Created to provide the most comprehensive and current business information available, Bloomberg News has multiple far-reaching tentacles. One of them is the Bloomberg Brain Concentration Index. This index tracks employment and education information on people working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Out with its latest Bloomberg Brain Concentration Index (BBCI) just last week, the BBCI tells us which cities in the country are gaining a concentration of STEM brainpower and which cities are losing STEM brainpower.
For the first time, three cities in Colorado ranked in the top ten. In a state built on fortunes tied to highs and lows of oil, gas and other commodities, old cow and mining towns have morphed into technology hubs.
Coming out at the top of the heap…Boulder. Fort Collins came in 4th and Denver came in 10th.
Here’s a list of the top 10 cities now home to the country’s most concentrated STEM brain- power:
1. Boulder, CO
2. San Francisco, CA
3. San Jose, CA
4. Fort Collins, CO
5. Washington, DC
6. Raleigh, NC
7. Durham, NC
8. Madison, WI
9. Seattle, WA
10. Denver, CO
Based in Fort Collins, the Northern Colorado Economic Alliance expressed wholehearted enthusiasm for the city’s ranking on the BBCI. “We’re nerdy and proud of it!”
Obviously, when there is a “top 10,” there’s always a “bottom 10.” Here are the 10 US cities feeling the STEM brain drain the most:
1. Muskegon, MI
2. Beckley, WV
3. Altoona, PA
4. Goldsboro, NC
5. Atlantic City, NJ
6. Springfield, IL
7. Joplin MO
8. Huntington, WV
9. Monroe, MI
10. Lima, OH
Muskegon is one city not taking the STEM brain drain lying down. The town has already initiated an offering of free tuition for 2 years to high school graduates with a GPA of 3.5 and above in an effort to keep its brain power at home.
Grand Junction, CO, ranking 16th in the brain drain department, is another city making an effort to turn around its declining STEM numbers. The Grand Junction Economic Partnership is expanding its Rural Jump Start tax credits program for technology businesses. This initiative essentially grants tax holidays for tech businesses currently located and intending to locate in the city and its neighboring communities. This Partnership projects 600 new STEM jobs coming to Grand Junction in 2018.
You as real estate agents can jump on both these lists to garner residential opportunities for STEM individuals and families. The solutions are clear for the top STEM cities. In STEM drain cities, your expertise and creative insights would be welcome to those creating incentive programs to reverse the STEM drain and initiate new business and job opportunities.
