business facilities magazine metro rankings
TRANSCRIPT
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8/8/2019 Business Facilities Magazine Metro Rankings
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W
e recognize that growthpotential is not deter-
mined by size; in fact,there are a number of overgrownmetropolises in the U.S. that rapidlyare being outpaced by mid-sized con-tenders. Also, some of the most dra-matic growth possibilities can befound in smaller communities. So
weve divided our Top 10 Metros forEconomic Growth Potential rankinginto two sub-categories, giving largecities and their smaller brethren a
chance to shine side by side.In the small population sub-cate-
gory, Panama City, FL remains front-and-center on our growth radar. As we
detailed in our June cover feature[Editors Location Picks], it would behard to find a better example of theseemingly overnight transformationof a region than the current activityon the Florida panhandle. One of thenations largest economic develop-ment initiatives is taking shape amidstthe piney trees and pristine beaches inNorthwest Florida near Panama City.
What makes the 75,000-acre West
Bay development unique is not just ahuge public-private effort that is
spearheaded by the areas largestproperty owner, The St. Joe Co. and
has brought together state, regionaland local agencies: West Bay is theonly economic development projectin the nation that comes with its ownbrand-new international airport.
The $318-million NorthwestFlorida Beaches International Airportbegan operations with the first land-ing by Southwest Airlines on May 23after a ribbon-cutting ceremonyattended by Gov. Charlie Crist. It is
the first greenfield commercial serviceairport to be built in the U.S. in morethan 15 years, replacing the existingPanama City-Bay County Interna-tional Airport. The new airportboasts a 10,000-foot runway built onapproximately 1,300 acres of a 4,000-acre site in the West Bay develop-ment. The land for the airport wasdonated by St. Joe Co.
The 125,000-square-foot passen-
ger terminal at NW Beaches featuresseven gates, two restaurants, tworetail shops and six car-rental coun-
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Top 10 Metro
Economic Growth
Potential
1. CHATTANOOGA, TN
2. ALBUQUERQUE, NM
3. SAN ANTONIO, TX
4. CHARLESTON, SC
5. CHARLOTTE, NC
6. TUCSON, AZ
7. INDIANAPOLIS, IN
8. KANSAS CITY, MO
9. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
10. LOUISVILLE, KY
Top 10 Metro Economic
Growth Potential(Under 200k Population)
1. PANAMA CITY, FL
2. MANHATTAN, KS
3. MIDLAND, MI
4. NEWPORT NEWS, VA
5. KNOXVILLE, TN
6. GREENVILLE, SC
7. DUBUQUE, IA
8. JUNCTION CITY, KS
9. SIOUX CITY, IA
10. SURPRISE, AZ
Top Logistics/
Distribution
Shipping Hubs
1. MEMPHIS
2. CHICAGO
3. DALLAS
4. NEW ORLEANS
5. LOS ANGELES
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ters. SouthwestAirlines and Delta AirLines will offer daily service to Atlanta,
Memphis, Orlando, Cincinnati,Houston, Baltimore and Nashville.The West Bay Sector Plan initially
calls for a business center and a
regional employment center, dividedinto more than two dozen parcels
ranging from 7 to 44 acres each. Thebusiness and retail sites are sur-rounded by more than 40,000 acresthat have been set aside by the devel-
opers for environmental preserva-tion. St. Joes new headquarters will
be located within Phase I of the WestBay Sector Plan development nearthe entrance of the new internationalairport. The new offices will providethe company with a location centralto its numerous residential commu-nities and commercial propertiesunder development.
AEROTROPOLIS RISING
For years, Memphis has rightfully
branded itself as Americas Distribu-tion Center. Today, the charming cityon the banks of the Mississippi Riveris calling itself Americas Aerotropolis.This is not a hollow boastwe affirmMemphis global leadership as a mega-cargo/shipping hub with the topranking in our new Logistics/Distrib-ution Shipping Hubs category.
From its antebellum leadership,consolidating and distributing cot-
ton and lumber to the nation and theworld, through its 21st century posi-tion as the globes largest, fastest, andmost connected multimodal logisticscomplex, Memphis and distributionhave been synonymous.
Largely due to its status as theglobal hub for FedEx, MemphisInternational Airport has an esti-mated $22 billion annual impact onthe metropolitan economy, generat-
ing 166,000 jobs and moving up to 5million metric tons of cargo, makingit the worlds busiest cargo airport for17 consecutive years.
Memphis also boasts superior rail,water and road access. More than 400motor freight companies operating inMemphis offer direct service to all 48contiguous states as well as Mexicoand Canada, and the city can deliverby road transport overnight to moremetro markets (152) than any other
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Emerging Logistics/Distribution
Growth Centers(Less Than 500k Population)
3. HESPERIA, CA
4. JOPLIN, MO
5. ARDMORE, OK
1. GREENVILLE-
SPARTANBURG, SC
2. TUPELO-MERIDIAN-JACKSON, MS
6. FINDLAY, OH
7. SIOUX CITY, IA
8. DECATUR, IL
9. CALEDON, ONTARIO
10.JEFFERSON CITY, MO
Alternative Energy Industry Leaders
1. TUCSON, AZ
2. ALBUQUERQUE, NM
3. MIDLAND, MI
4. CLARKSVILLE, TN
5. GREENVILLE, SC
6. FORT MADISON, IA
7. KNOXVILLE, TN
8. LOUISVILLE, KY
9. JUNCTION CITY, KS
10. BAKERSFIELD, CA
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major U.S. shipping hub. Also, five major rail networksintersect in Memphis (CSX, Union Pacific, Canadian
National, Norfolk Southern and BNSF). Memphis is thefourth largest inland port in the country, handling morethan 18 million tons of cargo on the river annually.
We also took a look at emerging logistics/distributiongrowth centers this year, and the Greenville-Spartanburgarea of South Carolina jumped to the top of the list
when we assessed mid-sized locations.There have been a bevy of major distribution facilities
developed in upstate SC recently, the latest being theopening in Spartanburg earlier this year of Adidas mas-sive $150 million, 1.9-million-square-foot center, the
sporting goods and apparel-makers largest and mosttechnologically advanced distribution facility in theworld. The new Spartanburg facility employs more than1,500 people.
At The Adidas Group, were passionate about per-formancein order to get something right you have tocreate the conditions for it, said Glen Bennett, head ofglobal operations for The Adidas Group. Thats what
were trying to do here in Spartanburg.The Spartanburg center includes two large distribu-
tion buildings that house more than 15 million units of
Adidas and Reebok brand apparel, footwear, equipmentand accessories. A state-of-the-art Shared Services Centeron the eastern edge of the campus will process more than2 million orders and answer more than 300,000 cus-tomer service calls annually.
This is one more reminder of South Carolinas per-formance, attracting recruitment, investment and globalrecognition, said Gov. Mark Sanford. The dark days oftextiles leaving are behind us. The fact is we have a morediversified economy. Its a compliment to our workforceand geography, and it bodes well for our future.
Bob Henriques, head of U.S. distribution for The Adidas Group, said 1,100 of the centers workers arelocal hires and 130 more distribution and customer serv-ice jobs will be added over the next month. Although thecompany is using 50 percent of its distribution space, thefacility has been built with the ability to expand byanother 475,000 square feet as orders for Adidas andReebok products continue to grow.
Adidas, which already shipped 300,000 jerseys and1.2 million soccer balls to World Cup fans across theglobe, completed its $3.8 billion acquisition of Reebokin January 2006.
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ALT ENERGY POWER TEAM
With Arizona grabbing top honors
in our new state ranking for Alterna-tive Energy Industry Leaders, logic
supported by a cornucopia of majorproject announcementsdictates
that Tucson, AZ takes the crown inthe metro version of this category.
The self-styled Solar City hasshined so brightly in the alternative
energy sector that it graced the coverof our April issue [Alternative EnergyArrives]. Here are some activities thatnailed the top ranking for Tucson:
Tucson today is the U.S. home tosome of the worlds leading photo-voltaic manufacturers, includingSchletter Inc., which designs and man-ufactures solar mounting systems;Global Solar Energy, the leading man-ufacturer of thin-film CIGS photo-
voltaic modules; and SOLON, whichlike Schletter is German-owned.SOLONs operation, Arizonas first forthe manufacturing of photovoltaicequipment, could serve as the corner-stone of the growing solar economicdevelopment market in Southern Ari-zona. The states solar push began adecade ago when the public utility reg-ulator, the Arizona Corporation Com-mission (ACC), began to aggressively
pursue solar resources. ACC laterannounced that 15 percent of regulatedutilities retail sales must come fromrenewable energy sources by 2025.
3 2 J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 1 0
Renewable Energy
Availability Leaders
1. AUSTIN, TX
2. CHICAGO, IL
3. OAKLAND, CA
4. PORTLAND, OR
5. SEATTLE, WAFunded in part by Louisiana Economic Development
web: www.nlep.org | phone:318.677.2536 | contact: Kurt Foreman | [email protected]
NORTH LOUISIANA:
TOPPING THE RANKINGS
MORE ACCOLADES:
BUSINESS FACILITIES MAGAZINE RANKS:
Shreveport-Bossier is #1 in
cost of doing business.
KPMG Competitive Alternatives,
2010 Forbes.com, April 2010
SOUTHERN BUSINESS & DEVELOPMENT MAGAZINE NAMES:
Global Strike Command
in Bossier
Defense Deal of the YearFoster Farms in Union Parish
Agribusiness Deal of the Year
V-Vehicle in Ouachita Parish
as a Recipient of
Excellence in Green Economy
Recruitment Awards
SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER MSA
(includes Bossier, Caddo, &
DeSoto)
Honorable Mention
Mid-Market Division
MONROE/WEST MONROE MSA(includes Ouachita & Union)
Small Market of the Year
Monroe ranks #3 in top 10
cities where home values
have increased in 2008.
Kiplinger
SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER #3among Low Cost Manufacturing
Centers
SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER #3among Low Cost Manufacturing
Centers
SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER #4in Motion Picture Industry Growth
SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER #4in Motion Picture Industry Growth
#2305 at www.BusinessFacilities.com
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Arizona released its Solar Electri-cal Road Map Study in 2007, leading
to the creation of the ArizonaResearch Institute for Solar Energy(AZRise) at the University of Ari-zona, which serves as a solar energycenter of excellence. Arizona hasshown its commitment to meetingthe 15-percent renewable energystandard. Tucson Electric Power(TEP) already has developed almost10 megawatts of company-ownedrenewable energy generating capac-
ity, and is on track to add another 3.4
megawatts of company-ownedcapacity and to purchase 31.5
megawatts in the coming years.Some of the power TEP will buy will
come from a 5-megawatt concentrat-ing solar power system being built by
Bell Independent Power Corp. at theUniversity of Arizona Science and
B U S I N E S S F A C I L I T I E S 3 3
#0702 at www.BusinessFacilities.com
Top 10 Metro
Greenest Cities
1. PORTLAND, OR
2. AUSTIN, TX
3. CHICAGO, IL
4. SAN FRANCISCO, CA
5. BOSTON, MA
6. SEATTLE, WA
7. WASHINGTON, DC
8. MINNEAPOLIS, MN
9. BOULDER, CO
10. NEW YORK, NY
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Technology Park in Tucson. TEP willpurchase another 25 megawatts from
a photovoltaic system owned byFotowatio Renewable Energies. [formore information about Tucson andalternative energy, see Industry Focuson page 36 of this issue].
Knoxville, TN also caught ourattention when we rated the top
metros for alternative energy leader-ship. We were particularly impressed
with the bold plans announced ear-lier this year, when the area declareditself the Knoxville-Oak RidgeInnovation Valley, bringingresearchers from Oak RidgeNational Laboratory (ORNL) andUniversity of Tennessee/Knoxville
together in an ambitious effort toestablish the region as a primary
alternative energy hub.Improved LED lights, high techair filtration systems and lighter,stronger and easier-to-ship materi-alsall developed locallyare fuel-ing a promising, and increasinglygreen, future for the Knoxville-OakRidge Innovation Valley.
Concrete examples of theregions technical and entrepreneur-ial synergies are easy to find. LED
North America wants to makeLED lights last longer. The com-pany also is making use of light-
weight carbon foam developed atORNL that reduces temperatures inLED engines by as much as tendegrees Celsius.
Another example of InnovationValley technology at work locally isKnoxville-based Bandit Lites, oneof the entertainment worlds largest
lighting providers. Gaining a com-petitive edge by working withGRNLite, the company hasdeveloped a full range of rugged,bright and affordable LED fixturesthat reduce onstage heat, use 90percent less electricity and reducetruck space, cutting related fueland emissions.
Technology transfer is also at work locally at Industrial Ceramic
Solutions, which produces ceramicfiber filters for industrial and dieselexhaust applications. The company,headed by former Oak Ridgematerials research scientist DickNixdorf, is also developing highperformance reinforcement fibers toimprove durability of combustionchamber liners in coal-fired powerplants. Nixdorfs company also works with carbon nanotubes,which could improve fuel cells and
3 4 J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 1 0
Top 10 Metro - Quality Of Life
1. AUSTIN, TX
2. NASHVILLE, TN
3. PORTLAND, OR
4. TULSA, OK
5. ALBUQUERQUE, NM
6. SEATTLE, WA
7. LEXINGTON, KY
8. MINNEAPOLIS, MN
9. CHICAGO, IL
10. SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Top 10 Metro - Aerospace/Defense
Manufacturing
1. WICHITA, KS
2. HUNTSVILLE, AL
3. SEATTLE, WA
4. CHARLESTON, SC
5. FT. WORTH, TX
6. TUCSON, AZ
7. PHOENIX, AZ
8. LOS ANGELES, CA
9. TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG, FL
10. ORLANDO, FL
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lithium. The underlying technologydeveloped was a joint effort by
ORNL and Y-12.The synergies between researchand the regions economy are per-haps best symbolized by ORNLLab Director Thom Masonschairmanship of the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley eco-nomic development partnershipand by such events as the JuneTechnology Resource Showcase,
which connected local researchers
and their innovative technologieswith local companies.Also fueling growth in the area is
increased demand for centrifugesproduced at a site in Oak Ridgeshared by USEC Inc and its manu-
facturing partner The Babcock & Wilcox Co. USEC recently
announced that Toshiba Corp. andBabcock & Wilcox Investment Co.,an affiliate of The Babcock &
Wilcox Co., have signed a definitiveagreement to a three-phased invest-ment of $200 million in USEC.
The alternative energy activitiesdetailed above were major factors inour decision to include Tucson andKnoxville among our top 10 listsfor economic growth potential.
EMERGING AEROSPACE KINGS
Wichita, KS maintaining itstop position in our metro Aero-space/Defense Manufacturing ranking
B U S I N E S S F A C I L I T I E S 3 5
(Continued on page 66)
City Led Redevelopment at Metro Kansas CitysTransportation Hub Visibility to 130,000+ Vehicles Daily Low Taxes, High Services, Incentives Available
City-Owned Fiber Optic System Excellent Access (five interstates within 3 miles) Daytime Population 120,000 (3 mile radius) Complete R.F.Q. at www.nkc.org
North Kansas City Office of Economic Development City Hall 2010 Howell North Kansas City, MO 64116 816-274-6040 [email protected] www.nkc.org
PREMIERMIXED-USEDEVELOPMENTOPPORTUNITY
(50 ACRES +/-)
NKC HOSPITAL $237 Million New Investment
UNDE
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TRUC
TION
NORTHGATE VILLAGE REDEVELOPMENT$100 Million New Investment One Mile (N.W.)
UNDE
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CONST
RUCTION
NEW LIBRARY $5 Million New InvestmentOne-Half Mile (West)
COMPLETED
HISTORIC
DOWNTOWN
$23 Million New InvestmentOne-Half Mile (West)
CHRISTOPHER BONDBRIDGE & CORRIDOR
$245 MILLION
2011
COMPLETION
HARRAHS $350 Million New Investment
COMPLETED
CERNER CORPORATION EXPANSION$1 Billion New Investment
UNDER
CONSTRUCTION
R.F.Q. - M IXED USE DEVELOPMENTR.F.Q. - MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT
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Motion Picture
Industry Growth
1. NEW YORK, NY
2. LOS ANGELES, CA
3. ALBUQUERQUE, NM
4. SHREVEPORT, LA
5. DETROIT, MI
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was no surprise, but this years results
indicate that some rising competitorsmay give the Kansas city a run for itsaircraft dollars in coming years.
Wichita, hosts the worlds best-known aviation cluster, and is oftenreferred to as the Air Capital of the
World. Aircraft and aircraft compo-nents have been built with Wichita
expertise and craftsmanship for nearly90 years. Wichita offers one of thelargest aerospace labor pools and sup-plier networks in the world. Accord-ing to a Milken Institute study,
Wichita has the highest concentrationof aerospace manufacturing employ-ment and skills in the nation. About57 percent of Wichita metro areamanufacturing employment is inaerospace products and parts.
The Wichita area hosts four aero-space OEMs (Boeing IntegratedDefense Systems, Bombardier Lear- jet, Cessna Aircraft and HawkerBeechcraft). Wichita also is home toan Airbus Engineering Design Cen-ter. In 2008, Wichita companiesdelivered 59 percent of all generalaviation aircraft built in the UnitedStates, and accounted for 46 percentof global general aviation deliveries.
Located in Wichita is some of themost specialized equipment in theworld for metal and composite mate-rial fabrication. Decades of aircraft
production have built a network ofmore than 200 precision machine
shops, tool and die shops, and otheraerospace subcontract manufacturers.There are more than 40 Boeing-
certified gold and silver suppliers within a 200-mile radius of theKansas city. These leading-edge sup-pliers include Spirit AeroSystems, the
worlds largest independent producerof commercial aircraft structures.
Wichita firms either directly manu-facture, or provide critical compo-
nents for, more than half of all generalaviation, commercial and military air-craft. Industry-specific businessadvantages for aviation manufactur-ing include exemption of commercialaircraft and components from all salestaxes (including wet leases), liberalfly-away exemption and no excise taxon jet fuel and aviation gas.
Wichita also is the global center ofcomposites expertise. South Central
Kansas hosts a rapidly developingindustrial cluster of firms in the fieldof advanced composites, advancedpolymers and elastomers.
The National Institute for AviationResearch (NIAR) at Wichita StateUniversity was founded in 1985, andis the largest aerospace appliedresearch and development academicinstitution in the nation. NIARs120,000-square-foot facility houses
15 advanced research and testing labs,including several wind tunnels.In order to assure a steady supply of
qualified workers for the aerospaceindustry, Sedgwick County TechnicalEducation and Training Authority(SCTETA) is developing the $54-mil-lion, 222,000-square-foot NationalCenter for Aviation Training. NCAT
will be a world-class aviation manufac-turing training center on the groundsof Jabara Airport in northeast Wichita.
6 6 J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 1 0
Top 10 Metro - Wired Cities
1. ATLANTA, GA
2. SEATTLE, WA
3. TORONTO, CAN.
4 SAN JOSE, CA
5. CHARLOTTE, NC
6. CHICAGO, IL
7. BOSTON, MA
8. WASHINGTON, DC
9. NEW YORK, NY
10. ORLANDO, FL
1. SIOUXLAND
2. GENESSEE/LIVINGSTON
COUNTIES, NY
3. OMAHA, NE
4. FRESNO, CA
5. COVINGTON, GA
Top 5 Metro
Food Processing
Industry Growth
(Continued from page 35)
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Two locations that are gearing upto challenge Wichitas pre-eminence
in aerospace manufacturing areHuntsville, AL, which repeats thisyear with the number two ranking inthis category, and the Charleston, SCarea, which has vaulted into fourthplace on the wings of Boeings deci-sion to locate its 787 assembly plantin N. Charleston.
Huntsville, AL earned themoniker Rocket City as a primaryhub for the nations missile defense,
space and military aerospace pro-grams. Huntsville/Madison Countyis home to the NASA Marshall SpaceFlight Center and the U.S. ArmysRedstone Arsenal, both combiningto drive a strong research and devel-
opment economy and affecting spin-off and commercial activity of tech-
nology innovations. years, A few weeks ago, Huntsvillescored a major coup when RaytheonMissile Systems announced it willbuild a new $75-million missile fac-tory in Huntsville. The plant will beused for final assembly and testing ofStandard Missile-3 Block IB, a sea-based missile interceptor, and theStandard Missile-6, an advancedship-defense weapon, the Tucson,
AZ-based company said.The Alabama site will employ anestimated 300 workers at an annualaverage wage of $60,000. SeveralRaytheon divisions already employabout 600 people in the Huntsville
area. Raytheon said it expects tobreak ground on the 200-acre
Huntsville plant site later this yearand build it in two phases over threeyears. Initial production is plannedto begin in January 2013.
Workers at the new, 70,000-square-foot planton the U.S.
Armys Redstone Arsenal site andclose to major NASA and U.S. Mis-sile Defense Agency facilitieswillperform SM-3 and SM-6 finalassembly, integration, testing and
life-cycle support, or ongoing main-tenance. Section-level assembly, inte-gration and testing for the missiles
will remain at the Tucson and sup-plier sites, the company said.
The agreement to build the plant
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was announced by company officials, Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby and
Gov. Bob Riley at the FarnboroughInternational Air Show in England.
Alabama offers job training and avariety of tax breaks to companies
building new facilities in the state,including abatement of sales taxes on
construction and income-tax creditsfor capital costs of qualifying projects.
Raytheon said Huntsville waspicked over finalists Tucson andCamden, AR, where the companyalso has facilities. In a prepared state-ment, Raytheon said the companyconducted a rigorous site selectionprocess for 18 months, investigatingmore than 80 locations.
In a statement on its website, thecompany said was unable to buildthe missile plant within Raytheons
current Standard Missile final assem-bly compound at Tucson Interna-
6 8 J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 1 0
Top 10 Metro
Medical Devices
and Equipment
1. MINNEAPOLISST. PAUL, MN
2. NEW HAVENMILFORD, CT
3. SALT LAKE CITY, UT
4. SAN JOSE-SUNNYVALESANTA CLARA, CA
5. MADISON, WI
6. WORCESTER, MA
7. ROCHESTER, NY
8. SYRACUSE, NY
9. MILWAUKE-WAUKE-SHA-WEST ALLIS, WI
10. BOSTON-CAMBRIDGEQUINCY, MA
Strategic locationhighways, ports, airports
Productive workforcewith customized training
Low costs/tax incentives
Great quality of life
SouthCarolina
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tional Airport because of explosivefacility siting regulations covering
airports adjacent to industrial or res-idential areas.Raytheon continues to have a
long-term, strategic commitment toTucson, the company said. Tucsonrepeated this year in sixth place in theaerospace manufacturing ranking.
AUSTINS STAR SHINES IN TX
When we pull together our metrorankings, there usually is one loca-
tion that stands out for its across-the-board achievements, and this years
stand-out is Austin, TX. Austin tookour top ranking for Quality of Life
and also was the top-ranked metro inour new Renewable Energy Available
Leaders category (its position inrenewable energy use was one of the
factors in the Quality of Life selec-tion; we expect availability of green
B U S I N E S S F A C I L I T I E S 6 9
Low Cost
Manufacturing Centers(Less Than 500k Population)
1. AKRONYOUNGSTOWN, OH
2. GREENVILLE-
SPARTANBURG, SC
3. SHREVEPORT, LA
4. CHARLESTON, WV
5. MCCALLEN-MISSION, TX
6. LEXINGTON, KY
7. RALEIGH, NC
8. CLARKSVILLE, TN
9. CHEYENNE, WY
10. BUFFALO, NY
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energy to become a major bench-mark moving forward in determin-
ing a communitys quality of life).Regarding its unsurpassed lifestyle,a sunny climate and idyllic setting onthe edge of the beautiful Texas HillCountry make Austin a bonanza foroutdoor activities. If youre a golfer,you can choose from multiple golfcourses in the area, including theprestigious Barton Creek and RiverPlace Country Clubs.
Zilker Park, located in the heart of
Austin, offers more than 400 acres foractivities including soccer, volleyball,summer theater and miles of hiking
and biking trails. Gardeners delightin Austins year-round growing sea-
son, and no visit to Austin is com-plete without a trip to the Lady BirdJohnson Wildflower Center. A quickhike up Mount Bonnell rewards theclimber with spectacular hilltop viewsof the city and area lakes.
The areas diversified chain oflakes starts about 70 miles to thenorth and ends at downtown Austin.Each lake has its own personality.
Youll be enchanted by the spectacu-
lar waterfalls and excellent fishing onLake Buchanan; diving, sailing andboating in the crystal-clear waters of
nearby Lake Travis; the popular hike-and-bike trails along Town Lake in
the heart of downtown Austin; and water sports and camping on LakeLBJ, Inks Lake and Lake MarbleFalls. The nearby upper ColoradoRiver area is the winter nestinggrounds for a growing population ofnative Bald Eagles. And with a con-stant temperature of 68 degreesFahrenheit, Barton Springs is thefavorite year-round swimming holefor many Austinites.
Austins sunny climate is match bythe warmth of its welcome to busi-nesses, one of the reasons the Texascapital and its surrounding areas havebecome known around the world asSilicon Hills. Although the high-tech industry is the fastest growingand most visible part of the economy,
Austin is well diversified with astrong government, education andfinancial base. Austin has been
named one of the best cities in theUnited States for business byForbesand FORTUNE Magazine.
The influx of high-tech profes-sionals into Austin from all over the
world makes the city a challenging,exciting and diverse businessenvironment. With more than a mil-lion residents in the greater metro-politan area, Austin is the secondfastest growing city in the United
States and is now the countrys 16thlargest city overall.Austin has become one of the few
places in the country where peoplecome to live by choice, for all it hasto offer, says Austin-based econo-mist Angelos Angelou.
Last, but certainly not least, Austin holds the title of The LiveMusic Capital of the World, withperhaps more musicians per capitathan any other city.
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Top 10 Metro
Best Cost of Living(Less Than 350k Population)
1. GASDEN, AL
2. FORTH SMITH, AR
3. PUEBLO, CO
4. HAGERSTOWN, MD
5. JONESBORO, AR
6. BROWNSVILLE, TX
7. ABILENE, TX
8. SPRINGFIELD, IL
9. JOPLIN, MO
10. CLARKSVILLE, TN
Top 10 Metro
Best Cost of Living
1. TULSA, OK
2. MEMPHIS, TN
3. MCCALLEN-MISSION, TX
4. LITTLE ROCK, AR
5. NASHVILLE, TN
6. TOPEKA, KS
7. LOUISVILLE, KY
8. INDIANAPOLIS, IN
9. CHATTANOOGA, TN
10. KNOXVILLE, TN