And the Winner Is….. Greater Philadelphia!
Forbes, Money Magazine, U.S. News & World Report Recognize
Region as the Place to Be

The Greater Philadelphia region has a lot to offer – and people are taking notice! A variety of notable designations have recently been awarded to different parts of the 11-county region comprising Greater Philadelphia. These acknowledgements range from business-related honors to quality of life awards and all highlight the great number of assets this region has to offer.

"We are thrilled, but not surprised that Greater Philadelphia is included in all of these rankings,” said Thomas G. Morr, CEO and President of Select Greater Philadelphia. “We know that the region has so much to offer businesses and individuals and we’re happy that others outside the region feel the same way.”

The tri-state Greater Philadelphia region is comprised of 11 counties: New Castle County in Delaware; Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Mercer and Salem Counties in New Jersey; and Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania.

Business
Forbes magazine recognized both Delaware and New Jersey as two of the “Best States for Business.” As part of this list, New Jersey received the third highest ranking for quality of life and Delaware received the seventh best ranking for business costs. Similarly, Wilmington, Delaware was recognized as one off the least expensive places on the East coast to run a corporate headquarters, by Princeton-based consulting firm The Boyd Company Inc.

Quality of Life
Other notable designations were related to various Quality of Life measurements that can prove to be just as important as the dollars and cents of a region’s business climate. Money Magazine ranked several towns in Pennsylvania as the country’s “Best Places to Live,” including: Nether Providence in Delaware County (#9), West Goshen in Chester County (#12), and Horsham in Montgomery County (#15). Pike Creek in New Castle County, Delaware was also recognized in the Top 100, as was Moorestown in Burlington County, New Jersey.

In a separate listing, Money Magazine ranked Philadelphia as the sixth “Best Big City” in the country and West Chester, Pennsylvania as one of the top 25 Best Places to Live in the country for single people. This is in line with the 2006 Forbes ranking of Philadelphia as one of the Best Cities for Singles.

U.S. News & World Report recently published its listing of the Best U.S. Hospitals, which included nine area facilities: Christiana Care Health System, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Hahnemann University Hospital, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, Moss Rehab, Pennsylvania Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Wills Eye Hospital.

The Places Rated Almanac recently listed Philadelphia as one of the Top 10 “Most Livable” Cities in the country. And last, but certainly not least important, SustainLane ranked the largest 50 US cities by sustainability factors. As part of this ranking, Philadelphia was ranked as one of the Top 10 Greenest U.S. Cities.

"These rankings are an indication of how others view the region and that is a useful tool when demonstrating why the Greater Philadelphia region is such a great place to live and work," added Morr.

Census Updates Population Estimates

The U.S. Census Bureau recently updated its population estimates and, as a result, Phoenix became the fifth largest city, making Philadelphia the sixth largest city. In addition, the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area became the fourth largest of its kind, moving the entire Philadelphia metropolitan area to the fifth spot. The Census Bureau includes the following counties in its view of the Philadelphia metro area: Cecil County in Maryland; New Castle County in Delaware; Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem Counties in New Jersey; and Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania. However, Select and others in the region believe that removing Cecil County, Maryland and including Mercer County, New Jersey provides a more accurate representation of the natural economy of this region. Select’s 2007 Regional Report used this description when it listed the country’s top markets and list this region as fourth.

Collaboration in Action

At a recent breakfast meeting Washington Township’s Mayor Paul Moriarty told local business owners that fostering redevelopment in the township will require a collaborative effort from the town’s various boards and the county. Gloucester County Department of Economic Development’s director, Lisa Marino, said that by working with Select Greater Philadelphia to inventory all the available space in the county, Gloucester County can get on the national radar screen.

About Select Greater Philadelphia

An affiliate of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Select Greater Philadelphia is an economic development marketing organization dedicated to building the economy of the Greater Philadelphia region. It is a private, non-profit organization that focuses its resources on enhancing the profile and image of the region’s business community in order to attract businesses. Select Greater Philadelphia markets the region nationally and globally in order to establish Greater Philadelphia as a top-tier place to do business. The Greater Philadelphia region encompasses northern Delaware, southern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.selectgreaterphiladelphia.com