Grand Rapids named No.3 large U.S. city for 'thriving' manufacturing industry

AdvisorSmith, a business insurance resource that provides research and advanced tools to businesses, recently published a deep-dive report on U.S. cities where the manufacturing industry is booming. The company evaluated 318 cities based on four key economic factors: manufacturing output growth rate, manufacturing output per capita, manufacturing location quotient and manufacturing employment growth rate.

Among large cities (500K+ residents), Grand Rapids ranked 3rd in the category and came in 20th overall among a combined ranking of the 318 cities evaluated.

Large (500K+) U.S. Cities Where Manufacturing is Thriving:

1. San Jose, Calif.
2. Wichita, Kan.
3. Grand Rapids, Mich.
4. Palm Bay, Fla.
5. Hartford, Conn.
6. Ogden, Utah
7. Greenville, S.C.
8. Durham, N.C.
9. Detroit, Mich.
10. San Francisco, Calif.

While the report indicated that manufacturing jobs accounted for 8.2% of total employment in the U.S. for 2018, manufacturing currently accounts for 15% of all jobs in the West Michigan region. Additionally, the national per capita manufacturing output was estimated at $7,032, while Grand Rapids' came in 98% higher than the national average at $13,930.94.

Find the full report on the AdvisorSmith website.