Cities in the South and Southwest aren’t just luring new residents. They’re growing their role as corporate headquarters towns.
The Sun Belt has long been known for its constellation of hypergrowth metros. The big global cities on the coasts, in contrast, have seen less growth in population and jobs.
The expansion of the Sun Belt has come primarily from an infusion of mid-level jobs, often back-office jobs, or the headquarters of older, workaday corporations. Meanwhile, the coastal cities, even the sluggish ones, have remained the key locations for the highest value employment and the highest skilled people, and have been the places with the greatest blend of innovation, cultural power and wealth.
But things are starting to change in the Sun Belt, as cities such as Miami, Austin and Nashville have started moving up the food chain. The pandemic, rising crime and homelessness, and dysfunctional governance have caused a number of high-end businesses further north to rethink where they should be located.
governing.com
by Aaron M. Renn
Nov. 18, 2022