2003 Southern Metro Business Climate Index

 

 

By Mike Randle (mike@sb-d.com)

While coming up with the criteria for our first annual Southern Metro Business Climate Index, we decided to take an approach that centered on the most important aspect of any economy: job creation and job retention. As with all of our rankings including the SB&D 100 (spring) and the Southern State Business Climate Index (fall), the methodology we use is void of surveys, opinions and other subjective matter.

So, for this business climate index, Southern markets with stable if not dropping unemployment rates and large job-making announcements are ranked at or near the top in four categories. Those are Mega-market (2 million-plus population); Major market (750,000 to 1.99 million); Mid-market (200,000 to 749,999) and Small market (under 200,000).

We have also combined each market category and ranked the top 25 metros based on points regardless of market size. One interesting item regarding the top 25 metro business climates in the South stands out. Of the top 25, at least 15 are home to major universities and a dozen are home to major state universities. We sincerely hope this data assists you in your search for a proper and profitable site in the South.

Criteria for 2003 Southern Metro Business Climate Index:

No. 1: 10 Points GAINED for each .10 point below national unemployment average as of May 2003

No. 1a: 10 Points LOST for each .10 point above national unemployment average as of May 2003

No. 2: 10 Points GAINED for each .10 point reduction of unemployment rate from May 2002 to May 2003

No. 2a: 10 Points LOST for each .10 point rise of unemployment rate from May 2002 to May 2003

No. 3: 1 Point GAINED for every corporate announcement of 200 jobs or more in calendar year 2002

No. 4: 1 Point GAINED for every 1,000 persons added to civilian labor force per million persons between May 2002 and May 2003

 

 

Top Southern Metro Business Climates Regardless of Size
No. 1
No 2.
No. 3
No. 4
Total Points
1. Bryan-College Station TX
37
< 3 >
26.6
60.6
2. Topeka KS
22
3
1
27.7
53.7
3. Washington-Balt-N VA
24
1
16
7.4
48.4
4. Fort Walton Beach FL
32
5
1
11.1
48.1
5. Lubbock TX
26
< 4 >
2
24.0
48.0
6. Naples FL
23
< 3 >
27.2
47.2
7. Charlottesville VA
29
< 2 >
19.8
46.8
8. Fayetteville-Springdale AR
32
16.6
45.6
9. Lawrence KS
20
8
15.0
43.0
10. Jonesboro AR
17
6
19.2
42.2
11. Athens GA
29
3
10.0
42.0
12. Houma LA
22
2
17.9
41.9
13. Albany GA
10
19
12.7
41.7
14. Punta Gorda FL
24
4
13.3
41.3
15. Columbia MO
39
2
0.0
41.0
16. Tuscaloosa AL
24
0
1
15.4
39.4
17. Gainesville FL
35
2
0.0
37.0
18. Enid OK
29
< 1 >
8.8
36.8
19. Jackson MS
13
1
3
18.9
35.9
20. Charleston SC
16
< 3 >
2
20.5
35.5
21. Auburn-Opelika AL
22
< 1 >
14.5
35.5
22. Columbia SC
19
< 3 >
4
14.4
34.4
23. Knoxville TN
28
1
5
0.0
34.0
24. Chattanooga TN
26
6
2
0.0
34
25. Hattiesburg MS
19
8
1
5.3
33.3

Mega Markets
No 1.
No 2.
No 3.
No 4.
Total Points
Washington, Baltimore, N VA
24
1
16
7.4
48.4
Tampa Bay
17
4
12
0.0
33.0
Atlanta
11
4
5
10.3
33.0
St Louis
6
2
5
1.9
14.9
Dallas/Fort Worth
< 16 >
< 1 >
8
19.0
10.0
Houston
< 19 >
< 10 >
3
12.2
< 3.8 >
Miami
<12 >
6
1
0.0
< 5.0 >
Major Markets
   
No 1.
No 2.
No 3.
No 4.
Total Points
Raliegh-Duram
13
7
5
7.5
32.5
Birmingham
17
0
3
11.0
31.0
Nashville
23
2
4
0.0
29.0
Hampton Roads
15
0
7
6.8
28.8
San Antonio
7
< 1 >
5
16.9
27.9
Richmond
18
0
1
6.1
25.1
Austin-San Marcos
3
1
1
18.4
23.4
Louisville
10
6
3
3.0
22.0
New Orleans
7
1
3
10.7
21.7
Jacksonville
9
4
8
0.0
21.0
Orlando
10
4
5
0.0
19.0
Oklahoma City
4
< 8 >
5
17.4
18.4
West Palm-Boca Raton
6
3
3
5.4
17.4
Memphis
7
< 3 >
11
1.6
16.6
Greenville-Spartanburg
< 1 >
0
2
15.0
16.0
Kansas City
5
0
5
5.0
15.0
  Charlotte
< 1 >
3
5
6.4
13.4
  Fort Lauderdale
4
4
0
3.0
11.0
Greensboro-Winston Salem
< 2 >
1
1
4.3
4.3
  Tulsa
< 3 >
< 12 >
1
0.0
< 14.0 >
Mid-Markets
No 1.
No 2.
No 3.
No 4.
Total Points
Lubbock TX
26
<4>
2
24.0
48.0
Naples FL
23
<3>
27.2
47.2
Fayetteville-Springdale AR
32
<3>
16.6
45.6
  Gainesville FL
35
2
0.0
37.0
  Jackson MS
13
1
3
18.9
35.9
  Charleston SC
16
< 3 >
2
20.5
35.5
  Columbia SC
19
< 3 >
4
14.4
34.4
  Knoxville TN
28
1
5
0.0
34.0
  Chattanooga TN
26
6
2
0.0
34.0
  Asheville NC
22
11
0.0
33.0
  Sarasota-Bradenton FL
26
1
2.5
33.0
Tallahassee FL
26
6
0.0
32.5
Savannah GA
20
0
11.6
32.0
Amarillo TX
20
< 4 >
13.9
31.6
Macon GA
19
3
6.1
29.9
Lafayette LA
9
5
13.2
28.1
  Lexington KY
20
2
5.0
27.2
  Huntsville AL
19
0
2
5.7
27.0
  Roanoke VA
24
1
1
0.0
26.7
  Wichita KS
2
5
3
16.0
26.0
  Pensacola FL
19
6
0.0
26.0
  Montgomery AL
11
< 4 >
2
15.4
25.0
  Waco TX
10
< 1 >
14.6
24.4
Augusta-Aiken GA/SC
12
4
7.4
23.6
  Little Rock AR
15
1
3
4.2
23.4
  Tri-Cities TN
10
7
5
0.0
23.3
  Lynchburg VA
10
10
1
0.0
22.0
  Ocala FL
14
4
1
0.0
21.0
  Fort Myers-Cape Coral FL
19
0
0.0
19.0
  Charleston WV
11
6
2
0.0
19.0
  Fayetteville NC
5
13
0.0
19.0
  Clarksville-Hopkinsville TN/KY
13
2
2
0.0
18.0
  Killeen-Temple TX
7
< 1 >
10.1
17.0
  Wilmington NC
5
10
1
0.0
16.1
  Biloxi-Gulfport-Pasc MS
7
7
0.0
16.0
  Odessa-MidlandTX
2
< 1 >
1
12.0
14.0
  Baton Rouge LA
2
< 3 >
13.3
14.0
  Daytona Beach FL
9
2
1
0.0
12.3
  Melbourne-Palm Bay FL
9
3
0.0
12.0
  Mobile AL
1
< 2 >
2
10.2
12.0
  Lakeland-Winter Haven FL
5
0
3
0.0
11.2
  Huntington WV
< 2 >
2
7.9
8.0
  Corpus Christi TX
< 8 >
< 6 >
1
20.5
7.9
  Longview-Marshall TX
< 8 >
0
14.3
7.5
  Columbus GA
7
< 1 >
0.0
6.3
  Shreveport LA
< 9 >
< 1 >
2
10.4
6.0
  Laredo TX
< 13 >
0
15.0
2.4
  Fort Pierce-Port St Lucie FL
< 1 >
< 2 >
0.0
2.0
Hickory-Morganton-Lenior NC
< 25 >
3
6.0
<3.0>
  Beaumont-Port Arthur TX
< 30 >
< 2 >
15.8
<16.2>
  El Paso TX
< 33 >
< 8 >
15.1
<24.9>
  Brownsville-Harlingen TX
< 42 >
< 16 >
11
26.9
<30.1>
Small Markets
No 1.
No 2.
No 3.
No 4.
Total Points
Bryan-College Station TX
37
<3>
26.6
60.6
Topeka KS
22
3
1
27.7
53.7
Fort Walton Beach FL
32
5
1
11.1
48.1
Charlottesville VA
29
<2>
19.8
46.8
Lawrence KS
20
8
15.0
43.0
Jonesboro AR
17
6
19.2
42.2
Athens GA
29
3
10.0
42.0
Houma LA
22
2
17.9
41.9
Albany GA
10
19
12.7
41.7
Punta Gorda FL
24
4
13.3
41.3
Columbia MO
39
2
0.0
41.0
Tuscaloosa AL
24
0
1
15.4
39.4
Enid OK
29
<1>
8.8
.36.8
Auburn-Opelika AL
22
<1>
14.5
35.5
Hattiesburge MS
19
8
1
5.3
33.3
Tyler TX
11
<3>
23.5
31.5
Lawton OK
26
3
1
0.0
30.0
Dothan AL
15
1
11.2
27.2
San Angelo TX
21
<3>
4.8
22.8
Abilene TX
16
<3>
1
8.0
22.0
Fort Smith AR
11
<1>
1
9.9
20.9
Owensboro KY
2
<3>
21.7
20.7
Texarkana TX
9
3
8.2
20.2
Decatur AL
1
2
15.2
18.2
Jackson TN
10
7
1
0.0
18.0
Goldsboro NC
2
6
9.0
17.0
Alexandria LA
5
<1>
11.8
15.8
Victoria TX
7
0
8.3
15.3
  St Joseph MO
8
7
0.0
15.0
  Anniston AL
7
3
4.8
14.8
  Gadsden AL
2
1
2
9.7
14.7
  Panama City FL
11
3
0.0
14.0
  Myrtle Beach SC
16
<4>
1.6
13.6
  Wheeling WV
11
0.0
11.0
  Cumberland MD
2
8
0.0
10.0
  Lae Charles LA
<2>
<2>
13.5
9.5
  Florence AL
<17>
24
1
0.0
8.0
  Monroe LA
4
<9>
10.0
5.0
  Florence SC
<18>
<10>
32.1
4.1
  Joplin MO
7
<3>
0.0
4.0
  Sherman-Denison TX
<13>
<3>
19.1
3.1
  Jacksonville NC
4
<1>
0.0
3.0
  Greenville NC
<8>
5
3.9
<0.9>
  Rocky Mount NC
<27>
21
0.0
<6.0>
  Parkersburg WV
<3>
<7>
2
0.0
<8.0>
  Pine Bluff AR
<24>
5
6.3
<12.7>