At least we're cheap
Greensboro doesn't have much claim to fame on this year's Forbes magazine's rankings of the top 200 places for business and careers.
Yeah, the Gate City made the list. But we ranked 61st.
Raleigh, which has been an annual runner-up, finally broke the glass ceiling. The city ranks first on the Forbes list, followed by Durham (in 7th), Charlotte (21st), Asheville (23rd), Winston-Salem (24th), Wilmington (38th). Fayetteville and Hickory also made the grade, ranking 105th and 167th, respectively.
But wait. All is not lost. Greensboro did manage to snag a blue ribbon on one list breakdown.
Forbes says we're tops for the low cost of doing business. Take that Winston (7th), Raleigh (27th) and Charlotte (44th). (Forbes based the cost rankings on factors including taxes, the price of office space, and the costs of labor and energy.)
Take a moment to absorb that accolade - because there's more bad news.
We didn't even make the top 100 when it comes to educational attainment, which Forbes measures by looking at the percentage of the population ages 25 and older who have obtained at least a bachelor's degree. On that list, Greensboro came in 111th, behind 110th-ranked Winston. The state's other cities performed better: Durham ranked 6th, Raleigh ranked 12th, and Charlotte came in 54th.
Other factors Forbes considered included cultural and recreational resources, like museums and golf courses; crime; cost of living; and income and job growth.
Comments (2)
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Commenters at my blog have pretty well shredded the list...
Posted on April 9, 2007 3:50 PM
Hi Ed -
Just took a look. I'd be interested to hear what more you and others have to say about the Greensboro vs. Winston thing. Frankly, I was surprised we ranked behind them by so far on that overall list.
I'll occasionally post these lists here because they seem to be talkers and they say something about how Greensboro might be perceived on the national level, but I'm inclined to agree with some of the comments on your site - I don't really think they're worth much.
Posted on April 9, 2007 3:57 PM