Data as of Aug 25, 2026 · Based on 283 AI responses from ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode · See how Parse measures this
IAM ParagonYour brand can be here too.
Source | Citation share |
|---|---|
 Seven Strategies for Data-Driven Economic Development - National League of Citieshttps://www.nlc.org/article/2018/07/20/seven-strategies-for-data-driven-economic-development/ | 10.6% |
 Measuring Impact in Economic Development: Five Data Points to Watch — Marketing Alliance | Economic Development Marketinghttps://www.marketingallianceinc.com/insights/measuring-impact-in-economic-development-five-data-points-to-watch | 8.3% |
 Benchmarking Categories – Community Economic Developmenthttps://economicdevelopment.extension.wisc.edu/articles/benchmarking/ | 5.2% |
Key Metrics for Economic Development Marketers and How to Show Them Off - Paragon Design Grouphttps://iamparagon.com/2024/02/23/key-economic-development-marketing-metrics/ | 4.0% |
 Economic Development Metrics - CALEDhttps://caled.org/everything-ed/economic-development-metrics/ | 4.0% |
Local & Regional Economic Analysis – Community Economic Developmenthttps://economicdevelopment.extension.wisc.edu/articles/local-regional-economic-analysis/ | 4.0% |
 Economic Development Marketing 101https://aboutdci.com/blog/economic-development-marketing-101/ | 2.2% |
 Data-driven economic development strategies for future project success | Baker Tillyhttps://www.bakertilly.com/insights/data-driven-economic-development-strategies-for-future-project-success | 2.2% |
 Measuring What Matters: Simple Metrics for Small Town Economic Development - HSC Consultinghttps://hscommunities.com/blog/measuring-what-matters-simple-metrics-for-small-town-economic-development | 2.0% |
 Value Proposition Toolkit for Economic Developershttps://www.trade.gov/sites/default/files/2025-03/Value%20Proposition%20Toolkit%20for%20Economic%20Developers.pdf | 2.0% |
An economic development manager must use a mix of `demographic, fiscal, and infrastructure` data to build a compelling case for business investment. 👥 Talent and Workforce - **Labor pool size** : Total labor force within a 30- to 45-minute drive.
An economic development manager must use a mix of demographic, fiscal, and infrastructure data to build a compelling case for business investment.
👥 Talent and Workforce
💰 Costs and Incentives
🏢 Infrastructure and Real Estate
📈 Business Climate and Market Access
🏡 Livability and Quality of Life
To help tailer this data for your specific marketing strategy, would you like to:
An economic development manager should focus on the data that matters most to site selectors, investors, employers, developers, and talent. The goal is not to present every statistic available, but to demonstrate a clear competitive advantage with credible, current data. Workforce, infrastructure, operating costs,…
An economic development manager should focus on the data that matters most to site selectors, investors, employers, developers, and talent. The goal is not to present every statistic available, but to demonstrate a clear competitive advantage with credible, current data. Workforce, infrastructure, operating costs, quality of life, and site readiness consistently rank among the most important decision factors for companies evaluating locations.
Companies often begin by asking, "Can I find and retain the workers I need?"
Key metrics:
Strong supporting data:
Show evidence that your community already supports target industries.
Key metrics:
Examples:
Existing clusters reduce risk for relocating companies.
Many communities lose projects because they lack ready-to-develop sites.
Key metrics:
For each site:
Site readiness has become a major site-selection factor.
Demonstrate how easily goods and people move.
Key metrics:
Visual maps often outperform tables of numbers.
Many projects today are won or lost based on infrastructure readiness.
Key metrics:
Particularly important for:
Electric power availability is increasingly cited as a top selection criterion.
Help companies estimate operating costs.
Key metrics:
A useful tactic is showing:
"20% lower operating costs than the national average"
rather than only listing raw numbers.
Companies want to know what support is available.
Key metrics:
Equally important:
Responsive local government ranks highly with site-selection consultants.
Especially important for retail, healthcare, housing, and service-sector recruitment.
Key metrics:
Trade area analysis often provides a more accurate picture than city population alone.
Many executives consider quality of life a major factor when recruiting talent.
Key metrics:
Include:
Data is powerful, but proof is often more persuasive.
Key metrics:
Examples:
If I were building a one-page marketing dashboard for a community, I would include:
| Category | Core Metric |
|---|---|
| Workforce | Labor shed within 60 minutes |
| Talent | Annual graduates and credentials |
| Industry | Top industry clusters |
| Sites | Shovel-ready acreage available |
| Logistics | Drive-time to major markets |
| Utilities | Power, water, broadband capacity |
| Costs | Comparative operating costs |
| Demographics | Population and growth rate |
| Quality of Life | Housing affordability and crime rate |
| Momentum | Recent jobs and investment announcements |
The strongest economic development marketing combines hard data (workforce, sites, infrastructure, costs) with evidence of momentum (growth, investment, success stories) and a clear narrative about why the community offers a competitive advantage. Site selectors consistently look for current, accessible data on labor, infrastructure, costs, incentives, demographics, and available properties when evaluating locations.
An economic development manager should market their community using key data points that highlight workforce quality, cost of doing business, and quality of life. Essential metrics include labor force demographics (education, skills), job growth/inflow-outflow, cost of living, available real estate (vacancy rates),…
An economic development manager should market their community using key data points that highlight workforce quality, cost of doing business, and quality of life. Essential metrics include labor force demographics (education, skills), job growth/inflow-outflow, cost of living, available real estate (vacancy rates), and tax base data.
Key data categories to market a community's strengths include:
Workforce& Demographic Data
Business& Economic Climate
Real Estate& Infrastructure
Quality of Life& Community Assets
Key Data Tools for Marketing:
An economic development manager isn’t just “telling a story” about a place—they’re backing it up with evidence that reduces risk for investors, employers, and site selectors. The most effective community marketing packages consistently revolve around a core set of data categories that answer three fundamental…
An economic development manager isn’t just “telling a story” about a place—they’re backing it up with evidence that reduces risk for investors, employers, and site selectors. The most effective community marketing packages consistently revolve around a core set of data categories that answer three fundamental questions: Who is here? What can they do? And why is this a good place to invest?
Here are the key data points (and how they’re used strategically):
These are the foundation of almost every pitch.
Core metrics:
Population size and growth trends
Age distribution
Household income / median income
Educational attainment
Household composition (families, singles, etc.)
Why it matters:
Demographics help businesses understand their customer base and labor pool —who they can sell to and hire.
Often the most important category for employers.
Core metrics:
Labor force size and participation rate
Unemployment rate
Occupation mix and industry skills
Wage levels and competitiveness
Commuting patterns / labor shed
Talent pipeline (graduates, training programs)
Why it matters:
Companies want confidence that they can recruit, retain, and afford talent locally.
This signals stability and growth potential.
Core metrics:
Job growth rates
GDP or regional output
Industry growth/decline trends
Business formation and closures
Income growth
Why it matters:
These indicators show whether the community is growing, stable, or declining , which directly affects investment risk.
This is about competitive positioning.
Core metrics:
Key industry clusters
Major employers
Supply chain presence
Business density by sector
Incentives, tax structure, regulatory climate
Why it matters:
Companies look for clusters, synergies, and supplier networks —not isolation.
Especially critical for retail, hospitality, and services.
Core metrics:
Household spending patterns
Retail leakage/surplus
Market demand indices
Daytime population (workers vs residents)
Why it matters:
This shows real purchasing power and unmet demand , not just population size.
This connects strategy to physical feasibility.
Core metrics:
Available sites/buildings
Commercial/industrial vacancy rates
Land costs and lease rates
Transportation access (highways, rail, air, ports)
Utilities (power, water, broadband)
Why it matters:
Even a great workforce won’t matter if a company can’t find a suitable site or infrastructure.
Increasingly central—not optional.
Core metrics:
Cost of living
Housing affordability and availability
Healthcare access
Schools and education quality
Crime rates
Amenities (parks, culture, recreation)
Why it matters:
Modern economic development ties success to livability and talent attraction , not just jobs.
Signals long-term competitiveness.
Core metrics:
Startup activity
Patents / R&D activity
বিশ্ববিদ্যাল partnerships or research institutions
Access to capital
Why it matters:
Indicates whether the community is future-oriented and adaptable.
Raw data isn’t enough—context matters.
Core metrics:
Regional and national comparisons
Peer city benchmarking
Competitive cost comparisons
Why it matters:
Site selectors always ask: “Why here instead of somewhere else?”
Not a dataset—but essential for marketing.
Examples:
Maps (drive times, labor sheds, trade areas)
Dashboards and infographics
Site maps and GIS layers
Why it matters:
Economic development today is about turning data into clear, persuasive content used in pitches and presentations.
Top-performing economic development teams don’t just present isolated stats—they build a narrative:
Demographics + spending → market opportunity
Workforce + wages → operational feasibility
Industry + infrastructure → strategic fit
Quality of life → talent attraction
That combination transforms raw data into a compelling investment case.
If you want, I can help you turn these into a one-page “community profile” or pitch deck structure tailored to your specific city or region.
Key data points for marketing a community include workforce demographics (education, skills, participation), labor inflow/outflow, and cost of doing business. Crucial metrics also involve land/building availability, utility costs, population trends, and quality-of-life indicators (housing, amenities) to demonstrate…
Key data points for marketing a community include workforce demographics (education, skills, participation), labor inflow/outflow, and cost of doing business. Crucial metrics also involve land/building availability, utility costs, population trends, and quality-of-life indicators (housing, amenities) to demonstrate competitive advantages, according to.
Key data points are categorized below:
1. Workforce & Talent (The "Who")
2. Business Environment & Cost (The "What")
3. Site & Infrastructure Availability (The "Where")
4. Demographics & Quality of Life (The "Why")
5. Performance Metrics (The "Proof")
These data points should be combined into a Value Proposition Toolkit for Economic Developers to help investors understand the local economic landscape.
An economic development manager’s goal is to make a place _legible and compelling to investors, employers, site selectors, and talent_. The strongest marketing strategies don’t rely on anecdotes—they rely on **standardized, comparable, decision-grade data** that answers: _Why here, why now, and why it will succeed?_…
An economic development manager’s goal is to make a place legible and compelling to investors, employers, site selectors, and talent. The strongest marketing strategies don’t rely on anecdotes—they rely on standardized, comparable, decision-grade data that answers: Why here, why now, and why it will succeed?
Below are the key data point categories most commonly used to market community strengths, along with the specific metrics inside each.
This answers: Can I hire the people I need?
Key data points:
Labor force size and growth
Unemployment rate and labor force participation
Educational attainment (HS, associate, bachelor’s+)
Occupational mix (healthcare, manufacturing, tech, logistics, etc.)
Wage levels by occupation
Commute shed / labor draw area (regional workforce access)
Skills pipelines (community colleges, apprenticeships, universities)
Why it matters: Workforce availability is consistently one of the most heavily weighted site selection criteria.
This answers: Is the economy growing and stable?
Key data points:
Job growth (total and by sector)
New business formations / startups
Business expansions and relocations
GDP or regional output
Industry diversification index
Productivity measures (output per worker)
Investment trends (capital expenditures, FDI if available)
These indicators show whether a community is gaining or losing economic momentum.
This answers: What are you already good at?
Key data points:
Employment concentration by industry (location quotients / LQs)
Existing industry clusters (manufacturing, logistics, biotech, etc.)
Anchor employers and supply chain depth
Export industries and traded-sector employment
Innovation ecosystem (patents, R&D, startups)
This is where communities differentiate themselves rather than just compete on generic “pro-business” messaging.
This answers: Can businesses physically operate efficiently here?
Key data points:
Highway access / interstate proximity
Freight rail and intermodal access
Airport access (cargo + passenger)
Broadband speed, fiber coverage, 5G availability
Utility capacity (water, sewer, electric reliability)
Industrial site inventory (shovel-ready acreage, building space)
Infrastructure is often a “deal-maker or deal-breaker” for large employers.
This answers: Is there space to grow?
Key data points:
Industrial, office, and retail vacancy rates
Available land inventory (greenfield / brownfield)
Construction costs and permitting timelines
Recent building permits and absorption rates
Housing supply and affordability (important for workforce attraction)
Communities increasingly market site readiness as much as location.
This answers: Will people want to live here?
Key data points:
Cost of living index
Housing affordability and availability
Crime rates and public safety trends
School performance metrics
Healthcare access and outcomes
Cultural amenities (parks, arts, recreation)
Commute times and congestion levels
Quality of life is now a primary “talent magnet” metric, especially for knowledge industries.
This answers: Is there a customer base and workforce pipeline?
Key data points:
Total population and growth trends
Age distribution (especially working-age population)
Household income levels
Diversity metrics
Migration patterns (inflow vs outflow)
These are foundational for both labor and consumer market analysis.
This answers: Is it financially attractive?
Key data points:
Average wages vs regional/national benchmarks
Tax structure (property, corporate, incentives)
Utility costs (electricity, water, gas)
Commercial lease rates
Insurance and regulatory costs
Even strong markets lose deals if cost structure is unclear or uncompetitive.
This answers: Will I get support here?
Key data points:
Economic development organizations and programs
Workforce development partnerships
University/college R&D activity
Public-private partnership track record
Grant funding capacity and incentives available
This is often what differentiates “good” from “high-performing” economic development ecosystems.
These show trajectory , not just static conditions:
Recent major project announcements
Job creation pipeline
Infrastructure investments underway
Planned developments or zoning approvals
Venture capital or innovation funding trends
Momentum signals reduce perceived risk for investors.
The most effective economic development marketing doesn’t overwhelm audiences with data—it selects a small set of high-trust indicators that answer investor questions in order :
Can I hire people?
Can I move goods/services efficiently?
Is the market growing?
Can I find land/buildings?
Will my employees want to live here?
What will it cost me?
If you want, I can also turn this into a ready-to-use “community marketing dashboard template” or a site selector pitch deck outline tailored to your region.
An economic development manager is essentially “selling a place,” so the most effective marketing uses **data that proves competitiveness, reduces risk for investors, and tells a clear economic story**. Most successful communities organize their messaging around a consistent set of key indicator categories rather than…
An economic development manager is essentially “selling a place,” so the most effective marketing uses data that proves competitiveness, reduces risk for investors, and tells a clear economic story. Most successful communities organize their messaging around a consistent set of key indicator categories rather than overwhelming audiences with raw statistics.
Here are the most important data points used to market community strengths:
Investors and site selectors want to know: Can I hire the people I need?
Key data points:
Labor force size and participation rate
Educational attainment (e.g., % with bachelor’s degrees or certifications)
Skill pipelines (community colleges, universities, apprenticeships)
Wage levels by occupation
Occupational mix / in-demand skills
Workforce capacity is consistently one of the first filters in location decisions because talent availability often outweighs incentives or tax differences.
This shows economic stability and specialization.
Key data points:
Major industry clusters (manufacturing, healthcare, tech, logistics, etc.)
Number of business establishments
Business growth, expansions, and retention trends
Key employers and industry diversity
Export activity or trade exposure
Communities often emphasize “clusters” because they signal competitive advantage and supplier networks.
These show whether the community is growing or stagnating.
Key data points:
Job growth / employment trends
Unemployment rate
Gross regional product (GRP) or GDP growth
New business starts
Total capital investment (public + private)
These metrics are commonly used to demonstrate economic vitality and investor momentum.
This is critical for site selectors evaluating feasibility.
Key data points:
Available industrial/commercial land and buildings
Utility capacity (power, water, wastewater, broadband)
Transportation access (highways, rail, ports, airports)
Development-ready “shovel-ready” sites
Construction costs and permitting speed
Infrastructure availability is frequently part of formal site selection scoring.
This answers: What will it cost to operate here?
Key data points:
Cost of living index
Business taxes and incentives
Real estate costs (industrial, office, housing)
Utility rates
Average wages vs. productivity
Cost positioning is often used to differentiate similar regions competing for investment.
This helps with talent attraction and retention messaging.
Key data points:
Housing availability and affordability
Crime rates and public safety metrics
School quality (K–12 performance, graduation rates)
Healthcare access
Cultural amenities, recreation, parks, entertainment
Quality of life has become especially important in talent-driven economies.
Used when positioning toward higher-value industries.
Key data points:
R&D spending and innovation activity
Startup formation rates
University research output and partnerships
Patent activity
Presence of innovation districts or incubators
These help signal long-term competitiveness in advanced sectors.
This supports logistics-heavy and export-oriented industries.
Key data points:
Drive-time access to major metros
Freight movement capacity (rail, air, trucking corridors)
Distance to ports and distribution hubs
Broadband speed and coverage
Beyond static numbers, investors want trajectory:
5–10 year population growth trends
Employment growth trends
Rising industries vs. declining sectors
Real estate absorption rates
Investment pipeline (announcements and leads)
A key principle in economic development marketing is that decision-makers often prefer trend direction over snapshot data.
Most effective communities don’t present all of this at once. Instead, they:
Select 5–7 “headline indicators” for marketing materials
Use deeper datasets in site selector packets
Tailor messaging to target industries (e.g., logistics vs. biotech vs. manufacturing)
Research on economic development communication shows that too many metrics can overwhelm decision-makers, so clarity and focus are critical.
If you want, I can turn this into a ready-to-use “community marketing dashboard template” or tailor it for a specific industry (like manufacturing, tech, or logistics).
Economic development managers should market community strengths using data on workforce characteristics, demographics, real estate availability, and quality of life. Key metrics include educational attainment, income, job inflow/outflow, building vacancy rates, and tax revenue trends to showcase a skilled labor pool…
Economic development managers should market community strengths using data on workforce characteristics, demographics, real estate availability, and quality of life. Key metrics include educational attainment, income, job inflow/outflow, building vacancy rates, and tax revenue trends to showcase a skilled labor pool and business-friendly environment.
Here are the key data points categorized for marketing a community:
1. Workforce and Talent
2. Real Estate and Infrastructure
3. Demographic and Economic Health
4. Quality of Life and Amenities
These data points are often compiled into a Value Proposition Toolkit to help investors make informed decisions.
Economic development managers should focus on data points that quantify workforce quality, cost competitiveness, and quality of life to market community strengths. Key data includes demographic trends, labor force characteristics (size, skills, wages), infrastructure capacity, and industry clusters. Utilizing tools…
Economic development managers should focus on data points that quantify workforce quality, cost competitiveness, and quality of life to market community strengths. Key data includes demographic trends, labor force characteristics (size, skills, wages), infrastructure capacity, and industry clusters. Utilizing tools like Census Bureau data or EMSI to highlight site availability, educational attainment, and commuting patterns is crucial for attracting investment.
Key Data Points to Market Community Strengths:
These data points help build a compelling narrative for location optimization and competitive advantages, often presented via infographics and digital dashboards to potential investors.
An effective economic development marketing strategy is essentially about turning complex local data into a clear, compelling “investment story.” Site selectors, businesses, and talent all rely on comparable, verifiable indicators to decide whether a place is worth deeper consideration. The strongest communities don’t…
An effective economic development marketing strategy is essentially about turning complex local data into a clear, compelling “investment story.” Site selectors, businesses, and talent all rely on comparable, verifiable indicators to decide whether a place is worth deeper consideration. The strongest communities don’t just list data—they curate a set of decision-driving metrics that answer: Why here? Why now? Why this community over alternatives?
Below are the key categories and data points most economic development organizations use.
Businesses usually start with whether they can hire and retain people.
Key data points:
Labor force size and participation rate
Unemployment rate and underemployment
Educational attainment (high school, college, graduate degrees)
STEM and industry-specific talent availability
Wage levels by occupation and sector
Commute times and labor shed (regional workforce access)
These indicators signal whether a community can sustain growth through human capital.
This shows whether the local economy is expanding and competitive.
Key data points:
Job growth (total and by sector)
Business openings, expansions, and closures
Key industry clusters (e.g., logistics, aerospace, health care)
GDP or regional output per capita
Investment totals (public + private)
Productivity or output per worker
Expansions and new projects are especially powerful signals of momentum.
Site selectors care about “can I physically locate here quickly?”
Key data points:
Available industrial, office, and commercial square footage
Vacancy rates by property type
Land availability and shovel-ready sites
Price per square foot (industrial/office/retail)
Utility capacity (power, water, broadband, sewer)
Permitting speed and development timelines
These metrics reduce perceived risk for investors.
Modern economic development heavily depends on logistics and digital access.
Key data points:
Highway, rail, air, and port access (if applicable)
Broadband speed and coverage
Utility reliability and capacity
Transit availability
Distance to major markets, suppliers, and population centers
This is often framed as “time-to-market advantage.”
This is where communities compete directly against each other.
Key data points:
Tax burden (property, corporate, sales)
Average wages (cost side for employers)
Utility costs (electricity, water, gas)
Real estate costs
Incentives and tax credits available
This helps quantify “bottom-line competitiveness.”
Increasingly critical for workforce recruitment.
Key data points:
Housing affordability and availability
Cost of living index
Crime rates and public safety metrics
Healthcare access and outcomes
School quality and enrollment performance
Cultural amenities (parks, arts, recreation)
Many relocation decisions hinge on these softer—but decisive—factors.
Shows the scale of demand businesses can reach.
Key data points:
Population size and growth trends
Median household income
Regional population within 1–2–3 hour drive times
Consumer spending levels
Age distribution (especially working-age population)
These help businesses understand their customer base , not just their location.
This is about future—not just current—growth.
Key data points:
Projects in the pipeline (announced, planned, under construction)
Capital investment totals
Public infrastructure investments
Number of active prospects or leads
Development permits issued
These are often used to demonstrate “momentum” and competitiveness.
Helps differentiate a community from competitors.
Key data points:
Top employment sectors and cluster concentration
Export activity by industry
Major employers and anchor institutions
R&D intensity or innovation activity
Supply chain strengths
This is where communities define their “why us in this industry.”
Increasingly included in modern economic development narratives.
Key data points:
Income inequality measures
Poverty rates
Economic diversification (not overly dependent on one sector)
Workforce participation by demographic groups
Housing stability and displacement risk
These are often used in long-term planning and funding applications.
Strong economic development marketing doesn’t just present these numbers—it combines them into:
Benchmark comparisons (vs peer cities)
Dashboards and visuals
Industry-specific narratives (e.g., “logistics hub” or “advanced manufacturing corridor”)
Location readiness scores
The goal is to translate data into a decision narrative that reduces uncertainty for investors and employers.
If you want, I can turn this into a ready-to-use economic development marketing dashboard outline or a website content structure for a community profile page.