The New York metro area has more than 20 million people, while Nashville, Tenn., has less than 2 million. In Los Angeles, 70 percent of the population is nonwhite, while in Boston that figure is 29 percent. Nearly a quarter of Toronto residents take public transportation, while only 1 percent of those who live in Dallas, Indianapolis and Raleigh, N.C., commute the same way. Boston has 15 top universities within 50 miles; Columbus, Ohio, only one. Certainly, while the contenders for Amazon’s second headquarters are clustered largely on the East Coast and in major metropolitan areas, there are notable differences among the 20 in demographics and statistics related to subjects Amazon has said are important.
How the 20 contenders rank
Atlanta
Austin, Texas
Boston
Chicago
Columbus, Ohio
Dallas
More Top Picks Best Japanese Serving Bowls
Denver
Indianapolis
Los Angeles
Miami
Montgomery County, Md.
Nashville, Tenn.
New York
Newark, N.J.
Northern Virginia
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Raleigh, N.C.
Toronto
Washington, D.C.
- Chicago-area bid
- Other contender bid
Population
In 2016, for metro area
Median
20.2M
Why it’s important: The first preference outlined in Amazon’s request for proposals is that it prefers to be in a metropolitan area with at least 1 million people.
Median age
In 2016, for metro area
Median
43.1
Why it’s important: The second headquarters could employ as many as 50,000 people and Amazon has said its goal is to pick a location that allows it to retain a strong pool of workers.
Young population
Percentage younger than 30 years old, 2016, for metro area
Median
43.0%
Why it’s important: The number of young people in an area could speak to the long-term ability of a city to respond to Amazon’s demand for workers.
Racial diversity
Percentage of population that is nonwhite, 2016
Median
70.0%
Why it’s important: Amazon is looking for a headquarters location that is a cultural fit and that includes, it said in its proposal, a diverse population.
Public transportation use
Percentage of workers over age 16, 2016
Median
31.0%
Why it’s important: Access to public transportation at its second headquarters site is a key requirement. The company’s commitment to sustainability was also expressed in its RFP.
College educated
Percentage of those over age 25 with a bachelor’s degree or higher
Median
59.2%
Why it’s important: The scale of the employment requirements would mean the company is looking for an area with a high level of education: “A highly educated labor pool is critical,” Amazon’s RFP said.
Median
$99,763.00
Why it’s important: Amazon has pointed out that the average compensation at the second headquarters would exceed $100,000. An area’s median income speaks to how those potential Amazon jobs would compare, and gives a sense of the area’s labor pool and economic health.
People living in poverty
Percentage of people with incomes below the poverty line in 2016
Median
15.4%
Why it’s important: In Amazon’s RFP, directly after the size of the area’s population is the company’s preference for a stable business environment. The poverty level of an area is one reflection of that.
Civilian labor force
Total available workers older than 16, November 2017
Median
10M
Why it’s important: If a second headquarters is to employ 50,000 workers, a large pool of eligible workers is a must.
Unemployment rate
November 2017
Median
5.5%
Why it’s important: The unemployment rate is also a reflection of an area’s economic health and can signal whether an area is business-friendly.
Workers in professional services sector
This major industry sector includes scientific and technical fields, for 2016
Median
1.52M
Why it’s important: The jobs likely to be filled at the second headquarters are “excutive/management, engineering with a preference for software development engineers, legal, accounting and administrative,” Amazon said.
Available housing units
Houses, apartments or rooms intended to be living quarters, 2016.
Median
7.92M
Why it’s important: Amazon’s RFP said it values high quality of life and asked bid cities to detail housing near potential sites.
Nearby universities
Total on U.S. News Best Colleges 2018 rankings, within 50 miles
Median
17
Why it’s important: In its requirements for a labor pool, Amazon’s request said, “A highly educated labor pool is critical and a strong university system is required.”
Airport size
Total passengers in 2016 at area’s largest airport
Median
104M
Why it’s important: Amazon prefers the second headquarters to be within 45 minutes of an international airport. The RFP said an important consideration is access to daily flights to Seattle, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Cost of living
Amount that would have to be earned to be equivalent to $100,000 in Seattle, 2018
Median
$159,830.00
Why it’s important: Amazon asked bid proposals to include data on cost of living.
Homicide rate
Number of homicides per 100,000 people, 2014, for metro area
Median
35.39
Why it’s important: In its request for proposals, Amazon asked bid cities to include crime data.
Number of parks
Number of parks per 10,000 people, 2015, for city area
Median
8.9
Why it’s important: “We want to invest in a community where our employees will enjoy living, recreational opportunities, educational opportunities and an overall high quality of life,” Amazon’s RFP said.
Note: Data used is for the metropolitan regions with the exception of Montgomery County, Md. Data for the New York-Newark, N.J., metropolitan area was used to represent both of those contenders except for categories where city data was more accurate and different between the two bids. Data for the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area was used for the northern Virginia and Washington bids. Poverty rate for Toronto is the percentage under the low income line before taxes.
Sources: Censusreporter.com, Statistics Canada, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Transportation, City of Toronto, United Nations Sustainability Development Solutions Network, U.S. Cities SDG Index, U.S. News and World Report, Airports Council International Annual World Airport Traffic Report 2017, The Trust for Public Land, INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard, www.nerdwallet.com, www.nubeo.com
//graphics.chicagotribune.com/amazon-hq2-finalists/js/app.min.js
(function(document) {
var CSS = [
“//graphics.chicagotribune.com/amazon-hq2-finalists/css/styles.css”
];
CSS.forEach(function(url) {
var link = document.createElement(‘link’);
link.setAttribute(‘rel’, ‘stylesheet’);
link.setAttribute(‘href’, url);
document.head.appendChild(link);
});
})(document);