Marcos, Texas
5. Iowa City, Iowa
6. Springfield, Mo.
7. Sioux Falls, S.D.
8. Washington, D.C.-Md.-Va.-W.Va.v 9. Fargo-Moorhead, N.D.-Minn.
10. Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, Pa.
11. Richmond-Petersburg, Va.
12. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
13. Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
14. Columbia, Mo.
15. West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.
16. Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.
17. Pittsburgh, Pa.
18. Anchorage, Alaska
19. Tallahassee, Fla.
20. Missoula, Mont.
21. Dallas, Texas
22. Dayton-Springfield, Ohio
23. Amarillo, Texas
24. Lubbock, Texas
25. Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
26. St. Louis, Mo.-Ill.
27. Baltimore, Md.
28. Duluth-Superior, Minn.-Wis.
29. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.-Wis.
30. Columbia, S.C.
31. Madison, Wis.
32. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.
33. Rochester, Minn.
34. Bloomington-Normal, Ill.
35. Indianapolis, Ind.
36. Charlottesville, Va.
37. Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y.
38. Dubuque, Iowa
39. Spokane, Wash.
40. Roanoke, Va.
41. Hamilton-Middletown, Ohio
42. Grand Forks, N.D.-Minn.
43. Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Iowa
44. Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, Va.-N.C.
45. Houston, Texas
46. Topeka, Kan.
47. Syracuse, N.Y.
48. Bismarck, N.D.
49. Rapid City, S.D.
50. Atlanta, Ga.

[Viper]

I don't think Jacksonville has missed the top 10 since the magazine began publishing this list. It's lead quite a few of those years as well.

[KCDevin]

i don't understand though, why is KC growing faster and larger than Des Moines?

Were supposed to gain 50,000 people from 2000 to 2010... Downtown will have 30,000+ people in 2010...

I haven't seen recent photos of Des Moines but I haven't heard anything about development there. What sort of stuff is going on?

[Ingersoll1978]

Go to absolutedsm.com (http://www.absolutedsm.com) to find out the latest info on development in the Des Moines metro. Of course it's not growing faster than Kansas City, but it's definately holding its own.

[metrogrkid]

Wow. It's deep that one of the alumni cities of Fortune Magazine's "Best Cities for Business" listing is not in your list. I'm talking about Metro Grand Rapids and its 1.2 million people. Here's some links that might convince you all to add GR in some way . . . .

http://www.mostlivable.org/cities/grandrapids/home.html

http://www.wm-alliance.org/Brix?pageID=1

http://www.michiganswestcoast.com/

http://www.visitgrandrapids.org/

http://www.lohan.com/images/projects/ahweb_1.jpg
http://www.lohan.com/images/projects/ahweb_2.jpg
http://www.lohan.com/images/projects/ahweb_3.jpg

Metro GR is like a big city hidden at the bottom of a valley. You'll be surprised. Comment, comments . . . .

. . . . plus here's a link to a virtual tour of the building and site . . . .

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/videoarc...&articleid=4352

[Viper]

GR might be coming up but Emporis shows it as way behind the curve for 1.2 million people.

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/?id=101408

[metrogrkid]

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[metrogrkid]

Viper:

You know that obviously won't always be the case. Do you think some Metro Genie just crossed their arms and blinked the Chicago, Hong Kong, New York and Shanghai that we know today into existance as we know it(or Atlanta, Charlotte and Minneaopolis for a more GR-esque reachable future)? Just be patient. You'll see . . . .

[Viper]

I meant by the proposals listed. Only 2. And according to my almanac, the metro area grew at around 14%. That isn't bad growth, at least it isn't Baltimore, but most others on that list are growing faster.

[40748246]

I got this from the Southeast forum, but definately thought that it should be in here too, since KC and Indy are in the Top 5.

America's 50 Hottest Cities For 2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Every year Expansion Management magazine conducts a survey of the leading site location consultants to determine the "hottest cities" for economic development. Site location consultants, through market research, have a good indication of the local market conditions that make a city or region ripe for business investment. This year Nashville topped the list. Last year it was Atlanta. For 2005, the south has 25 of the top 50 "hottest cities" for economic development. It's interesting to view the site location consultant's collective opinions on cities throughout the U.S.

America’s 50 Hottest Cities (2005):

1. Nashville, Tenn.

2. Atlanta, Ga.

3. Kansas City, Mo.-Kan.

4. Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, N.C.-S.C. (tie)

Indianapolis, Ind. (tie)

6. Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.

7. Albuquerque, N.M.

8. Oklahoma City, Okla.

9. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

10. Jacksonville, Fla.

11. San Antonio, Texas

12. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash.

13. Richmond-Petersburg, Va.

14. Knoxville, Tenn.

15. Birmingham, Ala.

16. Memphis, Tenn.-Ark.-Miss.

17. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.

18. Colorado Springs, Colo.

19. Tulsa, Okla.

20. Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, Va.-N.C.

21. Columbia, S.C.

22. Tucson, Ariz.

23. Pittsburgh, Pa.

24. Reno, Nev.

25. Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, S.C.

26. Des Moines, Iowa (tie)

Salt Lake City-Ogden, Utah (tie)

28. Hattiesburg, Miss.

29. Chicago, Ill. (tie)

Roanoke, Va. (tie)

31. Huntsville, Ala.

32. Longview-Marshall, Texas

33. Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.

34. Houston, Texas

35. Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria, Ohio

36. Augusta-Aiken, Ga.-S.C.

37. Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, Wash.

38. Montgomery, Ala.

39. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.

40. Baltimore, Md.

41. Charleston-North Charleston, S.C.

42. Syracuse, N.Y.

43. Austin-San Marcos, Texas

44. Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y. (tie)

Sumter, S.C. (tie)

46. Omaha, Neb.-Iowa

47. Lexington, Ky.

48. Little Rock-North Little Rock, Ark.

49. Miami-Dade, Fla.

50. Rochester, N.Y.

Source: Expansion Management survey of site consultants, November 2004

Milwaukee not in there? Ya whatever.

[Markitect]

That's because Milwaukee isn't exactly "hot" when it comes to economic development.

Getteing a little bit better than what it used to be?

Yes.

Hot?

No.

[Ingersoll1978]

oops...

[The Mad Hatter!!]

this has to be the biggest b.s. list i've everyseen

some of the cities i'm alright with but when you telling me that reno,nv is better than miami dade county you're crazy and smoking some pot at the same time

[SChristopher]

It isnt that it is better or worse in general. They are talking from an economic growth standpoint and I am going to go out on a limb here and say that you probably dont know much about the economy in Reno.

[40748246]

I don`t think most of these cities are doing hotter than Milwaukee in economic development. Phoenix/Mesa no.6? I believe they layed off about 6000 jobs inthe past year or so at Motorola.

[richardsonhomebuyers]

And what has Milwaukee done in the past year or so? My guess is Milwaukee wouldn't make the top 10

[40748246]

And what has Milwaukee done in the past year or so? My guess is Milwaukee wouldn't make the top 10

I believe they are rejuvenating their east side and third ward district which should attract jobs. I don`t see how Phoenix can be in the top ten losing 6000 jobs from one plant.

[40748246]

I believe other companies were laying off jobs also in Phoenix along the same lines as Motorola.

[40748246]

Phoenix isn`t exactly hot either. Weather-wise yes.

[NovaWolverine]

I know the criteria was different, but I have a real hard time believing that the DC metro doesn't make that list for '05, not much as changed in the market.

[40748246]

Doesn`t richardsonhomebuyers have something smart to say now?

[Markitect]

You do realize there are "plants" laying off/closing down in Milwaukee too, right? And that such things have been going on since the 1970s, right?

[richardsonhomebuyers]

407 if it's attracting jobs please let me know where they are. When I lived there I don't remember seeing many. Milwaukee has been on a steady decline for decades now.

[40748246]

Phoenix I`m sure is not doing any better than Milwaukee, I live out here in this hell hole.
And ranked no. 6! What a joke!!

[40748246]

You do realize there are "plants" laying off/closing down in Milwaukee too, right? And that such things have been going on since the 1970s, right?

How is the hotel/restaurant resort business in Milwaukee? Personally I don`t know would you let me know. I am a Chef and need work. I think this is the perfect city to be a chef with it`s wonderful cuisine.

[EastSider]

407 if it's attracting jobs please let me know where they are. When I lived there I don't remember seeing many. Milwaukee has been on a steady decline for decades now.

You're new, but you'll learn this soon enough:

Milwaukee's changed. Educated yourself.

[Slammed0]

I'm just surprised Boise, Idaho wasn't listed anywhere. Boise is catching up to most of these big cities and the population is booming big time.

[40748246]

407 if it's attracting jobs please let me know where they are. When I lived there I don't remember seeing many. Milwaukee has been on a steady decline for decades now.

Under restaurants i wrote that there is a boom going on the east side and third ward which should attract some jobs. Now if that lead isn`t good enough for you than don`t sell real estate!

[D-res]

You're new, but you'll learn this soon enough:

Milwaukee's changed. Educated yourself.


agreed... i learned quite quickly how my opinions of milwaukee were oh so wrong from the people on these boards and my more frequent trips there..

yes milwaukee was declining but over this last decade, especially now, its been on the rise. with condo's selling for over 2 million on the lakefront and constant developement, you couldnt possibly consider milwaukee a shit town. it used to be a rust belt with abandoned warehouses, factories, and breweries, but Milwaukee is constantly improving by the day.

[Bonjourtoledo]

You know I beg to differ with all these different magazines (up in the zillions) that does ranking in their own version and findings. Of course Toledo wouldn't make that ranking since they don't back up their research with some hard concrete evidence. I think the list of cities' ranking are based on the number of the magazines (whoever did this ranking crap) being sold by high volume so they can increase their production--so congrats to Nashville being the #1 highest in sales for this magazine.

I think any city in the United States are the hottest places for development regardless if its Fargo, El Paso, Las Vegas or Scranton. It all boils down to what is the demand of the metro area and once you provide that supply and meet that demand you are poised to create jobs and revenue.

[jacobboyer]

5 minnesota metro areas made the list

[neuhickman]

I'm so incredibly confused why Sacramento didn't make the list! This list is highly skewed!!!!!