DEMOGRAPHICS / ECONOMY
Minnesota has emerged as one of the best places in the nation for business, earning a report card that proves its superiority in combining a healthy and diverse economy with a strong work ethic, abundant capital, and an enviable quality of life. The Corporation for Enterprise Development gave Minnesota straight A’s for business vitality, economic performance, and development capacity.
Ten Minnesota businesses are among the fastest-growing technology companies in North America, and more than a dozen companies are among Fortune’s Most Admired Companies for 2006. Furthermore, nearly half of the Minnesota companies listed on Forbes’ 400 Best Big Companies have been ranked as such every year since 1999. Minnesota crowns this considerable economic prowess by consistently garnering the title of “Most Livable State” and drawing throngs of tourists to major attractions and unspoiled natural beauty.
Twin City Accolades
* The Twin Cities rank among the world’s most competitive knowledge-based economies
* Minneapolis-St. Paul rank in the top 20 best places to do business according to the
Forbes’ 150
* The Twin Cities rank 10th among major metropolitan areas in corporate activity
* Minneapolis-St. Paul rank in the top ten for logistics, according to Expansion
Management magazine
* The Twin Cities rank in the top 15 Forbes’ Best Cities for Singles
* Minneapolis-St. Paul ranks fifth for percentage of the population with a bachelor’s degree
or higher education
* The metro area average commuting time is 21.1 minutes—the nation’s lowest
* More than 15 Fortune 500 companies are headquarters in the metro area
* The Twin Cities area is home to approximately 30 Fortune 1000 companies
* Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington is the Midwest’s fastest growing metropolitan area
* The metropolitan statistical area for the Twin Cities is home to 60 percent of the state’s
population
Research Resources
Association of Minnesota Counties
St. Paul 651-789-4343
www.mncounties.org
Chisago County Economic Development
North Branch 651-674-5664
www.chisagocounty.org
Economic Development Association of Minnesota
St. Paul 952-928-4860
www.edam.org
International Economic Development Council
Washington, DC 202-223-7800
www.iedconline.org
Minneapolis Community Planning & Economic Development
Minneapolis 612-673-5095
www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cped
Minnesota Association of Small Cities
Saint Paul
www.maosc.org
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Saint Paul 651-201-6000
Toll free 800-967-2474
www.mda.state.mn.us
Minnesota Food Association
Marine on St. Croix 651-433-3676
www.mnfoodassociation.org
Twin Cities Community Capital Fund
Minnetonka 952-546-9049
www.mncommunitycapitalfund.org
Wright County Economic Development Partnership
Rockford 763-477-3086
www.wrightpartnership.org
