Greeley Rising

Milken Institute’s 2021 Best-Performing Cities - Foundations for Growth and Recovery report was recently released and Greeley is ranked 43 out of 400 cities nationally. Greeley was also in the top 50 in last year’s ranking.

Cities drive economic growth nationwide. They are the primary locations where businesses create new jobs and workers earn higher wages, keeping the United States competitive in the global economy. However, metro areas are also incredibly diverse. Each has unique characteristics generated through a combination of investment and policy choices that influence the community’s economic outcomes. The Milken Institute’s Best-Performing Cities Index (BPC) provides a means for comparing metro areas’ recent performance. 

It is notable that several other Colorado cities were also in the top 50, underscoring the strength of the Front Range Region. Greeley is proud to share this achievement with Denver (11th), Fort Collins (12^th), Colorado Springs (17^th) and Boulder (44^th). Together, these rankings bode well for the future of our region.

While housing affordability is still a challenge across much of the country, Greeley scored the highest among the other five top-ranked Colorado communities in the top 50 in terms of housing affordability coming in at 116^th. The other 4 scored between 141^st-166^th, significantly lower in affordability. One area where Greeley scored lower than our sister communities is Broadband Access, coming in at 48^th. The other 4 scored much higher, between 8^th-18^th. This is a clear opportunity for Greeley to improve and become even more competitive. 

Notable assets and liabilities were provided for the top performing cities of Denver and Fort Collins:

Assets

• The area has a highly educated workforce.
• High quality of life and natural amenities makes it an attractive destination for skilled workers.
• Well-established employer-education linkages that have sustained the regional economy through the COVID-19 pandemic.
• There’s a strong link between Colorado Universities and the regional high-tech cluster.
• Widespread and top-tier broadband access.

 Liabilities

• The increasing cost of living may erode the city’s affordability advantage.
• Housing costs remain high, with little supply elasticity.

Read the full report.