Charleston ranked number 2 "Next City" by Next Generation Consulting
Next Generation Consulting just ranked Charleston number 2 on their Next Cities™ list in the mighty macros class for cities with populations between 100,000 and 200,000.
Young knowledge workers said that where they lived was more important than where they worked. Furthermore, Census figures indicate that from 1990 to 2000, only a handful of cities had a net in-migration of young knowledge workers, while 90 percent of America’s cities suffered a net loss. In other words, cities that can attract and retain these highly mobile young knowledge workers will reap economic gains. Read more.
One of the interesting things to me is how the populations of the cities are determined. The Charleston metropolitan area including Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant and Summerville has a population over 600,000 but Charleston's population is only in the 100,000 to 200,000 range. When you take a look at some of the mid sized and super sized cities, several things stand out. Atlanta, for example would seem to be the largest city in the South but is only ranked in the mid sized cities while Charlotte which is considered a small Atlanta is ranked in the super cities. The population of different cities depends on how much annexation of the suburban areas a city has incorporated.
But overall, it's great news that Charleston is poised to attract young knowledge workers and enjoy the associated economic gains.