THE SHORT LIST

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO COLUMBUS DALLAS DENVER INDIANAPOLIS LOS ANGELES
Georgia Texas Massachusetts Illinois Ohio Texas Colorado Indiana California

16.5% 10.3% 10.1% 16.3% 13.5% 16.4% 15.1% 14.6% 13.8%

vacancy vacancy vacancy vacancy vacancy vacancy vacancy vacancy vacancy
rate rate rate rate rate rate rate rate rate

inventory: 141 million inventory: 50.1 million inventory: 159.9 inventory: 234.3 inventory: 28.2 million inventory: 223.6 inventory: 113.3 million inventory: 28.7 million inventory: 170.6
square feet square feet million square feet million square feet square feet million square feet square feet square feet million square feet

Population (2016): Population (2016): Population (2016): Population (2016): Population (2016): Population (2016): Population (2016): Population (2016): Population (2016):
5,612,777 1,942,615 4,728,844 9,528,396 1,995,004 6,957,123 2,752,056 1,968,768 13,189,366
Median age: Median age: Median age: Median age: Median age: Median age: Median age: Median age: Median age:
35.9 years 33.9 years 38.7 years 36.7 years 35.7 years 34.5 years 36.2 years 36.1 years 36.1 years
Adults with Adults with Adults with bachelor’s Adults with Adults with bachelor’s Adults with bachelor’s Adults with bachelor’s Adults with Adults with
bachelor’s degrees: bachelor’s degrees: degrees: 45.4% bachelor’s degrees: degrees: 34.8% degrees: 33.1% degrees: 41.3% bachelor’s degrees: bachelor’s
36.5% 42% Households with 36.1% Households with Households with Households with 32.2% degrees: 32.6%
Households with Households incomes of $150,000 Households with incomes of $150,000 incomes of $150,000 incomes of $150,000 Households Households
incomes of $150,000 with incomes of or more: 21.3% incomes of $150,000 or more: 10.5% or more: 13.4% or more: 15.1% with incomes of with incomes of
or more: 12.4% $150,000 or more: Commute in 14 or more: 14.4% Commute in 14 Commute in 14 Commute in 14 $150,000 or more: $150,000 or more:
Commute in 14 14.5% minutes or less: 20.5% Commute in 14 minutes or less: 25% minutes or less: 21.1% minutes or less: 9.4% 15.6%
minutes or less: Commute in 14 minutes or less: 19% 19.6% Commute in 14 Commute in 14
17.9% minutes or less: HQ2 WILL BE HERE HQ2 WILL BE HERE HQ2 WILL BE HERE minutes or less: minutes or less:
22.7% BECAUSE ... Amazon HQ2 WILL BE HERE BECAUSE ... Amazon BECAUSE ... Amazon HQ2 WILL BE HERE 24.3% 18.9%
HQ2 WILL BE HERE is already making BECAUSE ... Web Services already already has nine BECAUSE ... Denver
BECAUSE ... Atlanta HQ2 WILL BE HERE inroads in Boston. Chicago has the has a major presence facilities in the region has a highly educated HQ2 WILL BE HERE HQ2 WILL BE
is a major population BECAUSE ... Austin The company was in infrastructure to in Central Ohio with and an expansion workforce, quality of BECAUSE ... HERE BECAUSE ...
center with access to is often touted as active negotiations to host a company a network of data supported by millions life and the region’s Indianapolis is a Los Angeles is
a globally connected one of the country’s lease up to 1 million like Amazon — it is centers that it plans in local tax incentives global connectivity growing tech hub a global market
airport. The city, fastest-growing tech square feet at WS already home to GE to grow from three to and abatements. The throughout its with an inventory of with a large
which is believed hubs. The city boasts Development’s Seaport Healthcare, Conagra 15, plus e-commerce Dallas-Fort Worth international airport. tech footprint.
to be among the a younger populace Square development, and McDonald’s. distribution centers. area has about In 2017, Colorado According to
favorites for HQ2, than most other a deal that’s separate The city also boasts 209,600 tech-sector was home to 10 commute times are CompTIA, it has
also has burgeoning from its ongoing HQ2 190,500 tech jobs, HQ2 WON’T BE jobs, and it is home companies on the among the shortest 287,600 tech jobs,
logistics and tech is among the most search, according to 34,985 of which are HERE BECAUSE ... to nearly 40 percent Fortune 500 list of with 52,185 for
industries. educated. several sources with software and web despite its current of all tech workers in the nation’s largest web and software
knowledge of the developer jobs. tech footprint, the state. public and private HQ2 WON’T BE developers.
HQ2 WON’T BE HQ2 WON’T BE negotiations. Columbus doesn’t corporations. HERE BECAUSE ...
HERE BECAUSE ... HERE BECAUSE ... HQ2 WON’T BE distinguish itself as a HQ2 WON’T BE the city’s aging HQ2 WON’T BE
“The Gulch,” the most if Amazon is looking HQ2 WON’T BE HERE HERE BECAUSE ... hub for tech talent. Its HERE BECAUSE ... HQ2 WON’T BE population, low HERE BECAUSE ...
likely development for the deepest pool BECAUSE ... like Chicago’s high crime student population, at the workforce HERE BECAUSE ... percentage of adults Amazon
site for a project of tech talent in Seattle, the Greater rate and growing tax 140,000, lags behind development and compared with other with bachelor’s already has one
of this scale, has Texas, Dallas would Boston area is facing a burden makes it a other contenders on areas, Colorado degrees and lack of headquarters on
languished in an be the best option. housing crunch. With less attractive option Amazon’s short list around the Dallas- hasn’t been as the West Coast.
economic downturn or without Amazon, when compared with (see: New York City’s Fort Worth area generous in doling a long shot for HQ2. Notably, L.A. was
created in part by cities of a similar 1 million students). might not be enough out incentives. It’s
need to add 435,000 size. There’s also not much to keep pace with also fairly close to west of the
suburbanization. housing units by 2040. Amazon’s needs. HQ1. Rockies.

MIAMI NASHVILLE NEWARK NEW YORK CITY PHILADELPHIA PITTSBURGH RALEIGH TORONTO
Florida Tennessee New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Pennsylvania North Carolina Ontario, Canada

12.3% 7.5% 18.9% 8.7% 11.5% 10.1% 8.2% 7%

vacancy vacancy vacancy Midtown vacancy vacancy vacancy vacancy
rate rate rate vacancy rate rate rate rate
rate

inventory: 47.1 million inventory: 38.5 million inventory: 110.2 million space inventory: 243.1 inventory: 132.7 inventory: 90.5 inventory: 52.3 inventory: 178 million
square feet square feet square feet million s.f. million square feet million square feet million square feet square feet

Population (2016): Population (2016): Population (2016): Population (2016): Population (2016): Population (2016): Population (2016): Population (2016):
5,926,955 1,794,570 20,031,443 20,031,443 6,047,721 2,354,926 1,243,720 5,967,200
Median age: Median age: Median age: Median age: Median age: Median age: Median age: Median age:
40.6 years 36.3 years 38.0 years 38.0 years 38.4 years 42.9 years 36.1 years 39.4 years
Adults with bachelor’s Adults with Adults with bachelor’s Adults with bachelor’s Adults with bachelor’s Adults with bachelor’s Adults with bachelor’s Adults with bachelor’s
degrees: 30.1% bachelor’s degrees: degrees: 38.1% degrees: 38.1% degrees: 35.5% degrees: 32.5% degrees: 44.3% degrees: 40.9%
Households with 33% Households with Households with Households with Households with Households with Households with
incomes of $150,000 Households with incomes of $150,000 incomes of $150,000 incomes of $150,000 incomes of $150,000 incomes of $150,000 incomes of $150,000
or more: 10.3% incomes of $150,000 or more: 19.3% or more: 19.3% or more: 15.2% or more: 9.3% or more: 14.2% or more: 19.4%
or more: 10.2% Commute in 14
Commute in 14 Commute in 14 Commute in 14 Commute in 14 Commute in 14 Commute in 14
minutes or less:
minutes or less: 17.6% Commute in 14 minutes or less: 16.4% minutes or less: minutes or less: minutes or less: minutes or less:
16.4%
minutes or less: NOTE: Newark and New
21.5% 25.0% 22.1% 14.2%
HQ2 WILL BE HERE 21.5% York statistics are the same NOTE: Newark and New York
statistics are the same because
BECAUSE ... Miami because the U.S. Census Bureau
the U.S. Census Bureau includes
HQ2 WILL BE HQ2 WILL BE HERE HQ2 WILL BE HERE HQ2 WILL BE HERE
has a history when HQ2 WILL BE includes the two cities in one
the two cities in one demographic HERE BECAUSE BECAUSE ... the city BECAUSE ... the BECAUSE ... the city
demographic region.
it comes to enticing HERE BECAUSE ... region. ... Pennsylvania is already home to Raleigh-Durham area
Amazon. In Miami- Nashville is the dark HQ2 WILL BE HERE has been a favorite Amazon’s research in has three top-tier of transportation
HQ2 WILL BE HERE
Dade County, Amazon horse. Its connection BECAUSE ... state land spot for other speech recognition universities (Duke, options and a variety
BECAUSE ... the city
received $1.5 million to Amazon is strong. Amazon facilities, and automobile North Carolina and of entertainment and
in tax rebates and Last year, the which total more than technologies. North Carolina State) sporting venues — all
50 million square
another $5 million company announced incentives to Amazon. 7 million square feet in the Triangle, features Amazon said
feet of commercial
for infrastructure that it would open in the state. HQ2 WON’T BE opening up a it was looking for in
space across the five
improvements through HERE BECAUSE ... significant talent its search.
the state is prepared boroughs.
a county bond. Greater Nashville. HQ2 WON’T BE Pittsburgh pool.
HQ2 WON’T BE HERE BECAUSE ... is one of only two HQ2 WON’T BE
$7 billion in tax breaks
HQ2 WON’T BE HQ2 WON’T BE HERE BECAUSE ... local support for the Rust Belt cities HQ2 WON’T BE HERE BECAUSE ...
and other incentives
HERE BECAUSE ... HERE BECAUSE ... it’s NYC, which means big incentives that on Amazon’s list HERE BECAUSE
to land HQ2.
Miami is among the the city lags behind Amazon wouldn’t be drew Amazon to the of 20, indicating ... despite the remain major hurdles
oldest cities on the top contenders HQ2 WON’T BE a big fish in a small region in the past the company’s reputation for higher in the Toronto metro
list with a median in adults with HERE BECAUSE ... pond. might be waning. preference to land education, the area area.
age of 40.6, and it is bachelor’s degrees the area’s commute farther east. has a relatively small
at the bottom of the (33 percent) and, times rank near the labor market.
list for percentage of according to bottom of the cities
adults with bachelor’s CompTIA, it ranks
degrees. Add to that 41st in the nation with a population of
rough commutes, and for percentage of 20 million, room for
Miami seems like a workers in the tech growth remains a
less attractive spot for industry. major question.
HQ2.

R WHAT HELPS THE WASHINGTON REGION R WHAT HURTS THE WASHINGTON REGION

DIVERSITY INDEX MOST ADULTS WITH MOST ADULTS WITH HIGHEST SHARE OF JOBS IN MOST HOUSEHOLDS THOSE LEAST LIKELY HIGHEST MEDIAN
Most diverse BACHELOR’S DEGREES ADVANCED DEGREES WITH INCOMES OF TO HAVE SHORT
Washington/ Washington/ Washington/ (Management, business, science, arts) $150,000 OR MORE COMMUTES OCCUPIED HOMES
(14 minutes or less)
Montgomery County/ Montgomery County/ Montgomery County/ Washington/Montgomery Washington/Montgomery Los Angeles
Northern Virginia Northern Virginia Northern Virginia County/Northern Virginia County/Northern Virginia Washington/
Montgomery New York/Newark
New York/Newark Boston Boston Boston Boston County/Northern
Virginia Washington/
Los Angeles Raleigh New York/Newark Raleigh New York/Newark Montgomery
New York/Newark County/Northern
Miami Austin Raleigh Austin Los Angeles Virginia
Miami
Dallas Denver Denver Denver Philadelphia Boston
Atlanta
Denver
Los Angeles