2011

Peoria MSA ranks #27 "Best Midsized Cities for Job Growth"
http://www.newgeography.com/content/002213-midsized-cities-rankings-2011...
Peoria MSA jumps 38 spots on the www.newgeography.com list of “Best Midsized Cities for Job Growth.”  Peoria MSA ranks #27 in midsized cities category.  That’s up from the 65 ranking we received in 2010.   Of the communities/MSA’s we consider competitors only Lincoln NE, Lexington KY & Madison WI ranked above us.

Illinois outranks surrounding states for positive business climate
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20111015/ISSUE01/310159976/illinois-business-climate-outshines-its-neighbors
Crain's Business reports Illinois outranks Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri and Iowa in positive business climate.  Dozens of interviews with CEOs, entrepreneurs and experts in corporate site selection confirm that Illinois has more of what businesses need to thrive.

#8 Peoria Ranks Tops in Nation for Credit & Debt Management
http://press.experian.com/United-States/Press-Release/experians-second-annual-state-of-credit-study-reveals-midwesterners-most.aspx?&p=1%20
Peoria ranks among the top 10 cities for best credit score in the nation.  Experian released its second-annual “State of Credit” list of cities with the highest and lowest credit scores.

Peoria County ranks tops for wage increase
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cewqtr.pdf
The bureau of Labor Statistics reports U.S. average weekly wage increased over the year by 5.2 percent to $935 in the first quarter of 2011. Among the large counties in the U.S., Peoria, Ill., had the largest over-the-year increase in average weekly wages in the first quarter of 2011 with a gain of 18.9 percent. Within Peoria, professional and business services had the largest impact on the county’s over-the-year increase in average weekly wages.

Top 25 Places for Fall Colors
http://www.midwestliving.com/travel/interest/scenic-drives/fall-color/?s...
Midwest Living Magazine named the Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway one of 25 Great Spots for Fall Color!

#2 Rail and Highway Accessibility  
http://www.areadevelopment.com/siteSelection/Fall2011/2011-top-business-...
(scroll down to "Overall Infrastructure" and click "Rail and Highway Accessibility" for list)
Area Development Magazine has conducted a survey of a select group of location consultants to determine the Best States for Doing Business in 2011.  When considering “Infrastructure and Global Access”, the Land of Lincoln was among the top.  Illinois ranked #2 in rail and highway accessibility.

#71 Forbes.com best places for business and careers.
http://www.forbes.com/best-places-for-business/list?ascend=true&sort=rank
Peoria ranks 71 among top 200 “Best Places for Business and Careers” in 2011 according to Forbes.com.  That’s up from #86 in 2010.  When analyzing the specific scoring components, Peoria ranked 86 on cost of business list (Shreveport, LA # 1), 67 for job growth (Kennewick, WA #1) and 123 on the education list (Boulder, CO #1).  Check out the full report by clicking here.


#10 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index® (WBI)
Peoria ranked 10th best midsized city (13th best city in the country) for total well-being and health of its residents.  The WBI rankings are based on data gathered between January and December 2010 regarding resident’s life evaluation, emotional health, physical health, healthy behavior, work environment and basic access to healthcare.   The state of Illinois was ranked 26th.

#22  CNBC’s Top States for Business in 2011.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/41666602/
Illinois ranked 22nd overall, which is up from a ranking of 30 in 2010.    CNBC scored all 50 states on 43 measures of competitiveness developed with input from business groups including the National Association of Manufacturers and the Council on Competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric. Then, the scores were separated into ten broad categories, weighting the categories based on how frequently they are cited in state economic development marketing materials (therefore, the study ranks the states based on the criteria they use to sell themselves).

#6 MSN Real Estate Top 10 Best Places for Starting Over
http://realestate.msn.com/10-best-places-for-starting-over#1
MSN Real Estate ranks Peoria among the "10 Best Places for Starting Over".  Peoria ranks #6 among midsize to large cities, saying Peoria has some of the best job prospects and most affordable mortgage payments.

USA Today names Peoria Top employment Gainer in Midwest
http://www.heartlandpartnership.org/sites/heartlandpartnership.org/files...
USA Today reports Peoria is among the top Midwestern MSA’s when comparing employment gains.  The report compares average monthly number of employees (non-farm) of 12 Midwestern states from January to March and the change from the same time in 2010.  Peoria showed a 3.3% gain, which is among the top 5 metro areas of all 12 Midwestern states.  Illinois ranked among the top five states with a 1.3% gain in employment.

 

2010

Best State for Making a Living according to MoneyRates.com
http://www.money-rates.com/news/10-best-states-for-making-a-living.htm
At $41,986.51, Illinois had the best adjusted-average income. The unemployment rate in Illinois is not especially low, but the state benefits from relatively high average wages, a low state tax rate, and a below-average cost of living.

Peoria NEXT Company Named Illinois’ Most Innovative Company
http://www.heartlandpartnership.org/content/peoria-start-named-illinois%...
A Peoria NEXT Innovation Center graduate has been named Illinois’ Most Innovative Company and received a $30,000 cash prize.  Lumec Control Products won the “Innovate Illinois” statewide entrepreneurial and innovation competition for 2010.

#15  The Kauffman Foundation and Information Technology and Innovation Foundation's best “New Economy” in 2010.  
http://www.kauffman.org/newsroom/2010-ranking-of-new-economy-states-high...
The Peoria Metro Region and the state of Illinois are making headway when it comes to stepping up to a “New Economy”.  The Kauffman Foundation and Information Technology and Innovation Foundation ranks Illinois 15th best “New Economy” in 2010.  The Illinois ranking moved up one spot from 2008, but unfortunately many other Midwestern states dropped to the bottom of the list.

#69  Forbes.com top 200 Best places for Businesses and Careers April 15, 2010
http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/13/best-places-for-business-beltway-busine...
Areas ranked on 12 metrics including costs (business and living), job growth (past and projected), income growth, educational attainment and projected economic growth.  Quality of life issues like crime, cultural and recreational opportunities as well as net migration patterns were factored in.  Lastly Forbes.com examined the percentage of subprime mortgages handed out over a three-year stretch and the number of highly ranked four-year colleges in the area.

March 2010, Peoria County has been recognized by Monster.com as a great place to receive a pay raise.
http://career-advice.monster.com/salary-benefits/salary-information/wage...
The article "The Best Cities for Getting a Pay Raise: Where Can You Find Growing Job Markets and Rising Wages?" lists Peoria County as one of the top 335 largest US counties with rising wages and job growth.