Americans love cheering for the home team. We also enjoy taking a sneak peek inside our neighbor’s reality to see whether the grass is truly greener on the other side. Forbes recently released their 15th annual list of “Best Places for Business and Careers”. Recent graduates and those re-shaping their careers might find interesting insights. This analytical sneak peek reveals surprising details about why some cities excel while others continue to struggle.
The report reveals that the winning formula for many thriving cities includes a combination of low business costs, an affordable cost of living plus access to a well-educated labor pool. This year’s Forbes list of “Best Places for Business And Careers” includes 200 major metros. See how each scores on key metrics such as: Cost of Business, Job and Population Growth, and Education Rank.
Some of the Forbes “Best Places for Business and Careers” top performing metros appear to receive the least amount of news coverage from mainstream media.
This year’s #1 city is Des Moines, Iowa. Des Moines out-ranked all competitors by scoring in the top quartile on 9 of 12 key metrics used to grade the field of 200. Des Moines rose to the top by keeping business costs 17% below the national average and by maintaining an educated workforce. Reportedly, 35% of the population has a college degree and 92% have high school diplomas.
Struggling California metros overshadow the bottom of the rankings. Cities such as Salinas, Stockton, Modesto and Merced face high unemployment, negative growth and less educated work forces. Click here to browse all 200 rankings. Whether you agree or disagree with the rankings, the insider facts and insights in the report are riveting.
Here’s a quick peek at the top 10 metros:
Top 10:
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