Over the last five years there has been a record number of industrial project announcements, with a heavy focus on electric vehicles and battery, clean tech and green energy. Whether related to the large acreage, infrastructure or cost requirements, many of these projects have located in small metro locations.

The 2024 metro rankings reflect a number of small metros that have successfully attracted these industrial projects or are within a commuting distance of these projects. Burlington, NC moved up 120 positions from last year’s ranking. In 2022, Burlington announced 8 new projects and it is clear that the workforce is growing as a result.

Similarly, Savannah was ranked 154th last year and has improved to 6th this year. With Savannah’s success in attracting notable companies such as Hyundai, there is a tremendous amount of energy in attracting new workforce, expanding training opportunities and creating new real estate opportunities.

Another interesting observation, with the shift to remote work during COVID that brought on the wave of relocations out of many of the large metro areas, with so many companies announcing return to office it will be interesting to see how that affects next year’s rankings.