Chillicothe once again appears on Site Selection Magazine’s list of the Top 100 Micropolitan Areas in the U.S. for 2016, tied for 78th.
“This is Chillicothe’s third consecutive appearance on this competitive list; the fourth time in the last six years,” commented Chris Manegold, CEO of the Economic Development Alliance of Southern Ohio.
“And that momentum is continuing into 2017. Our good news is being shared with a regional, national, and international audience of site selection consultants, brokers, investors, corporations, media outlets, and other influential contacts.”
Projects that meet at least one of three criteria -- $1 million in capital investment, 20,000 square feet of construction, or creation of at least twenty new jobs -- are considered in the rankings. The publication’s survey does not include healthcare, retail, government, education or utility projects.
“This is a reflection of growth in our manufacturing, industrial services, and distribution sectors. It’s clear that these developments are helping to fuel the blistering expansion in Chillicothe’s retail and service sectors,” Manegold commented.
With 541 projects, Ohio finished second in Site Selection’s prestigious Governor’s Cup competition for 2016. In a separate ranking of projects per capita, Ohio finished third. The per capita ranking was established four years ago to accommodate the concerns of smaller states.
“We are pleased to have once again contributed to Ohio’s successful results in both rankings,” Manegold added.
Micropolitan Areas are a recent (2003) designation by the U.S. Census Bureau, defined as a non-metropolitan county with a core urban population of at least 10,000 persons but less than 50,000 plus adjacent territory that has a high degree of social and economic integration with the core, as measured by commuting ties. Currently there are 575 designated Micropolitan Areas in the nation.