Site Selection ranks QC region on Top 10 metros list

The Quad Cities region has been ranked in the Top 10 Mississippi River Corridor metros by Site Selection Magazine.

In a news release Wednesday, March 13, the Quad Cities Chamber announced that the Quad Cities metropolitan statistical area – along with the Iowa cities of Muscatine and Clinton – all were ranked in the Top 10 of two categories based on their development activity. Site Selection Magazine revealed the latest rankings, which include all metro regions along the Mississippi River Corridor, in its March edition.

In the Total Projects category, the rankings included: 

• Quad Cities MSA, No. 5, with 27 projects. 
• Muscatine, No. 8, with five projects.
• Clinton, No. 10, with four projects.

In the Total Projects Per Capita category, the local communities were ranked as follows: 

• No. 3, Muscatine.
• No. 4, Clinton.
• No. 7, Quad Cities MSA.

Site Selection Magazine is an internationally circulated business publication covering corporate real estate and economic development. Read Site Selection Magazine’s full story here.

The annual rankings are based on projects that qualified for the Conway Projects Database between July 2022 and December 2023. Projects must meet at least one of three criteria: at least $1 million invested, at least 20 new jobs created, or created at least 20,000 new square feet space.

According to the Quad Cities chamber, the total investments in the local bistate region in 2023 amounted to $393.4 million. That investment created a total of 457 new jobs, including many in the QC’s five target industries: advanced manufacturing; ag innovation and food production; defense; transportation/logistics; and corporate offices. 

The overall winners in both categories were repeats from last year’s list. The No. 1 metro in total projects was St. Louis, while Blytheville, Arkansas, again claimed the No. 1 metro in projects per capita. 

At No. 5 in the overall rankings, the Quad Cities followed St. Louis, Twin Cities, Baton Rouge and Greater New Orleans. 

Among the Quad Cities region’s economic development projects in 2023 were: Atlas Roofing in Clinton, $224 million investment, 117 jobs; Merrill Steel, Camanche, $18 million investment, 94 jobs; Renewal by Andersen, $4 million, 35 jobs, and CP Supply, Bettendorf, $3.4 million investment, 10 jobs. 

To see a list of the Quad Cities projects considered in the rankings, visit here.