Studies rank Springfield high for attracting youth, job growth

Two organizations have listed Springfield among the best midsize cities for attracting youth and securing job growth.

USA Today ranked the Queen City 20th in the nation for its ability to attract young adults. Springfield was selected out of 289 cities with populations of 100,000 or more.   

Dubbed Millennial Magnets, the listing used 2012 U.S. Census data to identify cities with a high ratio of 20-somethings compared to teens. According to research conducted by USA Today, the higher the ratio, the stronger the local pull is for young adults. Springfield had a ratio of 188 20-somethings to every 100 teens. Arlington, Va., topped the list with a ratio of 344-to-100.

In another study conducted by Joel Kotkin, a growth analyst and writer for NewGeography.com, Springfield was ranked as the 15th Best City for Job Growth on a list of 398 midsize cities nationwide.

Considering areas with 150,000 to 450,000 jobs, five metrics were used in the study, and the data, collected from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, spanned the last decade. Springfield was recognized for adding nearly 3,000 jobs to the labor force over the past 12 months, according to a news release from the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. In addition, Springfield’s 2013 annual unemployment rate of 5.6 percent was the 69th best out of 372 metropolitan areas reviewed.

Boulder, Colo., was listed as the top midsize city for job growth.