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That's because this list is from over 15 years ago, so it doesn't factor in any growth that these cities have undertaken. If I compiled the top tiers today (blue indicates a city that's moved up, red a city that's dropped, and bold some revisions to the comment description):
*1 AAAAUnique rating for New York New York City
*1-AAAUnique rating for Los Angeles and Chicago (although if trends continue, Chicago could be demoted to 1-AA a decade from now)
*1-AA Major national business centers (secondary global business centers): Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. (13 cities)
*1-A Other national business centers: Austin, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland , Columbus, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Pittsburgh, Portland, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego, and Tampa (18 cities)
*2-AA Major regional business centers: Albany, Albuquerque, Allentown, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Boise, (a two-category jump), Buffalo, Charleston, SC, Columbia, Des Moines, El Paso, Grand Rapids, Harrisburg, Hartford, Honolulu, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Lexington, Little Rock, Louisville, Madison, Memphis, New Haven, Norfolk, Omaha, Orlando, Providence, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Spokane, Tucson, Tulsa, West Palm Beach, and Wichita (36 cities)
*2-BB Secondary major regional business centers Akron, Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Worth, Oakland, St. Paul, St. Petersburg, San Jose, and Wilmington
Cities from 2-AA that have dropped to 2-A (Other regional business centers): Dayton, Jackson, MS, Peoria, Rochester NY, Shreveport, Springfield MA, Syracuse, Toledo, Youngstown
Cities from 3-AA (Major significant local business centers) that have moved up to 2-A (Other regional business centers): Asheville, NC, Huntsville, AL, Tyler, TX
Cities from 2-A that have dropped to 3-AA: Evansville, IN, Flint, MI, Huntington, WV, Rockford, IL, Saginaw, MI
I don't see the utility in separating Fort Worth, St Paul and Fort Lauderdale, and Baltimore and SJ are major business centers in their own right and they are their own metros.
That secondary business center category doesn't need to exist unless you are going really secondary like Newark or Long Beach
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That's because this list is from over 15 years ago, so it doesn't factor in any growth that these cities have undertaken. If I compiled the top tiers today (blue indicates a city that's moved up, red a city that's dropped, and bold some revisions to the comment description):
*1 AAAAUnique rating for New York New York City
*1-AAAUnique rating for Los Angeles and Chicago (although if trends continue, Chicago could be demoted to 1-AA a decade from now)
*1-AA Major national business centers (secondary global business centers): Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. (13 cities)
*1-A Other national business centers: Austin, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland , Columbus, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Pittsburgh, Portland, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego, and Tampa (18 cities)
*2-AA Major regional business centers: Albany, Albuquerque, Allentown, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Boise, (a two-category jump), Buffalo, Charleston, SC, Columbia, Des Moines, El Paso, Grand Rapids, Harrisburg, Hartford, Honolulu, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Lexington, Little Rock, Louisville, Madison, Memphis, New Haven, Norfolk, Omaha, Orlando, Providence, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Spokane, Tucson, Tulsa, West Palm Beach, and Wichita (36 cities)
*2-BB Secondary major regional business centers Akron, Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Worth, Oakland, St. Paul, St. Petersburg, San Jose, and Wilmington
Cities from 2-AA that have dropped to 2-A (Other regional business centers): Dayton, Jackson, MS, Peoria, Rochester NY, Shreveport, Springfield MA, Syracuse, Toledo, Youngstown
Cities from 3-AA (Major significant local business centers) that have moved up to 2-A (Other regional business centers): Asheville, NC, Huntsville, AL, Tyler, TX
Cities from 2-A that have dropped to 3-AA: Evansville, IN, Flint, MI, Huntington, WV, Rockford, IL, Saginaw, MI
I mostly agree with the list, excluding Chicago's demotion to tier 1-AA. Chicago is growing. Albeit slow, but growing nonetheless. Chicago had a rough ride in the 1990s-2010s, but the growth looks promising in the 2020s and onwards. Last month when I was in Chicago, I was a bit surprised to see a lot of gentrification and development. I'm sure the unfortunate areas are losing population, but not the urban areas. Anyways, the growth patterns can change in the next coming decades.
I wonder if this city rating system will ever be updated? Many cities should move up in rank but I dont think any should lose status especially the fast growing cities and metros that have 2 million plus population but have a lower than 1a rating.
Last edited by SweethomeSanAntonio; 01-05-2023 at 10:18 PM..
Baltimore dropped like a brick. It has allowed itself to become a suburb of another city.
This isn’t an official updated list.
It has and will always function independently of DC. Your nihilism isn’t going to change that fact.
Between Fort Meade, STScI, John’s Hopkins, Under Armor, McCormick, Social Security, T. Rowe, Constellation, Cordish, The Port, WTC, etc.. There is no objective reality where Baltimore is anything less than an Other National business center.
It has and will always function independently of DC. Your nihilism isn’t going to change that fact.
Between Fort Meade, STScI, John’s Hopkins, Under Armor, McCormick, Social Security, T. Rowe, Constellation, Cordish, The Port, WTC, etc.. There is no objective reality where Baltimore is anything less than an Other National business center.
/Rant over
Doesnt feel like a "National" Business Center. Like I see it but...Feels like 2-AA. But I see your point
It has and will always function independently of DC. Your nihilism isn’t going to change that fact.
Between Fort Meade, STScI, John’s Hopkins, Under Armor, McCormick, Social Security, T. Rowe, Constellation, Cordish, The Port, WTC, etc.. There is no objective reality where Baltimore is anything less than an Other National business center.
/Rant over
I hope that you're right. It would be a bad look if we ranked with Harrisburg or Allentown when it is a major city.
I hope that you're right. It would be a bad look if we ranked with Harrisburg or Allentown when it is a major city.
Baltimore is definitely above places like Harrisburg or Allentown .
At worst it's on level with mid-size Midwest metro like Indianapolis or Cincinnati or Columbus OH...
So Level 1-A is where Baltimore still belongs. It gets overshadow by DC but that doesn't mean it's just a "suburb" of DC. And just b/c things may not be within city limit doesn't mean those businesses in Columbia or Towson or Reistertown are less Baltimore.
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