Longview Falls Out of Top 10 in Milken Rankings
Posted/updated on: January 21, 2015 at 1:36 pm
LONGVIEW — For the first time in four years Longview does not appear in the top 10 of an annual national ranking of U.S. cities’ economic growth. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, the Milken Institute ranking of the nation’s best-performing small cities shows Longview fell from no. 7 to no. 22 among 179 small metro areas in the latest ranking. It was seventh among Texas metro areas that made the list. Tyler moved up slightly, from no. 48 to no. 46 nationally. “It is not a bad measurement in terms of the ranking, simply because we have enjoyed, over the recent years, job growth, population growth, investment,” said Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt. “It has not stopped, but it has just slowed down to the pace it once was.”
“We still have a very vibrant economy and the sales taxes continue to show increases,” Stoudt said. “I wouldn’t put much stock into that. … From a common sense standpoint you can look around and see where our tax base has grown, unemployment is low, and a lot of people are looking to move into Longview to invest.”
The Milken Institute is a Santa Monica, California-based nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank. It looks at capital markets and how they can be used to help solve social and economic challenges and improve lives of residents.
