The Palmetto State’s Metros, Kansas City, and Sacramento Rise in Local Leaders
The strength of South Carolina in 2015 once again stood out in Local Leaders Nos. 31 through 40. While Columbia made an appearance at No. 41, Myrtle Beach climbed onto the list at No. 38—making it the highest-ranking newcomer to Local Leaders in 2016.
According to the Washington, D.C.-based Corporation for Enterprise Development, the homeownership rate stood at 68% in the state at the beginning of the year.
Since February 2010, South Carolina businesses have added 222,500 jobs, which is an increase of 15.5%, according to the Joint Economic Democratic staff calculations based on seasonally adjusted data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nationally, private payrolls have increased by 12.8% in that time.
Missouri also had strong representation on this part of the list with Kansas City, which jumped from No. 38 in 2015 to No. 33 in 2016, and St. Louis, which fell three spots to No. 35.
Kansas City’s strength could be encapsulated by the 2015 success of its largest builder—Summit Custom Homes.
“We were up about 35% last year closing 243 single-family homes, and already are trending up 25% in 2016 with plans to close 300 homes,” says Summit Custom Homes CEO Fred Delibero.
In California, Sacramento, which is seeing an influx of residents from the pricey Bay Area and Silicon Valley, vaulted six spots on the 2016 list, to No. 31. “Elk Grove (to the south of Sacramento) and Roseville (northeast of Sacramento) are the two strongest submarkets in the region,” says Greg Gross, Metrostudy’s regional director for Northern California and Nevada.
40. Columbus, Ohio
39. Greenville/Anderson/Mauldin, S.C.
38. Myrtle Beach/Conway/North Myrtle Beach, S.C./N.C.
37. Boise City, Idaho
36. Salt Lake City, Utah
35. St. Louis, Mo./Ill.
34. Cape Coral/Ft. Myers, Fla.
33. Kansas City, Mo./Kan.
32. Boston/Cambridge/Newton, Mass./N.H.
31. Sacramento/Roseville/Arden/Arcade, Calif.
