2012

Greater Peoria is the healthiest large metro in Illinois according to the Gallup-Healthways 2012 Well-Being Index.  The report looks at six categories of well-being including emotional and physical health, work environments and access to healthcare.  Greater Peoria outranks the Quad Cities, St. Louis, Chicago/Naperville/Joliet and Rockford MSA’s.  The Peoria MSA also ranks in the top third nationwide.  Of the largest 189 MSA’s in the country, Greater Peoria comes in at 62 which is up 113 spots from 2011.  To learn more visit http://www.well-beingindex.com/default.asp.

#62 Milken Institute’s Best Performing Cities List for 2012.  That’s up from #68 last year and #87 in 2010.  The study compares job, wage, and technology performance metrics over a five-year period to capture the structural elements of the region.  Greater Peoria experienced an increase in GDP Growth compared to last year, while job growth and wages/salaries remained relatively unchanged from 2011.  

#149 Milken Institute ranks Peoria MSA 149th "Best Cities for Successful Aging" among the top 300 small metros in US.  Click here for more.

#3   Peoria, Illinois might not be one of the first places you’d think of as a high-tech center nationally, but a new study released by Engine Advocacy -- “Technology Works” shows Peoria is the #3 metropolitan area in the nation in the “Top 25 Metros for High-Tech Employment Growth from 2010-2011.”  Click here for more.

#100 Greater Peoria is ranked #100 on Forbes “Best Places for Business & Careers” for 2012.  Peoria was also the highest ranking Illinois MSA that made the list out shining Chicago #132, Lake County #140 and Rockford #191.  The Forbes list annually ranks the 200 largest metros in the nation on 12 metrics related to job growth, cost of doing business, income growth, educational attainment and projected economic growth.  The ranking is down from last year when Greater Peoria ranked #71.  Greater Peoria’s ranking stayed the same at #86 for Cost of Doing Business and #123 for Education but the region fell seven spots to #74 for Job Growth.  Click here for more.

#78 Area Development’s “Leading Locations”.  The list ranks 365 MSA’s to identify places that are thriving in the midst of adversity and prospering while others are struggling. Peoria ranked #20 on the list among Midwestern MSA’s (regardless of size), #34 among midsized MSA’s and #78 among all US 365 MSA’s studied. 

#22 Largest Export Market in US.  Greater Peoria exported more merchandise per capita than any other place in the United States by exporting $29,284 worth of merchandise per person in 2010.  Regional exports totaled an estimated $11.1 billion in merchandise making Greater Peoria the 22nd largest export market in the country according to the International Trade Administration.

#11 Best MidSized City for Job Growth 2012 Greater Peoria catapults up the list for “Best Cities for Job Growth” according to NewGeography.com.  The Peoria MSA ranks 11th among mid-sized cities, climbing 54 spots from last year’s ranking of 65.  The Peoria MSA ranks 66th among ALL cities in the US. 

#2 Woodford County is ranked the second healthiest county among the 102 counties in IL according  to the 2012 County Health Rankings recently released by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

#4 Finding a job isn’t easy these days, that’s why many workers say they would be willing to relocate for employment.  That begs the question…where is the best place to make a living and find a job?  Moneyrates.com says Illinois is #4.

#7 Illinois moves up the rankings and remains in the top 10 when it comes to business development. The Site Selection Governor's Cup is an annual report presented by the Atlanta-based “Site Selection Magazine” since 1978.  It ranks the 50 states according to their success in attracting capital investment projects looking specifically at states with the most new and expanded corporate facilities.  The Land of Lincoln ranked 7th.

2011

#1 Illinois leads the Midwest in research and development expenditures at universities and colleges.  According to the Illinois Innovation Index created by Illinois Innovation Council, Illinois colleges and universities spent $2.1 billion in 2009 on research and development. 

#68 The Milken Institute's annual survey of Best-Performing Cities reveals that the Greater Peoria Region jumped 19 spots on the list from last year.  We now rank 68th on the list of the top 200 largest cities in the nation.  The Greater Peoria Region received the highest ranking in Illinois and only a handful of Midwestern cities outranked the Greater Peoria area. 

#27 Peoria MSA jumps 38 spots on the www.newgeography.com list of “Best Midsized Cities for Job Growth.”  Peoria MSA ranks #27 in midsized cities category.  That’s up from the 65 ranking we received in 2010.   Of the communities/MSA’s we consider competitors only Lincoln NE, Lexington KY & Madison WI ranked above us. 

Illinois outranks surrounding states for positive business climate
Crain's Business reports Illinois outranks Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri and Iowa in positive business climate.  Dozens of interviews with CEOs, entrepreneurs and experts in corporate site selection confirm that Illinois has more of what businesses need to thrive.

#8 Peoria Ranks Tops in Nation for Credit & Debt Management
Peoria ranks among the top 10 cities for best credit score in the nation.  Experian released its second-annual “State of Credit” list of cities with the highest and lowest credit scores.

Peoria County ranks tops for wage increase
The bureau of Labor Statistics reports U.S. average weekly wage increased over the year by 5.2 percent to $935 in the first quarter of 2011. Among the large counties in the U.S., Peoria, Ill., had the largest over-the-year increase in average weekly wages in the first quarter of 2011 with a gain of 18.9 percent. Within Peoria, professional and business services had the largest impact on the county’s over-the-year increase in average weekly wages.

Top 25 Places for Fall Colors
Midwest Living Magazine named the Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway one of 25 Great Spots for Fall Color!

#2 Rail and Highway Accessibility  (scroll down to "Overall Infrastructure" and click "Rail and Highway Accessibility" for list)
Area Development Magazine has conducted a survey of a select group of location consultants to determine the Best States for Doing Business in 2011.  When considering “Infrastructure and Global Access”, the Land of Lincoln was among the top.  Illinois ranked #2 in rail and highway accessibility. 

#71 Forbes.com best places for business and careers. 
Peoria ranks 71 among top 200 “Best Places for Business and Careers” in 2011 according to Forbes.com.  That’s up from #86 in 2010.  When analyzing the specific scoring components, Peoria ranked 86 on cost of business list (Shreveport, LA # 1), 67 for job growth (Kennewick, WA #1) and 123 on the education list (Boulder, CO #1).  Check out the full report by clicking here.

#10 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index® (WBI)
Peoria ranked 10th best midsized city (13th best city in the country) for total well-being and health of its residents.  The WBI rankings are based on data gathered between January and December 2010 regarding resident’s life evaluation, emotional health, physical health, healthy behavior, work environment and basic access to healthcare.   The state of Illinois was ranked 26th. 

#22  CNBC’s Top States for Business in 2011. 
Illinois ranked 22nd overall, which is up from a ranking of 30 in 2010.    CNBC scored all 50 states on 43 measures of competitiveness developed with input from business groups including the National Association of Manufacturers and the Council on Competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric. Then, the scores were separated into ten broad categories, weighting the categories based on how frequently they are cited in state economic development marketing materials (therefore, the study ranks the states based on the criteria they use to sell themselves).

#6 MSN Real Estate Top 10 Best Places for Starting Over
MSN Real Estate ranks Peoria among the "10 Best Places for Starting Over".  Peoria ranks #6 among midsize to large cities, saying Peoria has some of the best job prospects and most affordable mortgage payments.

USA Today names Peoria Top employment Gainer in Midwest
USA Today reports Peoria is among the top Midwestern MSA’s when comparing employment gains.  The report compares average monthly number of employees (non-farm) of 12 Midwestern states from January to March and the change from the same time in 2010.  Peoria showed a 3.3% gain, which is among the top 5 metro areas of all 12 Midwestern states.  Illinois ranked among the top five states with a 1.3% gain in employment.

2010

Best State for Making a Living according to MoneyRates.com
At $41,986.51, Illinois had the best adjusted-average income. The unemployment rate in Illinois is not especially low, but the state benefits from relatively high average wages, a low state tax rate, and a below-average cost of living.

Peoria NEXT Company Named Illinois’ Most Innovative Company
A Peoria NEXT Innovation Center graduate has been named Illinois’ Most Innovative Company and received a $30,000 cash prize.  Lumec Control Products won the “Innovate Illinois” statewide entrepreneurial and innovation competition for 2010. 

#15  The Kauffman Foundation and Information Technology and Innovation Foundation's best “New Economy” in 2010.  The Peoria Metro Region and the state of Illinois are making headway when it comes to stepping up to a “New Economy”.  The Kauffman Foundation and Information Technology and Innovation Foundation ranks Illinois 15th best “New Economy” in 2010.  The Illinois ranking moved up one spot from 2008, but unfortunately many other Midwestern states dropped to the bottom of the list.

#69  Forbes.com top 200 Best places for Businesses and Careers April 15, 2010 Areas ranked on 12 metrics including costs (business and living), job growth (past and projected), income growth, educational attainment and projected economic growth.  Quality of life issues like crime, cultural and recreational opportunities as well as net migration patterns were factored in.  Lastly Forbes.com examined the percentage of subprime mortgages handed out over a three-year stretch and the number of highly ranked four-year colleges in the area.

March 2010, Peoria County has been recognized by Monster.com as a great place to receive a pay raise. The article "The Best Cities for Getting a Pay Raise: Where Can You Find Growing Job Markets and Rising Wages?" lists Peoria County as one of the top 335 largest US counties with rising wages and job growth.

2009

December 2009, According the U.S. Labor Department if you're in nursing in Illinois, it pays more to work in Peoria.  A story in the Chicago Sun-times reports, of the state's nine metro areas, the Peoria Metro had the second highest salaries for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses.

#33  November 2009, Milken institute says Peoria is the 33rd best performing City in the U.S. Milken's Best-Performing Cities Index measures the most successful U.S. metropolitan areas in terms of job creation and retention, the quality of jobs being produced, and overall economic performance. It looks specifically at where jobs are being created and maintained, where wages and salaries are increasing, and where economies and businesses are growing and thriving. Peoria jumped 10 spots from 2008.

#5 October 2009, CNN Money and Fortune Small Business ranked Peoria as the 5th best midsized city to launch a small businesses and 15th best overall regardless of size. The article highlights the growth of Peoria's small business sector even during the bad economy. The article explains how more than 100 businesses have graduated from startup mode this year in industries including agriculture, medical device development, and the support-services sector.

#24 In September 2009, Illinois ranked 24th as Best States for Business according to Forbes.com. In 2008 Illinois was ranked 35, in 2007 Illinois ranking was #47.  This is a look at the Best Places for Business and Careers, based on the cost of doing business, cost of living, entertainment opportunities and income growth.

#16 In June 2009, Peoria was ranked the 16th best city for young professionals on the U.S. Next Cities List among cities with a population of 100,000 - 200,000. This list looks at earning, learning, vitality, entertainment and recreation options, cost of lifestyle, and social capital.

#52 In March 2009, Peoria was ranked #52 on Forbes.com 'Best Place for Business and Career' list

#20 In the summer of 2008, Peoria was ranked as the 20th largest market for exports from the U.S., with sales totaling over $5 billion.

#21 In 2008, Peoria is ranked 21st Best Midsize Cities to do Business according to Inc. Magazine

August 2009 Reuters reported the swank restaurants and multimillion-dollar homes on Grand View Drive make the point that “the downturn is different this time around in Peoria.” 

June 2009, Biological Quarterly said "Peoria Next: Creating A Culture of Entrepreneurialism"

July 2009, NBC Nightly News reports: "Peoria is Bucking the Trend"In 2008, National Geographic Adventure magazine named Peoria one of the 50 Best Adventure Towns in America, citing our extensive trail system and live entertainment found on our Riverfront.

2008

November 2008, NBC Nightly News reports: "Peoria Region is a Pocket of Prosperity"

2008, U.S. News & World Report says: "Globalization plays in Peoria"