City of Effingham issued the following announcement on March 22.
Site Selection Magazine has featured an article naming Effingham one of the Top 50 Most Dynamic Micropolitan Areas. The City of Effingham has the 2nd highest ranking out of Top 20 Midwestern communities and ranks 29th out of the total 531 areas studied.
Ross DeVol and the Walton Family Foundation collected data on every rural community, through quantitative data and objective research. The research found that small towns with strong economic performance share several key traits, such as: travel, tourism and recreation as key industries; prevalence of professional services; a culture of entrepreneurship; and research universities and 4-year colleges.
"This just confirms what we've known for quite some time now,” stated Mayor Jeff Bloemker. “Effingham is pulling all the right levers and encouraging all the right people to engage. We have lightening in a bottle and we need to double down on it. We must thank the visionaries who put this train on the tracks several decades ago."
Only seven Midwestern communities finished in The Top 50 Most Dynamic Micropolitan Areas and Effingham was one of them. The Midwestern Communities were a follows Findlay, OH (7), Effingham, Illinois (29), Bardstown, Kentucky (31), Spirit Lake, Iowa (41), Auburn, Indiana (46), Angola, Indiana (48), and Brookings, South Dakota (49).
Mr. Devol cites places like Effingham, Illinois; Bardstown, Kentucky; Spirit Lake, Iowa; and Auburn, Indiana as towns that get economic development right. He was also quoted in the article as stating, “It’s important to reiterate that it’s not just about being a travel destination. It’s what you do with your attributes. It’s about quality of life and place. All the top small towns have positive net in-migration. People want to move there.” Economic Development Director Todd Hull stated, “A lot of individuals have worked very hard over the years to make Effingham a regional center. Effingham has the attributes of a larger community but still has the feel of a small town.
Original source can be found here.
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