When we examine the rankings of Area Development’s 2024 Leading Metro Locations report, it’s quite clear; simply put, companies want to locate and expand in places where people want to move to and live. Based on the Report, small and medium metros are winning… by a landslide. In fact, the only large metro making the top 10 was Miami at #2. Moreover, there were only a mere three large metros in the entire top 40, with Fort Lauderdale coming in at #20 and Las Vegas at #40. This preference for small to medium size metros can largely be attributed to the fact that they continue to be more attractive to talent, with lower cost of living, including more affordable housing options. What was surprising in the Report is that the Northeast - from New England down to the Mid-Atlantic – ranked so poorly that the highest ranking of a metro for the entire area was Norwich-New London, and it was ranked only #64. The Southeast unsurprisingly continues to be the preferred area of the country, taking all but three of the top 10 spots. The perception of the Southeast as a lower cost location and a place that people want to live is actually reality, as the Southeast for more than 10 years has seen an influx of business and population. The throughout the rankings of small to medium metros preferred over large metros is not surprising. For the past several years, Atlas Insight’s site selection projects have had our clients preferring - and landing - in small and medium markets much more frequently than in large cities.