KC By the Numbers
KC Ratings & Rankings for 2009
KC Ranks 14 for Literacy
Kansas City, Missouri ranked #14 among 75 cities for literacy according to a recent study by Central Connecticut State University. The report scored cities of 250,000 people or more against several indicators, including education level, Internet use, newspaper circulation, number of booksellers, library services and local publications.
Central Connecticut State University, December 2009.
MarketWatch Ranks KC in Top 25 Best Cities for Business
Kansas City ranked in the top 25 cities in the most recent MarketWatch (a Wall Street Journal company) study of the Best Cities for Business. Cities with populations of 500,000 and above were ranked based on concentration of companies and employment.
MarketWatch, December 2009.
The KC Repertory Theatre's "The Glass Menagerie" on List of Best 2009 Shows
The Kansas City Repertory Theatre's staging of "The Glass Menagerie” made The Wall Street Journal Drama Critic Terry Teachout’s list of Best Shows of 2009. Teachout praises director David Cromer and the show saying, “I wish ‘The Glass Menagerie’ had transferred to New York and run at least as long [as the director’s production of ‘Our Town’].”
The Wall Street Journal, December 2009
BusinessWeek Ranks KC Among Forty Strongest U.S. Metro Economies
Kansas City stood out its number of notable U.S-headquartered companies like Hallmark, AMC Theatres and H&R Block as well as its significant job growth. BusinessWeek magazine used data and analysis conducted from the Brookings Institution's new MetroMonitor study. Cities were selected based on factors like job growth, employment, economic growth and home price change.
BusinessWeek, October 2009
The Daily Beat ranked Kansas City no. 17 on its list of "America's Smartest Cities."
KC was ranked for its outstanding strength of existing post-secondary institutions and degrees per capita. KC ranked above cities like San Diego, St. Louis and Nashville. The magazine considered cities with 1 million people or more and looked at the percent of residents with bachelor's degrees and graduate degrees, as well as non-fiction book sales and the ratio of higher-education institutions.
The Daily Beast, October 2009
Area Development magazine ranked Kansas City no. 5 for “Top U.S. Distribution Logistics Locations.”
Area Development magazine ranked Kansas City no. 5 on its list of “Top U.S. Distribution Logistics Locations.” KC was noted for its innovative logistics activity, as well as its position to capture significant new volume and its outstanding performance in previous rankings such as accessibility to major consumer markets.
Area Development Magazine, September 2009
Both Kansas (no.7) and Missouri (no.14) ranked in the top 20 on CNBC’s list of “America’s Top States for Business 2009”.
Kansas was noted for its low cost of living and solid economy, while Missouri stood out for its low cost of doing business and highway accessibility and infrastructure. CNBC also looked at other factors like technology & innovation, workforce and quality of life.
America's Top States for Business, August 2009
State of Kansas ranks no. 9 on Business Facilities’ list of the “Top States for Overall Biotechnology Strength.”
Researchers considered more than 20 criteria including the state of R&D funding and venture capital investments, the level of concentrated employment in biotechnology, tax exemptions specifically targeted to biotechnology, the number of biotech facilities, biotech patents and university grant funding.
Business Facilities, 2009
Business Facilities recognizes Missouri for its green initiatives
Missouri ranked no. 8 on the list of “Top Ten Green States by the Number of Financial Incentives for Energy Efficiency.” Business Facilities expanded its list of “green states” into sub-categories to include each state’s available financial incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy, the number of LEED-certified and registered projects and energy efficient rules and regulations.
Business Facilities, 2009
America’s 10 Best Places to Grow Up
U.S. News and World Report named Overland Park, Kan., as one of the 10 best places to grow up. The community’s low crime rate, strong school system and youth activities elevated this area to the top of the list.
U.S. News and World Report, August 2009
Best Places to Live 2009
Money magazine selected two KC communities for of its annual ‘Best Places to Live’ list. The magazine ranked 100 communities with populations between 8,500 and 50,000. Lenexa, Kan. (no. 26) and Liberty, Mo. (no. 29) achieved their rankings due to excellent schools systems, low crime and relatively stable economies and housing markets.
Money, August 2009
Kansas Citians’ Large Hearts
The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation recently released a study claiming Kansas City ranks above the national average for charitable donations. The study, conducted by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, found that KC area foundations held $3,239 in assets per capita in 2007, compared to the national average of $2,053.
Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, July 2009
Top Ten Best Cities to Get Ahead
KC ranked no. 9 on Forbes magazine’s “Top Ten Best Cities to Get Ahead”. KC ranked ahead of New York City (no. 10) and behind St. Louis at no. 8. Forbes evaluated the country's 40 largest metropolitan statistical areas. It gauged the quality of the business environment by how many of Forbes' 400 best big companies and 200 best small companies had headquarters in the communities. It also identified the cities with economic diversity and unemployment rates below the national average. Finally, median income was compared with cost of living.
Forbes, June 2009
Kansas City in Top 25 Art Destinations
AmeircanStyle magazine placed Kansas City on its list of “Top 25 Art Destinations for Mid-Sized Cities.” Kansas City ranked above cities like Cincinnati, Ohio and Rochester, New York and was not far behind Miami, Fla. and mid-west neighbor St. Louis, Mo.
AmericanStyle Magazine, June 2009
The Kansas City Metro is Hot …
Inbound Logistics ranked the KC metro as one of the top-15 logistic hotspots in the nation. The metro stood out for its central location, workforce, low facility costs, industry expertise and extensive Foreign Trade Zone space – upwards of 10,000 acres – more than any other U.S. city.
Inbound Logistics, May 2009
Kansas City is Affordable
BusinessWeek teamed up with Ries, a real estate data firm, to find the 25 most affordable large metro areas for proportion of rent to average local income. Kansas City made the list for its continuously low rents relative to the average income despite the tough economic times. On average, 15.2% of income is used for rent, which is typically $700 per month.
Business Week, April 2009
Kansas City is Green
Natural Home magazine ranked Kansas City No. 4 on its list of “Top 10 Urban Farms.” The magazine recognized the Kansas City Community Farm, a two-acre organic farm that offers educational programs for urban farmers and more.
Natural Home Magazine, March/April 2009
Best Cities For Jobs
Kansas City is ranked fifth among the "Best Mid-Sized Cities for Job Growth." The city was noted for its low unemployment rate, rare foreclosures and strong focus on basic production goods like foodstuffs, specialized equipment and energy. The study not only looked at job growth in 333 metropolitan areas across the U.S. in the past year but also at how employment gifures have changed in these areas since 1996.
Forbes, April 2009
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