Sleepy Cowboy Hizzoner John Giles > Lazy When It Comes To Data

What's true about Mesa Mayor "Jivin" John Giles?? He likes to pick some bad data that's all overblown hype, so let's him take him a notch when he tweets about Tech Hubs: Sorry, John
The Next Tech Hub Isn't Austin or Denver. The Next Tech Hub Is Greater Phoenix
By Dustin McKissen Founder and CEO, McKissen + Company
Published on: Jun 14, 2019
Source: https://www.inc.com 

"What if California were still a haven of high-profile tech companies but had lower personal and corporate income taxes, a lower cost of living, more affordable housing, a lower regulatory burden, fewer mudslides, fewer cars on the freeway, no Kardashians, and better pizza?. . .

It wouldn't be California. . . It would be Phoenix. . .

(Sorry, New York and Chicago. The pizza thing is true. Phoenix was named America's best pizza city by Travel and Leisure, which also means it is possible--though calorically inadvisable--to eat a burrito for breakfast, a Sonoran hot dog for lunch, and one of America's best pizzas for dinner, as long as you're in the Valley of the Sun.)

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WHO IS DUSTIN McKISSON?

Dustin McKissen is the CEO and founder of McKissen + Company, a marketing and communications firm that works with communities and economic development organizations across the country. Before starting his own company he managed several trade associations and served as the director of operations for the Northern Arizona Council of Governments.

McKissen has been twice named a "Top Voice" on management and culture by LinkedIn and serves as a columnist for Inc., CNBC, VentureBeat and Silicon Prairie News. He received his master's degree in public administration from Northern Arizona University and his bachelor's degree in public policy from Prescott College.

Dustin McKissen  |  Contributor https://www.governing.com/authors

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That's the argument being made by the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), the regional economic development organization that's launched an aggressive campaign it's calling #CAstruggles to recruit tech companies and entrepreneurs to one of the nation's largest and fastest-growing cities. 

BLOGGER NOTE: Take a look at this data >

How does that bogus argument hold up?

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FACTOID FROM DUSTIN McKISSON :

"Greater Phoenix's desirability among Millennials is one big reason so many knowledge-based companies are viewing the region as a destination. Recent research ranked the city as the fourth-most-desirable urban area in the country among Millennials."

< WHAT THE REAL DATA SAYS

Do you see Phoenix or "Greater Phoenix" on this list??

 

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Who are you going to believe? Here's what Richard Florida has to say

America’s Tech Hubs Still Dominate, But Some Smaller Cities Are Rising

Richard Florida

Apr 18, 2019

Source: https://www.citylab.com 

Despite established urban tech hubs, some smaller cities are attracting high-tech jobs with lower living costs, unique talent pools, and geographic diversity.

Where the rest is rising

So what about the “Rise of the Rest?”
Kolko finds that there are, in fact, smaller tech hubs growing outside of the dominant cities, to take advantage of lower costs of living, different talent pools, and geographic diversity.

“The big takeaway is that the established hubs are maintaining their lead. Plus: fast-growing, high-paying tech jobs are especially concentrated in the top hubs,” Kolko notes. “Other metros really haven't broken into their ranks,” he said. “Still, there are plenty of opportunities in tech outside these hubs, including in smaller, more affordable metros across the country.”

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ONE MORE:

Tech Town, USA: 20 Cities IT Pros Will Want to Call Home

Oct 23, 2018, 01:00 AM

Source: https://www.aitp.org

". . To determine America’s “Top 20 Tech Towns,” our researchers analyzed metropolitan areas where demand for tech workers is the greatest, and then ranked them based on cost of living, number of open IT positions, and projected job growth over the next five years. Read about all 20 Tech Towns in the full report. . . "

The 2018 Tech Town Index provides insight into the depth and breadth of America’s flourishing tech ecosystem and highlights the characteristics that make each of the nation’s Top 20 Tech Towns unique.

The full report highlights the specific statistics that played into each city's ranking as well as the factors that make it an attractive choice for IT pros.

One of the biggest takeaways of the report, however, is that tech workers looking for a city to jumpstart their careers have more variety and choice than ever. A total of 14 states and the District of Columbia are represented in the Top 20 

QUESTION: DO YOU SEE PHOENIX OR 'GREATER PHOENIX'  ON THIS LIST?

Top 20 Tech Towns

1. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
2. Raleigh, NC
3. Austin-Round Rock, TX
4. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
5. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
6. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
7. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
8. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
9. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
10. Huntsville, AL
11. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
12. Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
13. Lansing-East Lansing, MI
14. Madison, WI
15. Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
16. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
17. Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH
18. Trenton, NJ
19. Boulder, CO
20. Colorado Springs, CO