The City of Columbus continues to gain strength on a nationally published economic analysis poll. The Micropolitan Statistical Areas Economic Strength Ranking 2012, published June 1 by economic research firm Policom, shows Columbus at number 46, up 10 ranking points from last year’s position at 57.
Policom defines a micropolitan as containing an urbanized area with more than 10,000 people but less than 50,000. To determine rankings, the company calculates growth rates, consistency trends, industry averages and other factors ad it specializes in analyzing local and state economies and measures a variety of economic indicators to rank cities.
Columbus climbed from No. 77 out of 574 last year to No. 57. In 2004, Columbus was ranked 374th; in 2005, the city was No. 322; in 2006, Columbus climbed to 257. By 2007, Columbus was ranked 211; in 2008, the city was ranked 174.
“When the (Columbus-Lowndes Development Link) was founded, we were ranked 374th out of 574 entities,” Link CEO Joe Max Higgins said. “Last year we broke the top 10 and we bumped up a little higher this year. Oxford if the only Mississippi city ranked higher than Columbus. I think this is a good testimony to what we’ve been doing.”
In 2010, Lowndes County boasted $226 million in dollars invested from new industry locating in the area existing industry expanding. The projects created more than 400 jobs. In 2009, $125 million to $150 million in new investments and 150 new jobs.
Since its inception in 2003, the Link has helped Lowndes County to attract nearly $4 billion in facilities and more than 6,500 jobs.
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