RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Another economic study puts the Triangle near the top of metro areas that a variety of data indicates it should be a top choice for Amazon as it nears the announcement for that 50,000-job HQ2 project.
Raleigh and Durham-Chapel Hill not only are among the top 20 “Tech Towns” as picked by a high-tech industry trade group, they also rank higher than most of the other 20 finalists for the HQ2 finalists.
Several studies have ranked Raleigh and/or the Triangle highly for a variety of reasons from quality of life to tech work force to housing when compared to other possible HQ destinations, so chalk this study up as more good publicity for the RTP area even if Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, decides to build that multi-billion-dollar project somewhere else.
Report: Charlotte tops nation, Triangle as No. 1 ‘Tech Town’
Amazon has said it is considering the Triangle as a destination and reportedly has looked at sites across the region. A decision about the HQ2 winner has been promised by the end of the year.
But according to the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) Raleigh offers “the best quality of life for tech workers, factoring in salaries, job availability, job growth and cost of living.”
Not all of the HQ2 final 20 made the CompTIA list. But here’s how those selected ranked among the “Tech Towns” with their standing in the CompTIA rankings in parenthesis:
- Raleigh (2)
- Austin (3)
- Dallas-Fort Worth (6)
- Denver (8)
- Atlanta (9)
- Washington, DC (11)
- Durham-Chapel Hill (15)
- Baltimore (16)
- Boston (17)
- Trenton (18)
No. 1 on the “Tech Town” list is Charlotte, making North Carolina one of only two states to have three “Tech Towns.” The other is Colorado with Denver, Bolder and Colorado Springs.
Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia/Maryland have emerged as two of the favorites for the HQ2 project, according to odds makers, other surveys and predictions.
