A document with a number of Statistics, Testimonials, Awards, and Rankings, or STARs, was released this morning from GNO, Inc. The memorandum provides over 25 reasons why New Orleans is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. Much of it stems from the business climate, including entrepreneurial activity, and the brain gain we are experiencing now.
Taken from the memorandum, see below for how the region exceeds in regards to the economy, economic development/business conditions, talent/workforce, entrepreneurship, and quality of life.
Economy
- Greater New Orleans was the #1 Most Improved Metro on the 2011 “Best Cities for Business” list, moving up 44 spots from 2010 [Wall Street Journal]
- New Orleans grew faster than any other major U.S. city in the 15 months after the 2010 decennial headcount [U.S. Census Bureau]
- Greater New Orleans won 2011 Co-Major Market of the Year [Southern Business & Dev.]
- Louisiana was named 2011 State of the Year [Southern Business & Development]
- Greater New Orleans was named the #1 Metro for IT Job Growth in the USA [Forbes]
- Louisiana was named the #2 State for Economic Growth Potential [Business Facilities]
- Greater New Orleans demonstrated 3rd Fastest Wage-growth in the USA [CareerBuilder.com]
- Greater New Orleans was ranking a Top 20 Strongest Performing economy in the USA [Brookings Inst.]
Economic Development / Business Conditions
- GNO, Inc. ranked as #2 Economic Development Organization in the U.S. (tied) [Business Facilities]
- Louisiana is the Most Improved State in the Nation [Chief Executive magazine]
- Louisiana was selected a Top Ten State for Overall Tax Competitiveness [Tax Foundation + KPMG]
- Louisiana placed 3rd in the Governor’s Cup Rankings [Site Selection]
- Louisiana was ranked as the #4 Most Competitive State [New Geography]
- Louisiana was ranked #6 on the list of Top States for Doing Business [Area Development]
- Louisiana has risen 19 spots on the “Best States for Business” ranking since 2008, the largest gain made by any state during that time period [Forbes]
- Louisiana was named in the top 5 states for Best Business Climate [Business Facilities]
- Louisiana was named number one state for Economic Growth Potential, Workforce Training, and Digital
- Media Leaders [Business Facilities]
Talent / Workforce
- New Orleans was ranked #1 on the list of “America’s Biggest Brain Magnets” for attracting people under 25 with college degrees [Forbes]
- New Orleans MSA was named the #2 Best Big City for a Job [Forbes]
- Greater New Orleans was ranked #2 Employment Market in the Country [Manpower]
Entrepreneurship
- New Orleans was ranked the Top City for Young Entrepreneurs 2011 [Under30CEO.com]
- New Orleans Leads the USA by 30% in number of startups-per-capita [Federal Reserve Bank]
- Louisiana is #2 State in the USA to Start a Company [Tax Foundation + KPMG]
Quality of Life
- New Orleans was ranked #5 destination in Top U.S. Cities in the U.S. & Canada [Travel + Leisure]
- New Orleans was named “America’s Best City for School Reform” [Thomas B. Fordham Institute]
- New Orleans was included at #16 on the 2011 Best Cities for Families list [Parenting.com]