Study ranks Columbia's economy among similar cities

by David Reed

July 10,2009

           How does Columbia stack up against cities of similar size with research universities?

            That’s one of the questions a study commissioned by the city set out to answer, and the report by the University of Missouri’s Community Policy Analysis Center was released Friday.

             The 25 peer cities were compared in regard to economic performance indicators and change in the economic base, and the locations are widespread, from Blacksburg, Virginia to Corvallis, Oregon. Others include Manhattan and Lawrence in Kansas; Bloomington, Indiana, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois., Iowa City; Boulder, Colorado, and Athens, Georgia.

Here are some of the key findings:

• Columbia ranks 13^th  in per capita income ($31,325 in 2006)
• With employment growth of 25 percent from 2002-2006, Columbia ranks 7^th in overall job growth.
• Columbia ranks in the top half of peer communities in employment growth in manufacturing and retirement-related employment.
• Columbia leads the 25 peer communities in growth of jobs in the retail sector.
• Columbia ranks in the lower half of peer communities in employment growth in high-tech and private medical employment. Columbia lost jobs in the insurance sector between 2002 and 2006.